By Becky Kathurima
International Data Privacy Day traces its origins to the year 2006. It started as an initiative by the Council of Europe to commemorate Convention 108, which was the first international treaty on data protection, which came into force in 1981. What started as an initiative by the European Council has since gained traction and is now commemorated globally every year on January 28. Data Privacy Day has since expanded into Data Privacy Week, with the entire month of January recognized as Data Privacy Awareness Month.
In 2026, Data Privacy Week was marked from January 26-30 under the theme: Take Control of Your Data. Today, International Privacy Day serves as a critical reminder for individuals to take control of their personal data. To move beyond exposing their personal data to doing all it takes to protect it. Taking charge of their personal data means understanding the trade-offs between privacy and convenience and making conscious and informed choices.
For institutions, taking control of personal data translates into knowing what personal data they collect and hold, why they collect it, how they use it and process it, how they store it and dispose of it, and how they secure it all through its life cycle. The basic rule of thumb is that one cannot protect that which he/she do not know; therefore, it is imperative to know, have visibility, and document what personal data they hold.
As individuals are increasingly becoming personal data goldmines and treasure troves, and with the proliferation of artificial intelligence and advanced artificial intelligence, it behooves both institutions and individuals to take control of their personal data and maintain visibility over it all through its lifecycle, and make informed decisions about it. Taking control of personal data will better equip individuals on how to protect it, drive better decision-making, strengthen their trust with partners and stakeholders, and drive their future growth.
