No private data until protections in place — Gov’t assures on digital ID rollout

The Government will not request private or confidential personal data for its new digital identity card system until full data protection mechanisms are in place, officials have assured.

This comes as the Digital Identity Card Act of 2023 officially came into operation on Tuesday, March 31, following a commencement order issued by Prime Minister Mark Phillips in his capacity as the responsible minister.

And Attorney General Anil Nandlall says that, for now, only basic personal information already held by state agencies will be collected.

This includes data similar to what is currently held by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), and the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).

“The data that would be taken at this point in time remains… data that is accessible in the public domain,” Nandlall explained.

While the process was previously voluntary, eligible persons will now be required to apply for and obtain the digital ID card.

More sensitive personal information will only be requested after the Data Protection Act is fully operational.

The government has already established a Data Protection Commission and is working to complete the administrative framework needed to enforce the law.

Once those safeguards are in place, additional private data may be incorporated into the digital ID system.

Nandlall stressed that the phased approach is intended to safeguard citizens’ information.

“The government accords your private data… the highest priority,” he said, adding that protecting the integrity and confidentiality of personal data is a key concern.

As a result, “until and unless the Data Protection Agency is fully operational, the government will not be requesting… private confidential data.”

With the law now in force, distribution and registration for digital ID cards are set to begin.

Application offices have already been established in several regions, including:

• Region Two (Cotton Field, Anna Regina)
• Region Three (Leonora)
• Region Four (Campbellville, Georgetown)
• Region Five (Fort Wellington)

Additional locations are expected to be rolled out across other regions.