Certain exposure: A tracing app’s QR code seen in a taxi in Singapore, where recent disclosures spurred concern that the government was using personal information for more than just fighting Covid-19. — Bloomberg
THE nation’s parliament passed a law limiting the use of data collected for contact-tracing after the government admitted it could be accessed by police, sparking privacy concerns.
The city-state rolled out an application called “TraceTogether” last year, for tracking close contacts of Covid-19 patients that works via both a phone app and dongle, but uptake was initially slow.
It rose to more than 80% of residents after government assurances the data would only be used to fight the virus and a decision to make it mandatory for accessing some public places.
But there was an outcry last month when officials admitted that the police could access information gathered in the scheme as part of investigations, and had already done so during a murder probe.
Lawmakers approved legislation on Tuesday that limit the cases in which the police can get hold of the personal data.
It did not cut them off entirely but will give them access only during investigations into seven categories of serious offence, including possession of firearms, terrorism and rape.
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan acknowledged in parliament that it was a mistake for the government not to have made it clear early on that police would have access.
“I take full responsibility for this mistake and I deeply regret the consternation, the anxiety that was caused by my mistake, ” said Balakrishnan, who has overseen the scheme.
The government’s admission that police could access the data sparked a furious backlash, with many in the tightly regulated city saying they felt betrayed and activists accusing authorities of undermining the right to privacy. — AFP
