Protecting Your Data: Unsolicited Promotional Messages on Safaricom & How to Block Them

Many Kenyans find themselves frustrated by a deluge of unsolicited promotional text messages which flood their phone’s inboxes everyday. They range from entertainment, sports and education subscription services to advertisements for bettíng firms and more, including fraudulént schemes.

While, in some cases, Safaricom subscribers might opt in to receive some messages, many often receive content for which they didn’t sign up for. The telco has been under pressure in recent times to boost data privacy.

This has resulted in, among other initiatives, a push to hide contact details as seen by merchants using Lipa na M-Pesa, although it was reportedly pushed back due to technical hitches. Consumers’ privacy is often breached when customers end up receiving unsolicited messages or being harassed after their numbers were accessed from Lipa na M-Pesa payments data.

Visitors books in many buildings, which contain personal information including names, phone numbers and identification numbers, are another example of sources of extensive data that can be easily compromised and misused.

Telcos, hospitality companies, bettíng companies, learning institutions, health administrators and financial services firms are among various entities legally required to register as either data controllers and processors in line with the Data Protection Act, 2019. The registration is intended to help shield sensitive data from falling into the wrong hands – by protecting the right to privacy as envisioned in the Data Protection Act and ensuring data controllers and data processors comply with regulations.

Around 1,660 entities which have so far applied for registration as either Data Controllers or Data Processors.

How to Block Unsolicited Promotional Messages on Your Safaricom Line

But how can you stop getting unsolicited promotional messages on your Safaricom line? Besides being careful with your personal data and information channels, Safaricom through its customer care channels advises customers who complain about the text messages to unsubscribe from the call sign service by dialling *836#, selecting the manage option and selecting unsubscribe.

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