The irony of gvt communication linked platform selling personal information

It is beyond ironic that, even as the government makes heartfelt pledges to protect personal information, a communication platform linked to it should be selling the information of users to third parties.

That, no matter the spin put on it, is what is happening at the government’s communication app, GovChat.

The platform’s CEO, Eldrid Jordaan (one of the founders of the SA communication app Mxit a few years ago), has admitted that GovtChat sells “anonymised” data to third parties.

Anonymised data is of little value to marketers so we wonder what the purpose would be… WhatsApp decided to remove GovChat from its platforms for the reason of user security. WhatsApp is part of the mega global tech group Meta, which also owns Facebook.

The terms and conditions for use of WhatsApp, even in its business application, include that user information be kept private.

ALSO READ: Whatsapp gave Government the boot for selling your private data JJ

Now, though, GovChat has taken its case to the Competition Commission, claiming that WhatsApp are the bad guys, for their alleged anticompetitive behaviour and abuse of their dominant position in the market.

Maintaining the privacy of personal information is exactly what the government has been trying to do with the Protection of Personal Information (Popi) Act, which came into operation recently.

The Act aims to give consumers the assurance that their personal information will not be peddled to others so that they get pestered by spammers.

And, who among us hasn’t wanted to scream at the many unsolicited phone calls for products or services we don’t want and don’t need? Already, the big tech companies – like Meta – know so much about us, because we signed away many of our rights when we ticked their “Agree” box.

Still, do we need even more people who go through our digital lives and expose us to marketing exploitation?