Entity: East Africa AI Journalism Network (EAAIJN)
Effective Date: September 18, 2026
Last Updated: September 18, 2026
1. Welcome and overview
The East Africa AI Journalism Network (“EAAIJN”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy, security, and digital rights of our members, journalists, researchers, and site visitors.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data when you visit https://eaiajournalism.org/, register for our network, subscribe to our updates, participate in our training programs, or engage with our research and digital tools.
We comply with national data protection legislation across East Africa—including Kenya’s Data Protection Act (2019), Uganda’s Data Protection and Privacy Act (2019), Rwanda’s Law No. 058/2021 relating to the Protection of Personal Data and Privacy, and Tanzania’s Personal Data Protection Act (2022)—alongside international benchmarks such as the AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention) and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
2. Information we collect
We only collect personal information that is relevant, proportional, and necessary for our non-profit mission to promote ethical AI integration in East African journalism.
• Information You Provide Directly:
– Contact & Membership Details: Name, email address, phone number, organisation/media outlet, role, and country of operation (e.g., when signing up for newsletter updates, membership directories, or fellowship applications).
– Event & Workshop Registrations: Attendance data, dietary/accessibility requests, and professional background provided during sign-ups for webinars, conferences, or training programs.
– Contributions & Inquiries: Information included in survey responses, research feedback, contact forms, or editorial submissions.
• Information Collected Automatically:
– Technical & Usage Data: IP address, browser type, device details, operating system, pages viewed, time spent on pages, and referring URLs.
– Cookies & Tracking: Standard, non-intrusive operational cookies and privacy-friendly analytics to help us improve site navigation and measure readership engagement.
3. Legal basis and how we use your data
We process your personal data under the following legal bases: Consent, Performance of a Contract/Agreement (e.g., membership or training delivery), and our Legitimate Interests as a regional media development entity.
We use your data strictly to:
1. Deliver network updates, newsletters, toolkits, and research publications.
2. Coordinate and manage training workshops, fellowships, and network events.
3. Facilitate peer-to-peer networking among journalists, media educators, and tech builders in East Africa.
4. Measure and analyse site traffic to optimise user experience and technical security.
5. Fulfil statutory record-keeping, compliance, and donor reporting obligations (in anonymised formats wherever possible).
4. Data sharing and third-party services
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data under any circumstances.
We only share data with third parties in the following limited contexts:
• Service providers: Trusted technical partners who assist in hosting our platform, operating email newsletter lists, or organising virtual events (e.g., web hosting, mailing tools, Zoom). These providers are bound by strict confidentiality and data protection agreements.
• Partner institutions & Donors: Grant-making and media development partners receive aggregated, fully anonymised metrics (e.g., total trainees per country) for impact evaluation. No personally identifiable information is shared without your explicit consent.
• Legal requirements: When mandated by applicable law, court order, or formal regulatory demand by a competent data protection authority.
5. Cross-border data transfers
As a regional network operating across East Africa and engaging international partners, your information may be processed outside your home country. When transferring data across borders—whether within the East African Community (EAC) or internationally—we ensure that recipient jurisdictions provide an adequate level of data protection or that legally binding safeguard mechanisms (such as standard contractual clauses) are implemented in line with regional laws.
6. Data security and confidentiality
We maintain robust technical, administrative, and physical security measures designed to safeguard your information against loss, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. This includes:
• HTTPS/SSL encryption for all data transmitted to and from our website.
• Strict access controls restricted to authorised network staff and administrators.
• Regular system audits and secure storage practices.
Note for Journalists & Whistleblowers: While standard web transmissions carry inherent digital risks, we apply heightened security safeguards to sensitive research or investigative inputs submitted to EAAIJN.
7. Data retention
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected (e.g., maintaining active membership or delivering subscription services) or to satisfy operational, legal, or audit requirements. When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or destroyed.
8. Your legal rights
Under regional data protection laws and international standards, you hold clear rights regarding your personal information:
• Right to Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated data.
• Right to Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”): Request deletion of your personal information, subject to overriding legal requirements.
• Right to Object / Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from our mailing lists or object to specific processing activities at any time via the “Unsubscribe” link in our emails or by contacting us directly.
• Right to Data Portability: Request transfer of your data to another provider in a structured, standard format.
• Right to Lodge a Complaint: File a complaint with your national Data Protection Authority (e.g., the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner [ODPC] in Kenya, the Personal Data Protection Office [PDPO] in Uganda, or equivalent bodies in Rwanda and Tanzania).
9. Third-party links and resources
Our platform frequently links to external websites, research portals, AI tools, and partner news organisations. EAAIJN is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party platforms. We encourage you to review the individual privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.
10. Updates to this policy
We may periodically update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our digital operations, emerging AI technologies, or evolving legal requirements across East Africa. Material updates will be highlighted on our homepage or communicated directly to registered members via email.
11. Contact us and the data protection officer
If you have questions, comments, or wish to exercise any of your privacy rights, please contact our Data Privacy Team:
• Organisation: East Africa AI Journalism Network (EAAIJN)
• Email: privacy@eaiajournalism.org (or info@eaiajournalism.org)
• Website: https://eaiajournalism.org/
• Region of operations: East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Somalia, DRC)