Earning public trust on personal data

On Sept. 5, 2022, an Inquirer editorial titled “Who’s leaking our personal info?” tackled a very important issue in this modern age of information technology: the compromised security of our personal data as evidenced by the proliferating number of text scams, a number of which even use the name of their intended victim.

This is an alarming development, and prompted a Senate hearing on Sept. 8, which took to task regulators for their failure to go after the perpetrators. Further complicating the issue is Congress’ failure to pass a law on the mandatory registration of sim cards, a measure that many believe would help curb the problem. In the meantime, the National Telecommunications Commission issued orders to its regional officers and the telcos to intensify warnings against text scams among subscribers. True, there is a level of personal responsibility involved in securing our personal data, but this won’t be enough.

This issue goes beyond text scams and similar criminal online activities. There is a larger picture involved, and that is the digital transformation that is presently going on all over the world, including ours. Such transformation makes it easier and more convenient to transact business and procure services. The downside is that you will need to provide your personal data to fully avail of its benefits and, as such, that data is considered gold in the digital environment. It is a commodity that many actors, both malicious and benign, are hankering for. Therefore, securing and keeping that personal data safe from misuse or for criminal ends becomes paramount. Failure to do so would result in the public’s loss of trust and confidence in the digital ecosystems that form part of the digital transformation now being pursued by society.

Needless to say, it also falls on both government and the telecom industry to ensure that public trust with regard to the security of their personal data is maintained and built upon. Otherwise, any attempt to innovate and march into the modern, digital world would be hampered by public aversion and distrust of the tools that will make this happen.

Risk is always present, but can be minimized if robust legal frameworks and effective policies are in place to not only secure personal data, but to also allow for effective enforcement of regulations to facilitate the apprehension of violators. The public also needs assurances and proof that perpetrators of these scams, leakers of personal data, and cybercriminals won’t get away with their misdeeds and are punished to the full extent of the law.

While both the government and the private sector have key roles to play in terms of earning public trust when it comes to the use and security of personal data, there is a higher bar for government and its various agencies because, when it comes to the private sector, the end-users or consumers always have a choice. Unsatisfied with a certain business, that customer can go elsewhere or even forego a company’s product or service. When it comes to government services, there are no other alternatives for the public to turn to, even if the service given is poor.

It therefore becomes imperative for the government to get this right, to earn that public trust, as it pursues efforts to maximize the benefits of digital transformation to provide better services to the public. Because at the end of the day, what would be the point of spending resources on a government digital transformation program when the public it intends to serve doesn’t trust it enough to use it?

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Moira G. Gallaga served three Philippine presidents as presidential protocol officer, and was posted as a diplomat at the Philippine consulate general in Los Angeles and the Philippine Embassy in Washington.