The Global Privacy Assembly (GPA) has chosen the Philippines, represented by its National Privacy Commission (NPC), to lead a new working group in influencing global policy discussions on data privacy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The GPA voted to create the working group to continue the valuable work and sustain the momentum started by the task force,’’ Privacy Commissioner Raymund E. Liboro said in a statement on Tuesday.
“More guidance is needed. Thus, we are continuing this engagement and collaboration to provide the community and our stakeholders direction in developing pandemic-responsive policies that uphold privacy standards,” he added.
Liboro, who chaired the Covid-19 Task Force, said the task force, in its five-month work, provided its members guidance regarding privacy issues emerging from the pandemic.
The NPC chair reported at the GPA closed session on October 15, the substantial impacts of the campaign, plans, and a review of deliverables, particularly the compendium of best practices.
“GPA’s repository of COVID-19 responses collates and shares knowledge, guidance, tools, and resources, as well as case studies and technical expertise, offering practical support to the privacy community,” Liboro said.
The NPC said the compendium is the product of several capacity-building webinars on issues that the majority of members considered most pressing such as the contact-tracing and location tracking, handling of employee data from home or return-to-work situations, and handling of children or students’ data associated with the use of e-learning and online education technologies.
“These webinars highlighted recovery mechanisms that helped members deal and cope with the new normal. These also noted some business continuity strategies for data protection officers (DPOs) and gave emphasis on their role in championing privacy and data protection amid the pandemic,” Liboro said.
GPA Chair Elizabeth Denham, also United Kingdom Information Commissioner, said that the GPA members greatly benefited from the task force’s international engagements.
“The work of the Covid-19 Task Force has shown that the modernized GPA can be agile and proactive in responding to the needs of our community. The breadth of the Task Force’s achievements from capacity building and outreach events to the Compendium of Best Practices provided real practical benefits,” Denham said.
Meanwhile, GPA Executive member Angelene Falk lauded the NPC’s work in steering the task force, expressing optimism that the new group can advance goals further.
Members of the GPA COVID-19 Task Force include representatives from both GPA members and observers from the following countries and organizations: Australia, Burkina Faso, Canada, Council of Europe, Dubai International Financial Centre Authority, EU Fundamental Rights Agency, European Data Protection Supervisor, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Hong Kong, International Committee of the Red Cross, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Jersey, Korea, Macao, Mauritius, Mexico, New Zealand, OECD Data Governance and Privacy Unit, Peru, Philippines, San Marino, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, UN Global Pulse, Uruguay, and US Federal Trade Commission.