E-GAZETTE PRIVACY POLICY

Effective Date: 15/10/2025
Last Updated: 15/10/2025

Introduction

The E-Gazette Application (“E-Gazette”, “Platform”) is a digital service managed and operated by Ghana Publishing Company Limited (GPCL) — the authorized government publisher responsible for the publication of official notices and gazettes in the Republic of Ghana.

This Privacy Policy explains how GPCL collects, stores, processes, and protects your personal information when you use the E-Gazette Platform or interact with our services.

By using this Platform, you authorize us to collect, process, and store your personal data for the purpose of providing gazette-related services in accordance with the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) and any other applicable laws of Ghana

Principles That Guide Us

We are guided by the following principles in handling your personal data:

• Lawfulness, Fairness and Transparency:
  We process your personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently. We are always clear about why and how we collect and process your information.
• Purpose Limitation:
  We only process your data for the specific purposes for which it was collected or for legitimate and compatible purposes communicated to you in advance.
• Data Minimization:
  We collect and process only the data necessary to deliver our services effectively.
• Accuracy:
  We take reasonable steps to ensure your personal data is accurate and up to date. You are encouraged to inform us of any changes.
• Storage Limitation:
  We retain your personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected or as required by law.
• Integrity and Confidentiality:
  We handle your personal data securely and protect it against unauthorized access, disclosure, or alteration.

Information We Collect

When you use the E-Gazette Platform, we collect personal and transactional information necessary to provide and improve our services.

We may collect the following categories of data:

a. User Identification Information

• Full name
• Address (physical or postal)
• Email address
• Mobile number or telephone contact
• National identification details (e.g., Ghana Card number, passport, or TIN where applicable)

b. Application and Publication Information

• Nature of gazette service requested (e.g., change of name, marriage officer appointment, business incorporation)
• Supporting documents and declarations submitted
• Transaction reference numbers and application metadata

c. Payment and Transaction Data

• Payment method and provider (mobile money, card, bank transfer)
• Date, time, and location of transaction
• Amount paid and associated invoice or receipt number
• Verification and settlement data for payments

d. Technical and Usage Data

• Device information (browser type, device ID, operating system)
• IP address and session activity logs
• Metadata from cookies or analytics tools
• Access times and usage patterns

We may collect this information directly from you, automatically through your interactions with the Platform, or indirectly from verified third parties with your consent.

How We Use Your Personal Information

We process your data only when necessary to perform our public service obligations, fulfil your requests, or comply with legal requirements. We may use your personal information to:

• Verify your identity and process your E-Gazette application;
• Facilitate payment processing, authentication, and reconciliation;
• Publish official notices and gazette entries as submitted;
• Communicate with you about your application status, publication timelines, or any required clarifications;
• Prevent, detect, and investigate fraudulent or unauthorized activity;
• Generate anonymized statistical reports for service improvement and policy planning;
• Maintain accurate business and regulatory records;
• Provide you with customer service support and respond to your inquiries;
• Send notifications, service updates, or administrative communications;
• Deliver marketing or awareness messages (only with your consent).

How We Share Your Information

Your information may be shared only when necessary and in accordance with the law, including:

• With relevant government authorities or ministries responsible for verifying and approving gazette submissions;
• With payment processors or financial institutions facilitating your transaction;
• With technical service providers (IT vendors, hosting partners) assisting in secure operations of the Platform;
• Where legally required, with law enforcement or regulatory agencies to prevent or investigate fraud or criminal activity.

We may also publish non-identifiable, aggregated statistics (e.g., number of gazette publications, transaction trends) that cannot be used to personally identify you.

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal information based on one or more of the following legal grounds:

• Your consent (when voluntarily provided);
• Performance of a contract or delivery of requested service;
• Legal obligation to publish, retain, or report certain information;
• Legitimate interests of GPCL in improving service delivery and protecting system integrity;
• Public interest in maintaining official records and public notifications.

How We Protect Your Information

We adopt both technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest;
• Secure data centers and firewalls;
• Strict access control and user authentication;
• Staff confidentiality agreements and training;
• Routine system audits and vulnerability assessments.

Access to your personal data is restricted to authorized personnel who need it to process your requests. Any staff or contractor who fails to maintain confidentiality may face disciplinary or legal action.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy or as required by law, including statutory retention of gazette publications as permanent public records.

Where data is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymized.

Your Rights Under the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843)

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to be Informed: Know how and why your data is collected and processed.
• Right of Access: Request copies of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data, where legally applicable.
• Right to Restrict Processing: Request that we limit how your data is used.
• Right to Object: Object to certain types of processing, such as marketing.
• Right to Data Portability: Request a copy of your data in a structured format for transfer to another controller.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 15 (Contact Us). We will respond within the time limits prescribed by law.

Cookies and Data Collection Technologies

The E-Gazette Platform uses cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience.

Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help recognize your browser, remember preferences, and analyze usage patterns.

You may configure your browser to reject cookies; however, some features of the Platform may not function properly without them.

International Data Transfers

All personal data collected through the E-Gazette Platform is stored and processed within Ghana. If data must be transferred outside Ghana for legitimate purposes (such as cloud hosting or technical support), such transfers will comply with applicable data protection safeguards

Children’s Privacy

Our services are not intended for minors under the age of 18 unless submitted through a legal guardian or authorized representative.
We do not knowingly collect or process personal data of minors without proper authorization.

Marketing Communications

With your consent, we may send you updates or announcements related to new gazette services or publications. You may opt out of these communications at any time by clicking “unsubscribe” in our emails or contacting us directly

We will continue to send service-related or transactional communications that are necessary for your application.

Links to Other Websites

Our Platform may contain links to third-party or government agency websites.
This Privacy Policy applies only to the E-Gazette Platform. When you follow external links, please review the privacy policies of those websites.

We are not responsible for the content, security, or privacy practices of linked sites.

Updating Our Privacy Policy

We may modify or update this Privacy Policy at any time. The latest version will always be available on our website and will indicate the date of the last update.

Your continued use of the Platform after any update constitutes acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data rights, or have concerns about how your personal information is being handled, please contact us at:

Ghana Publishing Company Limited
Opposite Accra City Hotel, Barnes Road, Accra
050 130 5050/030 266 4338
info@ghanapublishing.com
Visit Us @ egazetteghana.com

Definitions

• Cookies:
  A cookie is a small file containing a string of characters that is sent to your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. When you visit the site again, the cookie allows that site to recognise your browser or device. Cookies may store user preferences, session data, and other information to enhance your experience. You can configure your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, some website features or services may not function properly without cookies.
• Data Collection Technologies:
  These are technological methods used to collect information such as crash reports, system activity, device type, browser version, pages visited, and referrer URLs. They may include cookies, flash cookies, device information, server logs, pixel tags, web beacons, session replay tools, and other analytics tracking technologies.
• IP Address:
  Every device connected to the Internet is assigned a number known as an Internet Protocol (IP) address. These numbers are typically assigned in geographic blocks and can be used to identify the approximate location of a device or network accessing our service.
• Metadata:
  A set of data that provides information about other data. For example, metadata may include the time and date a document was published, the author, file format, version history, and modification details.
• Personal Information:
  Any information that can identify, locate, or contact an individual, either alone or when combined with other data. This includes, but is not limited to, names, email addresses, phone numbers, identification numbers, digital signatures, and government-issued credentials
• Non-Personal Information:
  Information that cannot be used on its own to identify a person. This includes aggregated or anonymised data such as statistics on website usage, user behaviour trends, or system performance analytics
• Processing:
  Any operation or set of operations performed on personal data, whether or not by automated means. This includes collection, recording, organisation, structuring, storage, adaptation, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure, combination, restriction, erasure, or destruction.
• Third Parties:
  Entities or individuals other than the user and the E-Gazette management team who may assist in service delivery, such as hosting providers, payment processors, analytics vendors, or affiliated government institutions
• User Account:
  A personal or institutional account created on the E-Gazette platform that allows access to digital gazette publications, subscriptions, and related services.
• Device Information:
  Technical data about the device you use to access the E-Gazette, such as device type, operating system, browser type, device identifiers, and network connection details.
• Log Data:
  Automatic records of your interactions with the E-Gazette platform, including IP address, timestamps, pages viewed, search queries, and actions taken on the platform
• Digital Signature:
  An electronic form of a signature used to authenticate the identity of the sender of a document or the signer of a publication, ensuring that the content has not been altered after signing.
• Encryption:
  The process of converting data into a coded form to prevent unauthorised access. The E-Gazette uses encryption technologies to secure sensitive information during storage and transmission.
• Anonymisation:
  A data protection technique where personal identifiers are removed from a dataset so that the individual cannot be identified directly or indirectly
• Retention Period:
  The duration of time for which personal data is stored before being securely deleted or anonymised, based on legal, operational, or policy requirements
• Publication Data:
  Information associated with government gazette publications, including notices, announcements, regulatory documents, and timestamps, which may be publicly accessible under applicable law
• Analytics Data:
  Information collected through automated tools to understand user engagement, system performance, and content interaction patterns. This may include click rates, session durations, and navigation paths.
• Data Controller:
  The entity (E-Gazette or its authorised operator) that determines the purposes and means of processing personal information.
• Data Processor:
  Any third party that processes personal data on behalf of the Data Controller, under strict contractual and confidentiality obligations