Path of Ex published an article on August 25, 2020, about the objectives of the Data Protection Bill and how it could protect the information of Jamaicans. Here’s a quick summary just for you.
Shirley Jackson (alias) contracted COVID-19 while working at a business process outsourcing (BPO) centre in Jamaica. She spent nearly two months in a government-run quarantine centre. Since then, the former customer service representative has recovered from the illness. Now in better health, she’s looking for jobs. However, she is concerned that her recent health problems may pose a danger to potential employment, given the stigma associated with the virus.
Key points:
- After the Jamaica Data Protection Act (JDPA) (2020) is finalized and has undergone a transitional phase of two years, Karen and many others will not have to worry about their health records impacting potential jobs.
- Professor and Head of the School of Computing and Information Technology (SCIT) at the University of Technology, Jamaica, Dr Sean Thorpe, stated data protection could in no way be a hindrance to saving human life.
- Members of the public stand to benefit tremendously from the bill says Anthony Robinson, the data privacy officer. The law describes the general standards for the processing of an individual’s data. It provides for transparent monitoring and encourages public and private sector agencies to improve their data protection.
- Robinson said that individuals could choose to exercise their rights at any time, and companies would have a specific period to respond to a complaint. People may also express their complaints to the DPO or the designated information commissioner of the relevant organization.
Reference: pathofex.com
Contributed by: Sabrina Shim from Jamaica. Sabrina is a member of the WISC Discord group from the G5 Cyber Security Foundation Ltd. Learn more about WISC (Women in InfoSec Caribbean) at wiscaribbean.org. WISC is a non-profit initiative supporting Caribbean women and girls to develop a career in Information Security.