5/23/22, 12:21 AM Myanmar diverts special telecoms fund to biometrics database | The Myanmar Times “The ministry is definitely using it outside of the scope of what the Universal Service Fund is traditionally used for,” commented Daw Htaike Htaike Aung, executive director of Myanmar ICT for Development Organisation (MIDO), a civil society organisation. She said it opens the door to political interventions in the future and risks ineffective utilisation and management of the fund. Calling for the biometric database plans to be scrapped, London-based Privacy International has warned that it “would be operating in a legal void, as Myanmar has no data protection law or laws that regulate the use of surveillance.” The PTD previously said in response to Privacy International’s concerns that it is “preparing all the necessary Legal Framework for Biometric registration of SIM cards”. The PTD has not responded to requests for comment by The Myanmar Times. Tags: biometrics Ministry of Transport and Communications PTD SIM cards https://www.mmtimes.com/news/myanmar-diverts-special-telecoms-fund-biometrics-database.html 3/3