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Privacy in the age of artificial intelligence

Faisal Mohammed Al-Shamry

December 13, 2021

The dependence of individuals, companies, societies and even countries, on advanced technologies (revolutionary or emerging, or sustainable technologies in development), is multiplied as a result of adopting the practices of knowledge societies, as the investments that are being pumped have doubled, which led to an unprecedented development in computing capabilities, storage capacities and business intelligence. The structure and management of data, as a result of a government orientation that has cemented the competitiveness of society, and defines the responsibilities of digital citizenship.

The consequences of the “Covid-19” pandemic were not limited to unprecedented humanitarian and economic challenges, but rather contributed to advancing the wheels of development, and the adoption of modern technologies in all community practices, from work and distance education, to the massive use of digital entertainment technologies and others.

As usual, the specialists discussed the fears and risks of technologies such as digital addiction, criminal or immoral content, the increasing exploitation of organized crime and espionage organizations, and changing patterns of human behavior, and even increased warnings of risks, some of which are apparent and most of which are vague, on top of which is “privacy”.

Privacy means: “the ability of a person to prevent information about him from becoming known to others, if he does not voluntarily choose to provide that information, and the term is a concept that refers to the scope of private life, and has recently developed rapidly on a larger scale, to guarantee the right to control personal data ».

Privacy may include the "security and confidentiality of information".

Our institutional maturity levels in the country have reached to becoming one of the first supporters to develop the institutional system and encourage relevant positive practices, including what was applied by the “Dubai Award for Excellence in Government Performance” in the “elite” category during the process of our participation in the evaluation of the four distinguished bodies locally , (and in my appreciation and that of the rest of my distinguished fellow residents globally), with the artificial intelligence standard for this year’s session, the results of which were recently announced, as the processes of measuring the maturity of the exploitation of artificial intelligence applications, and the extent of the development and governance of institutions, and their legalization of the positive uses of these capabilities, characteristics and applications, were included. To be the first country in the region, as a requirement to strengthen institutional leadership in accordance with the best international practices, coupled with regional legislative excellence.

Privacy protection is part of the legislative system in the country and its constitution, such as Federal Law No. 45 of 2021 regarding the protection of personal data, and Federal Law No. 44 regarding the establishment of the Emirates Data Office. As well as Federal Law No. 15 of 2020 regarding consumer protection, including the privacy and security of consumer data, and it is forbidden to use it for the purposes of promotion and marketing (and among the aspects of abuse and abuse is the sale of some giant companies’ data and numbers of dealers to the tele-advertising company, which has become an intolerable nuisance, and had it not been for the intervention of the Regulating communications when they stopped, and this was done without public disciplinary violations for companies that traded customer data).

Federal Law No. 12 of 2016 amending Federal Decree-Law No. 5 of 2012 regarding combating information technology crimes, and amending Federal Law No. 2 of 2006 regarding combating information technology crimes, and prohibiting in Article 21 of the law anyone who used an information network, or an electronic information system, or an information technology means, to attack the privacy of a person in cases other than those authorized by law, in one of the following ways: such as taking pictures of others, or preparing, transmitting, disclosing, copying or keeping electronic pictures.

Accordingly, it is not permissible to violate privacy, while, on the contrary, we find some companies outside the country working on developing special technologies that randomly allow individuals and companies, by simply taking or displaying a picture of a person, to track his residence and his data without any legal or functional justification, and this is not considered Not only a legitimate and religious violation, but a flagrant violation of the laws, controls and practices of privacy protection, and prompts us to suggest awareness of the dangers of public use of these applications that exploit smart and big data, biometric fingerprint analysis, facial recognition applications, tightening the criminalization of the use of these applications by the public, and developing technologies And making them available without controls or legalization, blocking the websites of companies providing such services, warning companies if any individual is negatively affected by these technologies and without legal justification, and holding them criminally and civilly liable.

The assault on the privacy of individuals, even companies or countries, with a complex exploitation of the capabilities and characteristics of artificial intelligence is a reality, and it occurs daily without realizing, and the protection of privacy begins with the subjective behaviors of individuals, followed by institutional practices, and let us work together to protect our privacy, the matter is not based on technologies only Rather, it includes individuals, regulations and legislation.

* Certified Management & Digital Transformation Consultant and Corporate Excellence Expert

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