The Data Protection Commission has sent a taskforce made up of personnel from the Ghana Police Service to arrest Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Companies that have failed to register with it as required by law.

The Head of Police CID Cyber Unit, Dr Gustav Yankson told journalists they will not spare any company that has flouted the rule.

“The Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) was promulgated in 2012 and till date, we’ve been doing a lot of sensitization and educating personalities of companies who collect data to register but unfortunately most of them have refused to do as required by section 27 of the law.”

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Dr Yankson explained further that: “Section 56 of the Act also requires that anyone who fails to register should be put before court.”

The exercise started on Friday (June 23, 2017) and will see the task force visiting the various hospitality centres and health facilities in Accra.

The Data Protection Act was passed in 2012 by Parliament to ensure that the right to the privacy of individuals and their personal data in the country are protected.

This means that data collectors must protect the individual information they receive.

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However, over 170 institutions have been cited for violating the law.

The list is made up of institutions such as British Airways, Lufthansa Airlines, Royal Senchi Hotel, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and Accra Mall.

Heads of institutions that have broken the law face a jail term of two years or being made to pay 250 penalty units or both.

Dr Yankson said the Commission and other stakeholders will ensure that sanctions are applied against the directors of institutions both local and foreign in order to ensure that the data of clients are protected.