SURVEILLANCE AND
DATA RETENTION
WHAT DOES THE ISSUE MEAN?
SURVEILLANCE
is the monitoring of behavior, activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering,
influencing, managing, or directing. It refers to the collection and processing of personal data pulled from digital communication
platforms, often through automated technology that allows for real-time aggregation and analysis of large amounts of metadata and
content.
DATA RETENTION
is the storing of information for a specified period. It helps businesses reduce costs, legal risks, and
security threats. Data retention is primarily relevant to businesses that store data to service their customers and comply with
government or industry regulations.
FOUR TYPES OF DATA THAT CAN BE USED AS INDICATORS OF A SCHOOL'S SUCCESS AND PROGRESS
Demographic Data provides
information about the characteristics
of students: enrollment, student
mobility, attendance, disabilities,
ethnic background, limited English
proficiency, economic status,
gender, dropout rates, and
behavioral problems.
Achievement Data provides
information on student learning
and achievement. These data
include standardized test scores,
classroom-based assessments,
rubric-scored writing portfolios,
and class grades.
GLOBAL
Surveillance and Data Retention are widely used in most countries
around the world. Major players such as the well-known GAFAM
(Google, Facebook, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft) have offered
users convenience and often innovative online services and
platforms “for free.” GAFAM offers more than just free user
services; these companies provide the hardware and software
foundations of the Internet making it virtually impossible not to
use any of their products. This centralization goes hand in hand
with one of the key commercial driving forces of the internet: data.
General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR)
According to Article 5(e) of the General Data
Protection Regulation (GDPR), data must be
“kept in a form which permits identification of
data subjects for no longer than is necessary
for the purposes for which the personal data
are processed.”
Regulations or guidelines on the use of
technology in public venues, such as libraries
or community centers, may exist in some
communities. These policies can assist, and
ensure that technology is used in public
settings in a way that respects people's privacy
and civil freedoms.
In the Philippines, a month before CPA 2012 was put into law,
Aquino signed the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (DPA 2012). This
law defined the rights of a “data subject” as well as the
responsibilities of “data processors” to ensure privacy while
“ensuring free flow of information to promote innovation and
growth.” As part of its regulatory function to protect users of
telecommunication services, the National Telecommunications
Commission also released a memorandum in 2007 on the data
log retention of telecommunications traffic.
Consent of the data subject refers to any freely
given, specific, informed indication of will,
whereby the data subject agrees to the
collection
and
processing
of
personal
information about and/or relating to him or
her.
Data Privacy Act of 2012
(Republic Act No. 10173)
a national law that governs how government agencies
and commercial groups gather, use, and retain
personal data (Republic of the Philippines, 2012). This
law applies to all entities in the Philippines that process
personal data, and it establishes the National Privacy
Commission (NPC) as the country's data protection
body.
Personal Data Protection
Act in the Philippines
PROGRAMS, LAWS,
POLICIES, AND
DIRECTIVES AIM TO
CURB THE ISSUE
“[e]very employer…keep an individual time
record of all his employees bearing the
signature or thumb mark of the employee
concerned” and that “[a]ll entries in time books
and daily time records shall be accomplished in
ink.”
Perception Data provides
information on the attitudes and
beliefs of various stakeholders
in the school, such as teachers,
students, and parents.
LOCAL
Consent of the Data
Omnibus Rules Implementing
the Labor Code
Regulation/Guidelines
Program Data provides information on
all school programs. These data
represent the conditions directly under
the control of the school, such as its
curriculum scope and sequence,
academic programs, teacher training
and experience, professional
development, after-school
programming, and Title I programs.
Employee and applicant information should
only be retained as long as necessary to fulfill
the original purpose(s) for the data collected, to
defend a legal claim, or as otherwise required
by law.
Ordinancies of Barangays
Ordinances of barangays, or local communities,
may govern the gathering and use of personal
data under their authority. These ordinances, in
addition to national and municipal laws, can
provide extra safeguards for persons' personal
data.
Data Privacy Act Primer, 2017
By regulating the handling of personal
information, the National Privacy Commission
safeguards individual personal information and
promotes the right to privacy (Data Privacy Act
Primer, 2017).
RELEVANCE OF ISSUE TO TEACHERS,
LEARNERS AND SCHOOL
This issue, "Surveillance and Data Retention," is relevant to teachers, learners, and schools because schools are responsible for
creating, managing, and disposing of school administration and student records. They should be concerned since surveillance and
data retention can reveal all the information about the educational facility, which could be at risk if the schools don't have proper
security processes and procedures. Ineffective record management also increases the possibility of document loss or theft. Sensitive
data loss could have a significant negative impact on the school's reputation.
Most significant risk of
student data exposure
lies in surveillance and
data retention, which is
caused by:
(1) a lack of specification of technical means that can be
used by individual services;
(2) a lack of specification of what kind of information and evidence is in
question;
(3) an open catalog of information and evidence that can be
clandestinely acquired in an operational mode. It is critical to recognize
that once digital traces are formed and transferred, they are out of our
immediate control and typically wind up in the hands of others, kept on
servers that do not quickly forget
STAY SAFE
Regulations or guidelines on the use of technology in public venues, can assist, and ensure that technology is used in public settings in a way
that respects people's privacy and civil freedoms.
Ordinances of barangays, or local communities, may govern the gathering and use of personal data under their authority. These ordinances,
in addition to national and municipal laws, can provide extra safeguards for persons' personal data.
Secure your devices and accounts with strong passwords, if possible, you should use two-factor authentication, and keep our software and
security settings up to date. Furthermore, you can also use privacy-enhancing tools that can assist in protecting and enhancing you privacy.
Take care of the information you post online, especially on social media. You have to be cautious about who you share
information with and avoid exposing sensitive personal information, such as our home location or phone number.