AI privacy warnings echo Uganda’s tech giant battles

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OPINION

By Edson Atuhaire

When Sam Altman, the chief executive officer of OpenAI sits down with comedian Theo Von, you don’t expect earth-shaking revelations about digital privacy.

Yet, Altman’s recent warning that there is no legal confidentiality for users’ conversations with AI systems should send shivers down every Ugandan spine, especially as our nation grapples with foreign tech giants treating our data like a free buffet. The OpenAI CEO’s candid admission on Von’s podcast was not just tech industry gossip.

Altman pointed out a major weakness with ChatGPT and other cloud AI models: a lack of legal privacy, particularly concerning as millions worldwide pour their deepest secrets into AI chatbots. Unlike doctor-patient confidentiality, conversations with ChatGPT lack legal protections and could potentially be exposed in legal proceedings.

This revelation strikes particularly close to home. Just weeks ago, Uganda’s Personal Data Protection Office (PDPO) issued a landmark ruling on July 18, 2025, against Google LLC, ordering the tech giant to register within 30 days and demonstrate adequate safeguards for cross-border data transfers. The case, Ssekamwa Frank & 3 others vs Google LLC, represents more than bureaucratic wrangling, it is Uganda asserting digital sovereignty.

The PDPO found that Google qualifies as both a data controller and collector under the Data Protection and Privacy Act, yet operated without registration while transferring Ugandans’ personal information abroad. Sound familiar? It is the same vulnerability Altman identified with AI systems, foreign companies harvesting our data without adequate legal frameworks.

The timing couldn’t be more critical. As artificial intelligence rapidly integrates into Ugandan society, from quick response automated chat bots to educational platforms, we are essentially inviting the fox into the henhouse. These AI systems, predominantly developed and hosted abroad, process everything from our daily work habits to personal conversations without broad, meaningful local oversight.

Uganda must act decisively on several fronts. First, we need robust AI-specific regulations extending beyond our current Data Protection and Privacy Act. The recent Google ruling may prove pivotal in shaping how global digital platforms engage with emerging markets, but we need proactive, not reactive, legislation.

Secondly, mandatory data localisation requirements for AI systems processing sensitive Ugandan information. If international companies want access to our 47 million citizens’ data, they should host it locally under Ugandan jurisdiction. This is not protectionism; it is prudent digital governance.

Thirdly, transparency mandates requiring AI companies to disclose data handling practices in clear, accessible language. Ugandans deserve to understand what happens when they interact with foreign AI systems. The Google case exposed glaring enforcement gaps. While the ruling has been hailed as a significant win for Uganda’s data sovereignty, questions remain about our capacity to monitor compliance effectively. Can our PDPO adequately oversee tech giants worth more than Uganda’s entire GDP? How do we ensure foreign AI companies do not simply ignore our regulations?

The All In Podcast team’s discussions following Altman’s revelations highlighted another crucial point: legal frameworks lag dangerously behind technological advancement. While Silicon Valley innovates at breakneck speed, Uganda’s regulators are still catching up with basic data protection enforcement. This is not about stifling innovation or creating digital barriers. It is about ensuring that as Uganda embraces AI’s transformative potential in healthcare, education, and economic development, we don’t sacrifice our citizens’ fundamental rights to privacy and data sovereignty.

Altman’s warning about AI privacy gaps serves as a wake-up call. Just as we have begun holding Google accountable, we must extend that vigilance to AI systems. The question is not whether AI will reshape Uganda’s future, it is whether we will shape AI’s role in it.

The PDPO’s Google victory proves Uganda can stand up to tech giants. Now we must translate that success into comprehensive AI governance before our digital chickens come home to roost. Our citizens’ privacy and our nation’s digital sovereignty depend on it.

The writer is a certified information security manager