The individual’s right to privacy is an issue that was raised during the Ebola epidemic. Unlike developed countries, where strong data protection laws exist, the individual’s right to data privacy is less protected in developing countries. Even if the subscriber’s unique number is hidden behind random numbers generated by a hash algorithm, it is easy to unmask a user’s identity. Serious security protocols need to be adopted when working with data, especially data collected from vulnerable populations under threat.
While an individual’s right to data privacy is important, CDR analysis with big data tools can provide valuable insights, helping to save many lives. A proper balance has to be struck between the right to privacy and freeing access to data.
To achieve this goal, a number of key players, including the GSMA (a trade body that represents the interest of mobile network operators worldwide) have come together to set standards for the usage of mobile phone data for humanitarian purposes
