Re: 2015 SCJ 177

From: S Moonesamy <sm+mu_at_elandsys.com>
Date: Sat, 06 Jun 2015 05:44:29 -0700

Hello,
At 00:33 06-06-2015, Dhiruj Rambaran wrote:
>Yes there is a training issue, lack of
>competencies etc. But this all forms part of the
>vicious cycle of being an underperforming
>country in terms of the quality of our
>compromised education system... a system which
>could have benefited vastly through IT (or even just common sense).
>
>The point is, within this cycle, there has to be
>a place to start and I believe it's through
>allowing biometrics/IT to do what it does best..
>to improve the lives of everyone in the long
>term. It's already proved it can do so in practically all ways.

In the first paragraph quoted above it is argued
that the underperformance of the country can be
solved with information technology. The argument
does not include any factual information to
support the argument. In the second (quoted)
paragraph you believe that the lives of everyone can be improved by:

    (a) allowing biometrics; and

    (b) allowing information technology;

and you said that it is already proven that it
can do so. You did not provide any facts about
that. In my previous message I mentioned a press
article in which there is the following:

   "Personne n’ose protester de peur de perdre son job. On préfère courber sans
    discuter."

There is the case of an Australian citizen who
was dismissed by Clavis International Primary
School because she refused to give her
fingerprints for the recording of attendance. I
saw identity cards with biometric data being used
the same way as identity cards without biometric
data in a bank. I saw the same happening in a public health service.

>Our world is now a data-driven world and all
>opportunities are coming from it. As I mentioned
>we can be pedantic and speak of every aspect of
>privacy, right to information etc but, in the
>long run, I believe it's an overkill. Yes it
>still makes sense to question decisions, but
>should be done so with all other considerations
>(eg the development of a data-driven country).

In a previous message, you commented that:
"Mauritius is full of data breaches ...". A
data-driven country that is full of data breaches
does not sound safe. It sounds more like
encouraging the development of an identity theft industry in Mauritius.

>And as for privacy being compromised 20 years
>ago, I'm not making reference to just mobile,
>but to the passport office, banks, hospitals, newspapers etc.

People in Mauritius are only required to have a
passport when they cross the border. The banks
ask about the same information as they did 20
years ago. The records at the hospitals are
still paper-based. The newspapers do not collect personal data.

Regards,
S. Moonesamy
Received on Sat Jun 06 2015 - 12:45:33 PST