Conference discusses protection of personal data, social networks

Muscat: The 2nd Personal Data Conference, entitled “Privacy in Social Networks,” kicked off today. The 2-day conference will review the Omani project on the law of protecting personal data in the social media.
Sheikh Salim bin Mustahil Al Mashani, Advisor to the Diwan of the Royal Court, who patronised the opening ceremony, said that the conference is of great importance given the personal challenges facing the personal accounts that are very important to the lives and privacy of the people.
He pointed out that the conference will highlight the dimensions of this problem, expressing the hope to circulate what is being discussed to the public for the purpose of protecting the accounts and privacy in a very fast developing world that’s full of everything new.
The conference, which is attended by a number of academics, experts and specialists in the field of personal data, will discuss important topics, such as social networks, privacy problems, ethics and values in social networks and security awareness in social networks.
Dr. Ali bin Suhail Tabouk, CEO of Middle East Consultancy and Study Centre, organiser of the conference, said in a speech that the conference will address the most important issues at the international level, such as the systems of protection of personal data in the European Union and the Arab countries, the new laws to regulate personal data, that touch new topics, including the right to be forgotten, indicating that the conference includes specialised workshops on the new organisation for the protection of personal data in Europe.
The first day included a workshop entitled “the Public and law in Social Networking” during which two working papers were presented by Dr. Rashid bin Hamad Al Balushi, Dean of the College of Law at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), entitled “Protecting Personal Data in the Omani Legal System” and the second paper entitled “The legal Organisation of the Social Networks” presented by Dr. Hussein bin Said Al Ghaferi.
The first day concluded with a paper entitled “Effects of Social Networking on State Security by Dr. Abdullah bin Salim Al Balushi, Director of Security Operations at the Information Technology Authority, highlighted the objectives and methods used by various social media in collecting information and harming national security.
The conference concluded the first day with a seminar that discussed legal visions that would raise awareness of the importance of protecting personal data and knowledge of the legal risks and challenges facing technology users in general.
The opening of the conference was attended by Sheikh Khalid bin Omar Al Marhoon, Minister of Civil Service and a number of specialists and experts in the field of personal data.