Privacy Policy

The Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority ("BOCRA", "we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website bocra.org.bw or use our digital services. By using our website or submitting information to us, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the terms, please do not access our services.

We may collect the following categories of personal information: • **Contact details** – name, email address, telephone number, and postal address when you submit an enquiry or complaint. • **Account credentials** – username and hashed password if you register for the citizen portal. • **Usage data** – pages visited, browser type, IP address, and referring URL collected automatically via analytics. • **Complaint and licence data** – information you submit as part of a regulatory complaint or licence application. • **Communication records** – messages sent through the website contact form or consultation submissions.

We use the information we collect to: • Process and respond to enquiries, complaints, and licence applications. • Maintain and operate the citizen portal and associated services. • Carry out our statutory functions under the Communications Regulatory Authority Act (Cap. 72:01) and related legislation. • Improve the website and digital services based on usage patterns. • Send service-related notifications (not marketing communications) where you have provided contact details. • Comply with legal obligations and support investigations where required by law.

BOCRA processes personal data on the following legal bases: • **Legal obligation** – processing necessary for compliance with applicable Botswana law. • **Public task** – processing necessary for the performance of our regulatory mandate. • **Consent** – where you have explicitly provided consent, such as subscribing to updates. • **Legitimate interests** – to improve our services and protect the security of our systems.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share information with: • **Government agencies and law enforcement** where required by law or court order. • **Service providers** acting on our behalf under data processing agreements (e.g., hosting, analytics). • **Licensed operators** only to the extent required to process regulatory complaints directly concerning them. All third-party service providers are contractually required to maintain appropriate security measures.

We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy or as required by law. Complaint records are retained for a minimum of five (5) years. Account data is retained for the duration of the account and two (2) years after closure. Usage logs are retained for twelve (12) months.

Subject to applicable Botswana data protection legislation, you have the right to: • **Access** – request a copy of the personal data we hold about you. • **Correction** – request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data. • **Erasure** – request deletion of your data in certain circumstances. • **Objection** – object to processing based on legitimate interests. • **Portability** – receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format. To exercise these rights, contact our Data Protection Officer at dataprotection@bocra.org.bw.

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. These include encrypted communications (TLS/HTTPS), access controls, regular security reviews, and incident response procedures. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Our website uses essential cookies required for site functionality (e.g., language preference) and, with your consent, analytics cookies to understand how visitors use the site. You may disable non-essential cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may affect site functionality.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The revised policy will be published on this page with an updated "Last revised" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact: Data Protection Officer Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority Plot 50671, Independence Avenue Private Bag 00495, Gaborone, Botswana Email: dataprotection@bocra.org.bw Phone: +267 395 7755