Do we still have rights to privacy’; ‘How Intrusive are Contact-Tracing Apps in ASEAN?

August 7, 2020
ASEAN, CSO Event in Indonesia

Do we still have rights to privacy’;  ‘How Intrusive are Contact-Tracing Apps in ASEAN?

The rise of Covid-19 infections has prompted six out of ten ASEAN Member States to adopt COVID-19 contact-tracing apps to help limit the spread of the virus and break the chains of transmission.   While this is being applauded as an attempt to create an early response mechanism, civil society has raised concerns about its potential for violations of the right to privacy which could potentially disproportionately affect vulnerable groups.

The mismanagement of data and the wide-scale use of surveillance could also pose significant risks for human rights defenders who are already being targeted in the region and there have been scant discussions of the scope and the limitations of the use of these technologies. The issue is increasingly vital during the pandemic.

Date: Friday 7 August 2020

Time: 1:00 -3:00 PM (GMT+7), Jakarta/Bangkok time

Click here to register or contact [email protected]

A link to the webinar will be sent via email ahead of the discussion

***

Organised by FORUM-ASIA, ELSAM, and SAFEnet, the webinar aims to:

  • Discuss the status of data protection policy, its implementation, and how it has become increasingly vital during the pandemic in ASEAN countries;
  • Raise the issues on surveillance and violation of personal data in general and during the pandemic;
  • Provide recommendations to the ASEAN council, mechanism, and its Member States on personal data protection in the region, in conjunction with the plan of ASEAN for post-pandemic recovery.

Speakers:

The webinar will be moderated by Shamini Darshni Kaliemuthu, Executive Director, FORUM-ASIA 

Media contact:

For media enquiries or to set up an interview with any of the speakers, please contact Melissa Ananthraj, Communication and Media Programme Manager- FORUM-ASIA at [email protected].

About the organisers:

  • The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) is a Bangkok-based regional network of 81 member organisations across 21 Asian countries, with consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and consultative relationship with the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights. Founded in 1991, FORUM-ASIA works to strengthen movements for human rights and sustainable development through research, advocacy, capacity-development and solidarity actions in Asia and beyond. It has sub-regional offices in Geneva, Jakarta, and Kathmandu.

www.forum-asia.org

  • ELSAM (The Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy) is a human rights organisation based in Jakarta, established since August 1993. ELSAM’s driving objective is to actively participate in the efforts to develop, promote and protect civil and political rights and other human rights, as mandated by the 1945 Constitution and Universal Declaration of Human Rights. At the outset, ELSAM’s spiritual commitment was to develop a democratic political order in Indonesia by empowering civil societies through advocacy and promotion of human rights.

https://elsam.or.id/en/

  • Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network/SAFEnet is a network of digital rights defenders in Southeast Asia which was established on 27 June 2013 in Bali, Indonesia. The establishment of SAFEnet was motivated by the widespread criminalization of netizens because of its expression on the Internet after the enactment of Law No. 11 of 2008 concerning Information and Electronic Transactions (UU ITE). This prompted a number of bloggers, journalists, Internet governance experts, and activists to form this association. In 2018, SAFEnet began to widen the issue of advocacy towards the fulfilment of digital rights after previously only focusing on advocating freedom of expression on the Internet.

https://safenet.or.id/

Further Contact