NGOs to host Data Protection Bill town hall on May 15 at UCC

Members of the public will get a chance to discuss the Data Protection Bill, which is now being examined by a Joint Select Committee of Parliament, at a Town Hall on Tuesday, May 15 at the University College of the Caribbean's Main Campus in New Kingston.

The event is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. and is free to the public.

The act, which was tabled in House of Representatives last October, seeks to safeguard the privacy of individuals through the regulation of usage, disclosure, and collection of data.

But, civil society groups and others in the society have criticised the legislation. 

The forum is being organised by a group of Non-Governmental Organisations with the goal of turning the spotlight on the ground-breaking and far-reaching bill and to stimulate debate and answer questions from the public about the proposed legislation.

The groups include the Press Association of Jamaica, the Media Association of Jamaica, SlashRoots Foundation as well as Jamaicans for Justice.

The organisers say the Bill will be examined as to its effects on the rights of citizens, its impact on business operators, and on the media community, among other things.

“It is very important to engage the public on this very critical bill so that people can better understand how it will impact their lives,” says Matthew McNaughton, who is a Principal of SlashRoots Foundation.

“The Data Protection Act is probably the most far-reaching legislation to be discussed in recent times, even more so than the controversial NIDS Act. It is vital that the Act provides an enabling, rather than a restrictive framework, for data use,” he added.

Executive Director of Jamaicans for Justice Rodje Malcolm explained that the Town Hall is being held to take a comprehensive look at the proposed legislation from a variety of perspectives.

“The pros and the cons, the advantages and disadvantages, its positive and negative aspects, all of those are going to be examined. We will have a neutral overview, the perspectives of different groups on the Bill, and then open discussion and a  question and answer session,” Malcolm explained.

“It is very important for the public to be aware of the benefits and drawbacks of the proposed bill. It has implications which go beyond those already expressed by those by the media fraternity,” says Media Association Chairman, Christopher Barnes.

“This [town hall] provides an opportunity for greater discourse among the affected stakeholders,” Barnes added.

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