Guideline of Dissemination for Tracking Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains of Personal Data Protection Act B.E. 2562

Abstract

Currently, there are many cases of missing persons and unidentified remains whose identities have to be tracked and verified. The Central Institute of Forensic Sciences in Thailand is an institution that has the authority and responsibility to disseminate information about missing persons and unidentified remains to the public as a means of helping and supporting government agencies in tracking missing persons and identifying unidentified remains. However, disseminating information currently requires awareness of the consequences and privacy of individuals who will be affected by such dissemination due to the rapid advances in technology with greater use of social media or the internet. As a result, transferring or transmitting data is convenient and fast. This leads to more high-risk impacts, such as violations of the privacy rights of personal data, which results in nuisance and damage to the owners of personal data. The Personal Data Protection Act B.E. 2562, commonly known as the PDPA: Personal Data Protection Act to ensure the protection of personal data of data subjects, has been enforced since June 1, 2022. This article introduces guidelines for disseminating the personal information of missing persons and unidentified remains to account for the potential consequences of disseminating information. Moreover, such information should be disseminated with caution. Accordingly, this guideline can help in tracking missing persons and unidentified remains quickly. This approach is easily accessible, is gradually expanding and is a simple and convenient channel for informing or providing information. For these reasons, it aims to increase the efficiency of tracking missing persons and unidentified remains. It is primarily to return them to their homes or to perform religious ceremonies among their relatives. Finally, this can be further applied to maintain social justice and human dignity.