Privacy Laws
Privacy law is a set of regulations that govern the collection, storage, and utilization of
personal information from healthcare, governments, companies, public or private entities, or
individuals.
Common points in some of these laws include the following:
1. Information collected and stored about individuals should be limited to what is necessary
to carry out the function of the business or government agency collecting the data.
2. Once collected, provisions should be made to restrict access to the data to those
employees within the organization who need access to it to perform their job duties.
3. Personal information should be released outside the organization collecting the data only
when the person has agreed to its disclosure.
4. When information is collected about an individual, the individual should know that the
data is being collected and have the opportunity to determine the accuracy of the data.
For example
1. Personal Data Protection Bill 2021
The collection, transfer and processing of personal data without consent is prohibited under
the PDP Bill
2. The Mental Health Ordinance 2001
This law is addressed to mental health facilities providing care and treatment for mental
health patients. Information of patients with mental health disorders and restricts publicising
or disclosing their identity to the public by any means
What Are Cyber Laws?
Cyber laws, also known as Internet laws or digital laws, are the legal frameworks and
regulations that govern the use of technology, particularly the internet. These laws address
a wide range of issues such as online behavior, privacy, intellectual property, cybercrimes,
and e-commerce transactions.
Importance of Cyber Laws
1. Protection of Rights: Cyber laws ensure the protection of individuals' privacy,
freedom of expression, and intellectual property rights online.
2. Prevention of Cybercrimes: With the rise of digital technology, crimes like hacking,
cyberbullying, phishing, and identity theft have become more common. Cyber laws
help in the prevention and punishment of such crimes.
3. Regulation of Online Businesses: With the growth of e-commerce and digital
services, laws help ensure that online transactions are secure and that businesses
comply with regulations regarding data protection, contracts, and taxation.
4. International Standards: Cyber laws promote cooperation between nations to tackle
cybercrimes and enforce digital regulations globally.
For example
The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act includes the following crimes: unauthorized access
to information system or data (Section 3), unauthorized copying or transmission of data
(Section 4), interference with information system or computer data (section 5).