IT experts express concern on use of StaySafe.ph over privacy issues

Information technology experts have expressed concern on the use of StaySafe.ph, the official COVID-19 contact tracing application used by the government, over data privacy issues.

In a recent “Need To Know” episode on Friday, experts said the app raised concern since it required a lot of information during registration compared to the apps launched by other countries. 

“This contradicts the privacy statement that assures that no personal information will be collected,” said the Data Protection Excellency Network (DPEX).

“Unlike the contact tracing apps in the other Asean countries, StaySafe is the only app that is not directly developed by the local government. A check on its developer’s website—Multisys Technologies Corp.—revealed that there is no published privacy policy where there may be concern about its privacy practices and whether the developer has access to personal information of users,” it added.

Just last week, Multisys Technologies Corp. said their target was to enroll 50 percent of the country’s population into its platform for maximum effectiveness, but concerns with local government units and citizen registrations hindered them from achieving this. – Kaela Malig/RC, GMA News