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Data Protection Bill to be Reviewed This Month

By: , July 5, 2019

The Key Point:

Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Hon. Fayval Williams, has informed that the Data Protection Bill, which seeks to safeguard the nation’s digital footprint, will be reviewed this month.
Data Protection Bill to be Reviewed This Month
Photo: Serena Grant
Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Hon. Fayval Williams (left) and President of the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Everett Brown (centre), listen keenly to Chair of the Department of Computer and Information Science at the Northern Caribbean University (NCU), Damion Mitchell (right), as he gives details on how to interact with ‘Bob’ the robot (on table), which was programmed by the institution. Occasion was the opening ceremony of the Global Adventist Internet Network (GAIN) Conference, which was held at the Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Hotel in Montego Bay, St. James, on Thursday (July 4).
Data Protection Bill to be Reviewed This Month
Photo: Serena Grant
Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Hon. Fayval Williams, addresses the opening ceremony of the Global Adventist Internet Network (GAIN) Conference, which was held at the Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Hotel in Montego Bay, St. James, on Thursday (July 4).
Data Protection Bill to be Reviewed This Month
Photo: Serena Grant
Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Hon. Fayval Williams (left) and President of the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Everett Brown (centre), listen keenly to Chair of the Department of Computer and Information Science at the Northern Caribbean University (NCU), Damion Mitchell (right), as he gives details on how to interact with ‘Bob’ the robot (on table), which was programmed by the institution. Occasion was the opening ceremony of the Global Adventist Internet Network (GAIN) Conference, which was held at the Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Hotel in Montego Bay, St. James, on Thursday (July 4).

The Facts

  • She was speaking at the Global Adventist Internet Network (GAIN) Conference opening ceremony, which was held at the Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Hotel in Montego Bay, St. James, on Thursday (July 4).
  • “At the Ministry, we recognise the importance of data in this age, as every action you take online leaves a footprint. The websites you visit, the applications you download and use, the research you conduct, videos you watch and photos you like, are sharing key information about you,” the Minister said.

The Full Story

Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Hon. Fayval Williams, has informed that the Data Protection Bill, which seeks to safeguard the nation’s digital footprint, will be reviewed this month.

She was speaking at the Global Adventist Internet Network (GAIN) Conference opening ceremony, which was held at the Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Hotel in Montego Bay, St. James, on Thursday (July 4).

“At the Ministry, we recognise the importance of data in this age, as every action you take online leaves a footprint. The websites you visit, the applications you download and use, the research you conduct, videos you watch and photos you like, are sharing key information about you,” the Minister said.

“This unique information, or what we call data, is being stored, studied and analysed, so I want to make you aware that the Data Protection Bill, which will be reviewed by a reconstituted Joint Select Committee of Parliament this month, seeks to protect this data,” Mrs. Williams added.

She pointed out that the first meeting will be held next Wednesday (July 10), starting at 2:00 p.m.

The Minister emphasised that the Bill is a significant piece of legislation that sets clear guidelines for how the Government, businesses and organisations should correctly collect, store and dispose of persons’ personal and sensitive data.

She noted that under the data protection regime, data subjects will have new rights. “We will have a right to know what data is being collected about us; we will have the right to know who has access to that data and for what reason, because data about all of us form part of our digital identity,” Mrs. Williams said.

Meanwhile, the Minister lauded the Seventh-day Adventist organisation and by extension, its institution, Northern Caribbean University (NCU), for the strides they have made in actively integrating the use of technology, the Internet and the media in its religious and educational pursuits.

“You are an example of how one can utilise the ever-evolving potential of technology to do [not only] what comes naturally and preach the gospel, but to also facilitate training and digital literacy,” she said.

The GAIN conference is designed to foster the use of technology, the media and the Internet to help the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist organisation.

This year’s conference is being held under the theme ‘The Gospel According to Technology’, and consists of presentations on several topics, including Adventist communication training, animation, cinematography, copyright and defamation.

The conference ends on July 6.

Last Updated: July 8, 2019

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