Corporate Data Responsibility in East Africa: Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice

Abstract

East Africa's rapid digital connectivity growth without proper regulatory frameworks, notably in data protection, places regulatory obligations on technology actors. The chapter uses corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate digital responsibility (CDR) to examine how firms handle data privacy and ethical issues in the digital world. The research uses various case studies to illuminate the practical obstacles of data responsibility solutions. The lack of specific CSR and CDR techniques remains a major implementation gap despite actors' awareness and efforts to create complete policies. This emphasizes the need for context-specific guidelines to connect policy development and real-world application to ensure that the growing digital economy aligns with human rights and state goals.