May act as tool to control people’s opinions: TIB
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) yesterday said the proposed personal data protection law may act as a tool to control people's opinions and obstruct freedom of speech, instead of actually protecting personal information.
The organisation urged the government to formulate a progressive and time-befitting law to protect personal information in a transparent way, after seeking opinions from all stakeholders.
The law cannot hinder public opinion about the government's controversial activities, corruption and irregularities, it said.
In a statement, TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said such laws have been formulated in many countries and unions, including the European Union. While the main spirit of such laws is to ensure privacy of people's personal information, the words "security" and "protection" have been used to repress the people.
Warnings during the formation of Digital Security Act, 2018 later became a reality, he said.
Iftekharuzzaman also said that a provision has reportedly been included in the proposed law which states people cannot approach courts for justice and redress. This cannot be a part of the law of any democratic country.
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