International organisations acknowledge privacy to be a constitutional right for citizens, who should be in full control of their personal information and private lives. But others always encroach on our privacy every time we use our cell phone or log on to social networking websites. Therefore, the need for legislation that protects our privacy cannot be overlooked. More than 80 countries enforce one sort of information privacy law or another.
A digital revolution is changing the face of life everywhere in the world. Along with it, breach of privacy is taking place everywhere, highlighting the need for protection.
Here are some examples of such violation of privacy through phones:
Intrusive calls
You tend to answer phone calls for many reasons. Cell phones have taken the place of landlines for most purposes, including business communication and making appointments. When you pick up the phone, the caller says, for example:
“Hello, Sheikha Mariam .... welcome. This is ... from..., a company for washing carpets and polishing marble tiles.”
Or
“Hello, Miss Mariam, this is … company for skincare products and natural creams. We call to offer free service and a visit to your home.”
Or
“Hello, Dr Mariam, this is … company for research and services. We are conducting a poll and want to ask you about ….”
You are bombarded with calls every now and then from companies that want to promote their products at the cost of your privacy and time. When they call, company representatives never give you a chance to utter a word. They are always fluent. They give you the impression that they know you personally.
Commercial text messages
Cell phone inboxes are showered with ads from all types of shops and companies in Qatar. They usually are about special offers and discounts. You wonder how these companies and shops get your phone number and give themselves the right to encroach on your privacy by using your phone to promote their products.
You may remember that you once gave your phone number to the shop from which you buy your goods, but why does this shop give your number to everybody? How much do shops earn by distributing the phone numbers of clients in the absence of state supervision?
Privacy is valued more in developed countries, where people use email to reach others, and do not call them on the phone every time. This does not amount to violation of privacy.
Using email entails adherence to a set of regulations and mechanisms that ensure that the users do not abuse the service. Also, the service providers record all communications for security reasons.
Spam calls
I received calls from different countries recently, but did not know how the callers had got my number, given the fact that the service provider had not warned me about any breach of the communication system in Qatar. We only had broadcast messages on BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) and WhatsApp Messenger. Volunteers had previously told us that they too had been penetrated and warned us against replying to these messages.
How do these calls and messages sneak into our private lives when international calls fall under the purview of communications and security agencies in this country? How can Qatar create a communication security system that protects both its people’s privacy and its national security? Why has the current system not solved this problem despite repeated calls and complaints?
That is why we sometimes compare Qatar, a country that has advanced communication security systems, with other countries where we have lived but did not get the same kind of intrusive calls or messages.
As such breach of privacy continues, everybody is waiting for action by the agencies concerned in this country, namely the Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQatar), Qatar Telecom and Vodafone. We heard recently about a draft law being prepared by ictQatar in this regard.
We are badly in need of a new mechanism that offers us protection and acts as a deterrent to offenders. A quick fix is a must until Qatar creates laws to protect its citizens and national security.
