Program Description
The American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) aspires to protect privacy in the digital age through the launch of a new Defending Digital Privacy in Southeast Asia program (DDP). In a world where the internet and technology are deeply ingrained in every aspect of people’s lives, it is important for societies to have laws that protect individuals’ digital privacy. Without such laws, freedoms of expression, thought, consciousness, belief, association, assembly, and the right to be free of discrimination can become encroached upon. Digital privacy laws serve as a safeguard for such freedoms through the provision of a space for individuals to freely develop their own voice and identity without fear of repercussion. To address this challenge, DDP will bring together lawyers and experts across Southeast Asia to expand their knowledge on the core values of digital privacy and explore approaches to protecting and promoting digital privacy in their jurisdictions.
With the help of experts from across the world, ABA ROLI will develop a regional training program on digital privacy that will be launched in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The training program will include both virtual and in-person events that will provide a refined understanding of privacy, privacy’s intersection with technology, and the mechanisms used to protect privacy and provide help to those harmed by privacy right violations. ABA ROLI, and its partners across the region, will foster locally based but regionally connected networks of digital privacy lawyers who can provide pro bono services to victims of privacy violations. Local partners will also implement programs to raise awareness of digital privacy issues in their jurisdictions and work with policymakers to integrate appropriate safeguards into new and existing laws.