In November of last year, a Russian website that gave visitors access to hacked cameras from CCTV to webcams to baby monitors was shut down by authorities. As we move towards the internet of things, perhaps it is inevitable that our security and privacy will be threatened — one only has to look at the fallout from the Sony Pictures hack to see the massive international repercussions from such breaches of security.
Nations and corporations obviously have a lot to lose through the compromise of cyber defences and the unintended release of protected data. At the same time, the cost of data breaches is arguably greater to those least able to defend themselves against cyber-attacks and other abuse of personal information: private citizens, and above all the most vulnerable citizens among us, namely children.
The proliferation of low-cost mobile devices and pre-paid data plans has caused internet penetration among the young in Asia to explode, and such connectivity is only set to grow with the next generation of “digital natives”. Students and children certainly have much to gain from digital technology: mobile and cloud services have the power to transform education, and with that, lives and livelihoods. It is with this in mind that Microsoft works to get young Thai people connected, including the largest-ever education partnership with the Office of the Basic Education Commission which has brought eight million Thai students to the cloud. This is the generation that will be driving Thailand’s digital economy in the 21st century.
At the same time, connectivity is not without its risks. Behaviourally targeted advertising and the sale of student information — “data mining” — are only some of the threats facing students online. Cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate content, and identity theft are others. In Thailand the concern is being felt: according to a survey by international non-profit organisation SafeGov.org, 90% of Thai parents agree that school internet use will help their children learn creativity, problem solving, and critical thinking.
At the same time, another 87% of parents are worried that their children’s online activities in school will be tracked for profit-making purposes by internet service providers who rely on advertising. These figures are broadly on par with the results of similar surveys conducted elsewhere in the world — clearly Thai parents are clear-eyed about the rewards and risks of cyberspace.
All stakeholders have an obligation to respond. In the US, President Barack Obama has recently initiated the Student Digital Privacy Act, a new legislative proposal designed to provide teachers and parents the confidence they need to enhance teaching and learning with the best technology — by ensuring that data collected in the educational context is used for educational purposes only.
Thailand is rapidly moving in the same direction, with millions of Thai children expected to come online over the same period. In order to maximise the benefits of connectivity and minimise the threats, we must all share the responsibility for keeping our children and their information safe online.
The government needs to look into the recent cybersecurity draft bills, especially the data protection draft, where there is a concerning gap in the protection of students’ privacy online. To cultivate a safe environment where Thai students can flourish, the current data protection bill needs to incorporate provisions that limit the use of student data for authorised education purposes only.
Somsak Mukdavannakorn is public sector director of Microsoft Thailand.