Gov’t to own data from contact tracing app StaySafe.ph⁠—Palace

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The government will own data from its official contact tracing app StaySafe.ph as the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) issued new resolutions on its usage, Malacañang said Thursday.

Citing IATF’s Resolution No. 45, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said there is now a memorandum of agreement between the app’s developer Multisys Technologies Corp and the Department of Health (DOH) on data ownership and intellectual property.

“Ibig-sabihin po, lahat po ng mga kritiko ng StaySafe.PH, lahat po yan ay binigyang atensyon ng IATF at ang gobyerno po ang magmamay-ari ng data,” Roque said during an online briefing.

(The IATF gave attention to all concerns raised by critics of StaySafe.PH and the government will now own the data.)

Roque added that the StaySafe.PH app’s function will be limited to the collection of data which will be stored in DOH’s COVID KAYA, a case and contact tracing reporting system for epidemiology and surveillance officers.

“Lahat ng data na kasalukuyang nasa database ng StaySafe.PH ay dapat ilipat sa COVID KAYA,” Roque further said.

(All data that are currently on StaySafe.PH’s database shall be transferred to COVID KAYA.)

Multisys is given 30 days to comply with the IATF’s directives, otherwise, their endorsement will be withdrawn and all data shall be transferred to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

Roque earlier assured that StaySafe.PH has enough safeguards against misuse after former Communications Technology Undersecretary Eliseo Rio Jr. pointed out weaknesses in the app’s privacy protocols.