The government is reviewing communication laws to align with emerging threats, including cybercrime and new technologies.
Information, Communications and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo, while making the announcement on Wednesday, urged stakeholders to play their rightful role in enhancing the country’s cybersecurity.
“We need the private sector, like healthcare, to be proactive and deliberate in enabling and embedding consumer protection within product design; we need citizens to be aware of their digital rights and vigilant against exploitation. We also need our regulators and institutions to act swiftly and transparently in dealing with digital abuse.”
The CS spoke in Nairobi during the launch of Airtel Kenya’s groundbreaking artificial intelligence (AI)-powered spam alert service, which will be available to all its subscribers at no cost.
The service, which will offer Airtel smartphone and feature phone customers real-time alerts for suspected spam SMS messages, requires no additional application downloads and is automatically activated for all customers.
“At Airtel, we are committed to providing innovative solutions that enhance our customer experience. The AI spam alert service is the first of its kind in the Kenyan market, and it fosters our dedication towards groundbreaking solutions aimed at a better customer experience,” said Airtel Kenya Managing Director Ashish Malhotra.
“With the new AI-powered spam alert, we are enabling our customers to be more vigilant of fraud attempts on their phones and to have a better experience of our services.”
CS Kabogo hailed the telco’s move, saying Kenya now joins other countries like India and Singapore, where telecom operators and regulators have partnered to use AI to launch similar solutions.
Kenya already has the Data Protection Act and the Computer Misuse and Cyber Crimes Act and plans to come up with a national digital identity framework centred around the Maisha Namba system and Maisha Card.
Communication Authority of Kenya Director General David Mugonyi lauded Airtel Kenya for the launch of spam alert, saying Kenya is ranked third in spam texts globally, with African countries taking up nine of the top 20 spots in spam.
“I also commend Airtel for making the service free for all its subscribers. This will protect vulnerable users, particularly the old and those with disabilities, regardless of the device they use,” he said.
