This archive report was first published on 17 September 2019.
Published on September 17, 2019, a Deloitte survey has shed light on the growing addiction to mobile phones in Kenya.
According to the study, the use of instant messaging platforms such as WhatsApp has risen to 73 percent, up from 43 percent in the past.
"Mobile phones are the first thing we touch in the morning, and the last thing we see before bed," some respondents were quoted as saying.
Two-thirds of the respondents confessed to using their phones more than they would like to, while social media use stands at 74 percent, up from 55 percent previously.
The study also found that mobile phone users in Kenya are increasingly using their phones while walking, crossing the road, driving, eating, and watching TV.
Kenyans top the charts as one of the leading adapters of smartphone use, with the numbers jumping to 97 percent from 49 percent within a period of three years from 2015.
However, despite the rapid adaptation to smartphone use, Kenyans are found wanting in their knowledge of data privacy.
Only 51 percent of WhatsApp users believe that they are sharing their contacts with companies online, while 75 percent of respondents are concerned about how their personal data is used.
The findings affirm an open window to the use of personal data by firms and marketers, with companies taking advantage of this 'free shot' to deploy customer data for their gain.
"Brands face pressure to meet the customers wherever they are, and are everywhere," the report notes.
The potential for tapping data to drive sales for firms is well represented in consumers' use of mobile phones.
"Opportunities arise for businesses to use digital tools such as chat bots to improve customer experience and acquisition, reduce churn, increase revenue per user and minimize the cost to serve primarily in the customer service centers," the report notes.
Data usage to research products and services stands at 43 percent, a feature only topped by money transfers.
However, the open season to the use of personal data is slowly closing as the State fast-tracks its consumer protection policy.
Like Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Kenya is seeking to round off its Data Protection Bill of 2018, which will install stricter consent requirements, including the right to be 'forgotten' by deleting personal data and special rules regarding the handling of minors' data.
