Privacy in Singapore - 9 views

• 
  #1 Weiye Loh on 08 Sep 09

   

  http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/APCITY/UNPAN002553.pdf
  
  There is no general data protection or privacy law in Singapore. The government
  has been aggressive in using surveillance to promote social control and limit domestic
  opposition
  
  Electronic surveillance of communications is governed by the
  Telecommunications Authority of Singapore (TAS). The government has extensive
  powers under the Internal Security Act and other acts to monitor anything that is
  considered a threat to "national security." The U.S. State Department in 1998 stated,
  "Divisions of the Government's law enforcement agencies, including the Internal
  Security Department and the Corrupt Practices Investigation Board, have wide
  networks for gathering information. It is believed that the authorities routinely
  monitor citizens' telephone conversations and use of the Internet. While there were no
  proven allegations that they did so in 1997, it is widely believed that the authorities
  routinely conduct surveillance on some opposition politicians and other critics of the
  Government." All of the Internet Services Providers are operated by
  government-owned or government-controlled companies. Each person in Singapore
  wishing to obtain an Internet account must show their national ID card to the provider
  to obtain an account. ISPs reportedly provide information on users to government
  officials without legal requirements on a regular basis.
  
  An extensive Electronic Road Pricing system for monitoring road usage went
  into effect in 1998. The system collects information on an automobile's travel from
  smart cards plugged into transmitters in every car and in video surveillance cameras.
  The service claims that the data will only be kept for 24 hours and does not maintain a
  central accounting system. Video surveillance cameras are also commonly used for
  monitoring roads and preventing littering in many areas. It was proposed in Tampines
  in 1995 that cameras be placed in all public spaces including corridors, lifts, and open
  areas such as public parks, car parks and neighborhood centers and broadcast on the
  public cable television channel.
  

  
  
  Some might say that I'm flogging a dead horse here. But as always, I hope to find new perspectives from old debates (there's a Chinese idiom for it called 温故知新 - loosely translated to gaining new knowledge from revising the old stuff. =)).
  
  Privacy has often been sacrificed for 'safety' purposes. Here, the question we need to ask is whose safety are we talking about?
  
  Is sacrificing my privacy for my safety acceptable?
  Is sacrificing my privacy for the general public's safety acceptable?
  Is sacrificing my privacy for the safety of a selected few acceptable?
  
  What about the ERP? Is sacrificing my privacy for traffic efficiency acceptable?

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner"><blockquote><a target="_blank" href="http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/APCITY/UNPAN002553.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/APCITY/UNPAN002553.pdf</a> <br /> <br /> There is no general data protection or privacy law in Singapore. The government <br /> has been aggressive in using surveillance to promote social control and limit domestic <br /> opposition <br /> <br /> Electronic surveillance of communications is governed by the <br /> Telecommunications Authority of Singapore (TAS). The government has extensive <br /> powers under the Internal Security Act and other acts to monitor anything that is <br /> considered a threat to "national security." The U.S. State Department in 1998 stated, <br /> "Divisions of the Government's law enforcement agencies, including the Internal <br /> Security Department and the Corrupt Practices Investigation Board, have wide <br /> networks for gathering information. It is believed that the authorities routinely <br /> monitor citizens' telephone conversations and use of the Internet. While there were no <br /> proven allegations that they did so in 1997, it is widely believed that the authorities <br /> routinely conduct surveillance on some opposition politicians and other critics of the <br /> Government." All of the Internet Services Providers are operated by <br /> government-owned or government-controlled companies. Each person in Singapore <br /> wishing to obtain an Internet account must show their national ID card to the provider <br /> to obtain an account. ISPs reportedly provide information on users to government <br /> officials without legal requirements on a regular basis. <br /> <br /> An extensive Electronic Road Pricing system for monitoring road usage went <br /> into effect in 1998. The system collects information on an automobile's travel from <br /> smart cards plugged into transmitters in every car and in video surveillance cameras. <br /> The service claims that the data will only be kept for 24 hours and does not maintain a <br /> central accounting system. Video surveillance cameras are also commonly used for <br /> monitoring roads and preventing littering in many areas. It was proposed in Tampines <br /> in 1995 that cameras be placed in all public spaces including corridors, lifts, and open <br /> areas such as public parks, car parks and neighborhood centers and broadcast on the <br /> public cable television channel. <br /> </blockquote> <br /> <br /> Some might say that I'm flogging a dead horse here. But as always, I hope to find new perspectives from old debates (there's a Chinese idiom for it called 温故知新 - loosely translated to gaining new knowledge from revising the old stuff. =)). <br /> <br /> Privacy has often been sacrificed for 'safety' purposes. Here, the question we need to ask is whose safety are we talking about? <br /> <br /> Is sacrificing my privacy for my safety acceptable? <br /> Is sacrificing my privacy for the general public's safety acceptable? <br /> Is sacrificing my privacy for the safety of a selected few acceptable? <br /> <br /> What about the ERP? Is sacrificing my privacy for traffic efficiency acceptable? </div>

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