Statement of Privacy Commissioner Raymund Liboro on the PNP plan to monitor social media for quarantine violators
- The plan by the Philippine National Police to scan social media for violators of quarantine protocols must recognize the data privacy rights of individuals.
- In keeping communities safe in this pandemic, leads and evidence gathered from social media and other digital tools to enforce the law must be legally obtained.
- By monitoring social media, the police must use techniques that are not privacy intrusive. Law enforcers should be trained to use the medium effectively and reliably to build the confidence and trust of the public, especially netizens.
- It is essential for the police to allay the fears of the community by explaining the measures they employ in enforcing quarantine rules and evaluating possible violators, how they observe the rights of the citizens, and how they mitigate the risks to individuals’ privacy.
RAYMUND ENRIQUEZ LIBORO
Privacy Commissioner
