US-based Ghanaian tech lawyer wins top child data protection award
The ceremony, held at the Labadi Beach Hotel, was organised by PICCASO Africa to celebrate individuals and institutions driving best practice in data protection, privacy and cybersecurity across the continent.
US-based Ghanaian technology lawyer Antoinette Essilfie has been recognised for her work in online child safety, picking up the Safeguarding Children’s Data Award at the maiden PICCASO Awards in Accra.
The ceremony, held at the Labadi Beach Hotel, was organised by PICCASO Africa to celebrate individuals and institutions driving best practice in data protection, privacy and cybersecurity across the continent.
Essilfie’s day-to-day work centres on translating global child-safety standards into practical tools and safeguards for technology platforms. She works closely with product teams to design features that protect teenagers online, including:
Restrictions on viewing nude or explicit content
In-app messaging protections
Screen-time limits and usage controls
She said the honour underlines how urgent the issue has become as young people spend more time online.
“We must all contribute our part to creating a safer online environment,” she said, adding that rising digital literacy among Ghanaian youth makes investment in children’s digital rights even more critical.
The organisers framed her award as not just personal recognition, but a call to parents, educators, policymakers and the tech industry to prioritise children’s data and privacy in product design and regulation.
Essilfie earned her LLB from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (2014) and was called to the Ghana Bar in 2016. She later completed a Master’s degree at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2020, the same year she was admitted to practise in New York and Washington, D.C.
She is currently pursuing a doctorate at the Swiss School of Business and Management.
A specialist in technology and corporate law, she also holds several leading privacy qualifications, including:
CIPP/US
CIPM
Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP) from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)
These credentials reflect her focus on ethical, rights-based approaches to data handling and digital innovation.
Beyond her role as Lead Counsel at a global technology firm, where she helps shape internal policies on ethical innovation and user protection, Essilfie is active across a number of professional platforms:
Co-founder, Acway Consultancy LLC, advising organisations on regulatory compliance and mentoring women transitioning into privacy careers
Advisory board member, IAPP’s Women Leading Privacy initiative, promoting diversity and leadership in the privacy field
Executive Director, Association of Privacy Lawyers in Africa, leading programmes to train and support privacy lawyers and advocate for privacy rights across the continent
A regular public speaker and career coach, she frequently addresses issues of privacy, corporate law and career transition, with a particular focus on helping immigrants navigate new professional environments.
Essilfie says one of her core ambitions is to help design “cutting-edge legal and ethical frameworks” that will make the digital world safer for the next generation.
