Thai Project Collects Biometric Data of Myanmar Exiles

Thailand is piloting a biometric data collection program aimed at Myanmar nationals and stateless individuals, and designed primarily to streamline the delivery of health services, particularly vaccinations against HPV and COVID-19.

The initiative is run by Thailand’s Department of Disease Control in collaboration with the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center and the Thai Red Cross Society. It targets a highly mobile population across five provinces that host significant communities of Myanmar people, including Tak, Samut Sakhon, and Prachuap Khiri Khan.

The program collects facial and iris scans from participants, having already compiled data from 10,000 individuals. The biometric data is intended to aid in the logistical distribution of vaccine doses by ensuring that individuals receive their correct subsequent vaccinations without duplication.

The overall goal is to develop a database with a million profiles incorporating this biometric data alongside other personal information.

This approach to health service logistics is partly necessitated by the transient nature of the targeted population, which includes a mix of activists from Myanmar’s Civil Disobedience Movement, asylum seekers, and migrant laborers. The program has been heralded by the Department of Disease Control as a success, prompting considerations for its expansion to additional provinces.

However, the collection and storage of sensitive biometric data have stirred controversy and debate. Privacy concerns are at the forefront, particularly in the context of a major data leak in 2023 involving the Mo Prom app, which exposed the identities of 55 million Thai citizens. Activists and digital rights groups express fears that the biometric data could inadvertently be accessed by unauthorized parties, including potentially Myanmar authorities, despite assurances to the contrary from the Thai Red Cross.

The Red Cross has committed to not sharing the data with state or private agencies, nor with cross-border projects like Myanmar’s junta-launched e-ID program. However, the organization noted that data could still be disclosed to state agencies and humanitarian organizations regarding whether individuals had biometrics collected.

There are also concerns about how robust Thailand’s privacy protections are, given the recent implementation of the country’s first data privacy law in 2022. Critics argue that the law is insufficient and contains loopholes that allow for the use and collection of data without explicit consent under various pretexts, such as life-saving purposes or statistical research.

The situation is complicated by precedents of police and military officials obtaining personal data from healthcare providers in migrant-populated areas, sometimes without official mandates.

Speaking to Radio Free Asia, a representative of the Myanmar Internet Project called the effort “concerning,” adding, “As Myanmar exiles, we are very concerned this kind of data will be shared with different authorities, particularly on the Myanmar side.”

As the program potentially expands, these issues remain contentious, reflecting broader concerns about the safety and privacy of Myanmar nationals in Thailand, the effectiveness of data protection laws, and the ethical implications of biometric data usage in public health initiatives.

Source: RFA

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May 8, 2024 – by Cass Kennedy