Khalid Sadiq Al-Hashimi, Assistant Undersecretary of Cyber security sector, ICT Qatar, at the summit at Westin Doha hotel yesterday. Pic: Abdul Basit /The Peninsula
DOHA: The government is set to enact the Information Privacy Protection Law “very soon” that will enable residents to protect their personal data rights, a senior official said yesterday.
The draft law was approved by the State Cabinet in January this year. The law will also curb unwanted direct-marketing messages and calls.
“I cannot give the exact date of the enactment of Information Privacy Protection Law as the government is authorised to announce it but most likely it will be enforced very soon, before the end of this year,” Eng. Khalid Al Hashmi, Assistant Undersecretary of the Cyber Security Sector at Ministry of Transport and Communications told The Peninsula on the sidelines of 9th Cyber Defence Summit opened yesterday.
To another query, Al Hashmi said that cyber security system of Qatar and other GCC countries was not a weaker one and “we as a nation, both at government and private level are making efforts to further strengthen the existing cyber security system. See this summit itself is meant to enhance cyber security”.
He added that in his opinion the foundations and basics of information system should be stronger to counter and foil the threats and attacks. The Cabinet had approved a draft privacy law in January 2016 aiming at protecting residents against spam messages via email or on mobile phones. The draft law protects personal information that has been collected or processed electronically, or by combining electronic and “traditional” processing.
The draft law includes specific provisions on the right of individuals to protect their personal data, on the obligations of the data controller and processor, on personal data of a private nature, and banning any electronic communications sent “for the purpose of direct marketing to individuals without obtaining prior consent”.
Around the world, information privacy or data protection laws prohibit the disclosure or misuse of information held on private individuals.
Over 80 countries and independent territories have now adopted comprehensive data protection laws including nearly every country in Europe and many in Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and Africa.
In simple terms “data privacy” or “information privacy” is the aspect of information technology that deals with the ability an organisation or individual has to determine what data in a computer system can be shared with third parties.
Once the law is enacted in Qatar, no person or organisation will be able to use personal data or information without prior consent of the concerned individual or organisation in any form.
To curb direct-marketing messages or calls, the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) had announced formulating a code of conduct for direct-marketing.
Currently, Ooredoo helps its customers in coping with spam SMS or calls in the following manner: One may call on 111 to report any suspicious international numbers for their blocking, and the subscribers to stop spamming messages can “Unsub ServiceName” to 92600 or if they want to stop all bulk SMS senders, they send “Unsub all” to 92600.
