This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, on the condition that users give exact credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if they made any changes. Effects of User Awareness on Privacy Protection of the Internet User in Tanzania. A Case Study of Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) Rashid Athumani Nduka Student, Master of Information Security, Institute of Accountancy Arusha (IAA), Dar es salaam, Tanzania Juma Ally Mshana  Senior Lecturer, Department of Informatics, Institute of Accountancy Arusha (IAA), Dar es Salaam Campus, Tanzania Abstract: This study aimed to examine the effects of user awareness on privacy protection of the Internet user. In conducting this study, the researcher employed by theory of planned behaviour by Ajzen (1985) and the descriptive research design and mixed research approach whereby data was collected from 98 respondents through questionnaire and interview. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS for quantitative data and thematic analysis was employed to analyse qualitative data obtained through interview. The results obtained from regression analysis shows that User Awareness (UA) has (β = .315, p< .001). These findings conclude that there is a positive and significant relationship between user awareness and the privacy protection behaviours among internet users. From the findings it can be concluded that user of internet needs to be aware of what data is being collected, how it be used and who will have access. This study recommends that the management of DCEA should conduct privacy impacts assessment, it also recommends that DCEA should provide an improved regular training and awareness programs for employees, moreover, it also recommends the use of data encryption services this will ensure that sensitive data are encrypted and protected in transit and at rest to protect it from unauthorized access, particularly in the event of breach or data loss. Lastly it recommends on improvement on incident response measures, whereby DCEA is required to improve its comprehensive incidence response plan for data breaches or privacy incidents, outlining how to detect, report and respond to such event promptly. Keywords: User awareness, Privacy protection, internet user, Tanzania. Introduction In the modern age with the increase of digitalization and innovations it is important to have deep concentration on the issue of data protection (Bakhoum, et al 2018). While digitalization brings many benefits such as increased efficiencies, reduced costs and increased transparency and inclusiveness it also carries certain risks (Krasnova, et al 2021). One of the risks of the use of technology is how data privacy and protection are handled by different organizations. The digital age is characterized by different technological solutions such as virtual environments, digital services, intelligent applications, and machine virtualization (Vatka, Suggested Citation Nduka, R.A. & Mshana, J.A. (2023). Effects of User Awareness on Privacy Protection of the Internet User in Tanzania. A Case Study of Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA). European Journal of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, 1(5), 898-905. DOI: 10.59324/ejtas.2023.1(5).75