Technologies used to mark people, record their movements hindering freedom of expression: Experts

Technology experts and civil society organisation leaders have claimed that technologies are being used in developed and least developed countries to mark people and record their movements – ultimately hindering their freedom of expression.

A three-day long workshop on privacy, data protection, and online safety was held on 25-27 February at Adabar DSK auditorium in the capital, where the speakers came up with such remarks.

The workshop was organised by Voice for Interactive Choice and Empowerment (Voice).

Executive Director of Voice Ahmed Swapan Mahmud pointed out that technologies are being used in the developed and least-developed countries to mark people and record their movements, ultimately affecting their freedom of expression and right to participate in peaceful assembly.

In the workshop, the experts facilitators Tanvir Hasan Zoha and Ashraful Haque discussed the scope and situation of human rights in relation to the privacy of data and information, the concept of personal information, causes of privacy violation, strategies of prevention, and the significance of information protection.

The discussants further demonstrated an overview of the personal information privacy situation in the light of Bangladesh and the international legal context, involvement and protection of women and children, digital hygiene, and online safety.

The workshop also provided a gender-based perspective of digital privacy and data protection in light of privacy and security at the workplace and beyond.

Cyber technology expert Saimum Reza Talukder, a lecturer at Brac University, said that the government should formulate a people-centric legal framework to protect privacy rights to promote the practice of democracy at large.

At least 25 writers, students, and journalists participated in the workshop.

Certificates were distributed among the participants at the end of the workshop.