MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has taken down its online passport tracking system and all its data sources as it began to investigate a possible breach and “to avoid further data broadcasting.”According to the DFA, its Office of Consular Affairs was made aware of a data privacy issue involving the tracking system on Tuesday. However, the DFA did not provide other details, including the number of data that may have been exposed. Launched in September, the Online Passport Tracker is a platform that allows applicants to view the status of their passport application. The DFA assured the public that it “continues to prioritize the protection and privacy of the data it handles in accordance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10173) and is working with the National Privacy Commission in resolving this issue.”“An internal audit will also be conducted to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future,” the DFA said.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer November 11, 2021 09:33 UTC