In this hyper-connected world of digital footprints, biometric IDs, surveillance cameras, and cloud storage, we’re often reminded to protect our personal data—guard it as if our lives depend on it. But long before cybersecurity experts warned us of breaches and identity theft, and long before lawmakers drafted data protection policies like Ghana’s Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), someone else was already doing this job quietly and tirelessly.That someone is—our mothers. Yes, before the rise of encryption algorithms and two-factor authentication, mothers were the first data custodians we ever encountered. They were the original firewalls—deflecting emotional malware, filtering out harmful interactions, and ensuring that the most sensitive information about us remained confidential, protected, and, in many ways, sacred.
The First Line of Privacy Defense
From the moment we were born, mothers became the custodians of our most intimate records. They knew everything—our fears, our quirks, our weaknesses, our victories—and stored that information with discretion, compassion, and unmatched loyalty. They remembered what made us cry, what made us laugh, what we liked for breakfast, and what we dreaded at school. Unlike today’s data platforms that profit from oversharing, mothers respected context, consent, and confidentiality. They practiced the golden rule of privacy without needing legal guidance—they simply knew when and what to share, with whom, and why. You could say they followed a maternal version of the “purpose limitation principle” long before it became a pillar of data ethics.
Consent with Care
How many times did our mothers ask us before telling a childhood story in public? Or spare us embarrassment by refusing to post an awkward photo, long before social media made such actions common? Mothers understood the implications of unauthorized data sharing. And when they did breach that trust—say, by proudly revealing a funny memory—it was often to celebrate us, not to exploit us. In today’s digital landscape, we have to navigate terms of service, opt-in checkboxes, and privacy settings. Our mothers never needed these—they offered protection and privacy out of love, not obligation. Their protection was instinctive, proactive, and deeply human.
A Personal Data Archive
You want to talk about memory storage? Mothers hold archives that rival any cloud server. They can recall the date you took your first step, the name of your primary school best friend, the time you fell ill on your first school trip, and even the color of the sweater you wore at age six. They didn’t just store this data—they curated it with care, updated it regularly, and safeguarded it from outsiders. Imagine if tech companies were held to the standard of a mother’s memory and care. Imagine if the data custodians in our digital world filtered every access request through the lens of empathy and long-term impact.
Trust, But Verify
Like any good data steward, mothers also knew how to verify truth. If you came home with a strange story or tried to cover your tracks, a mother would intuitively audit your behavior. She could detect a lie faster than any forensic algorithm.Today, we use machine learning to analyze patterns and detect anomalies. But a mother could do this just by looking at your eyes, your tone, or the way you walked into the room.
Cybersecurity in the Emotional World
In Ghana, where extended families, social norms, and community ties run deep, mothers also serve as intergenerational gatekeepers of sensitive data. They know which topics should remain within the family, and they teach their children—especially daughters—how to manage the fine line between disclosure and dignity. In doing so, they uphold an analog version of data minimization: only share what’s necessary, and always protect what’s sacred.
So this Mother’s Day, let’s honour our mothers as the unsung Data Protection Officers (DPOs) of our lives. While governments work to enforce compliance with Act 843, and companies scramble to avoid data breaches, mothers have been modeling the spirit of data privacy all along—lawfully, fairly, and with unbreakable love.
A Mother’s Day Salute—Encrypted with Love
To all the mothers—biological, adoptive, foster, and maternal figures—We salute you.
May your joy be encrypted beyond reach of any intruder. May your peace be firewalled against the noise of life. May your heart continue to form secure connections that transcend generations.
As we navigate the complexities of the digital age, may we never forget that the first lesson in privacy came not from a user manual or a GDPR regulation—but from a mother’s embrace.
