PRIOR to the pandemic, many saw technology as simply complementary tools, not as essential elements to the functionality of society's daily lives, suggesting a lack of appreciation of the importance of technology. Now, however, the impact of technology on society and reliance on it have grown exponentially amid Covid-19 as countries desperately try to sustain "business as usual".
Nonetheless, this sudden rush of technology development and adoption have resulted in vulnerabilities being exposed, highlighting risks concerning inequality, privacy and security.
When the pandemic struck, learning institutions were forced to resort to remote learning.
Although some institutions have implemented partial digital lessons before, the transition did not go smoothly. Among the biggest challenges were poor Internet access and the lack of devices for e-learning faced by rural students and the underprivileged, which may have hampered students' learning process.
These situations amplified inequalities in education and implied a significant loss in human capital development, which may lead to greater income inequality. In addressing these issues, it is crucial to restructure the education system and the supporting ecosystem so that they become more sensitive to students' diverse needs.
The low digital adoption rate prior to the pandemic has also exposed vulnerabilities of businesses. During the lockdown, a clear consumer shift online has resulted in sharp pain for traditional brick-and-mortar stores. The pandemic has also shown the lack of digital readiness in government agencies, according to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Economic Affairs) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.
However, Covid-19 may serve as a reason for the country to spur its digital agenda due to the importance of transforming digitally. Digital adoption and transformation, which were postponed by many previously, are now prioritised. The use of technological tools for surveillance and tracking, such as the proliferation of Covid-19 apps — for instance MySejahtera, MyTrace and Gerak Malaysia — has resulted in privacy and security concerns.
The lack of transparency surrounding the mechanisms of these systems left many questions unanswered, posing a challenge to gaining the public's full cooperation. The limited laws and enforcement of these technologies are particularly worrisome to citizens, who fear the possibility of data abuse. Moving forward, Malaysia needs to build digital trust by enhancing transparency of the systems implemented, as well as ensuring more robust protection and privacy of citizen data through sufficient guidelines and laws.
With most people working from home during the lockdown, the lack of cybersecurity measures resulted in an all-time high of online attacks. Shockingly, Malaysia was even one of the top five most-targeted countries. Many gullible Malaysians fell into the trap of phishing emails and scams, showing their lack of awareness of cyberattacks.
"Working from home" also meant that most companies were not ready to support the platform, exposing them to security vulnerabilities. Moving forward, all parties have to prioritise cybersecurity as the Internet makes everyone vulnerable to these attacks.
Lastly is the issue of social media and digital content amid the pandemic. The creation and dissemination of dis/misinformation, or fake news, have been rampant. Up to June 11, Malaysia has opened 266 investigation papers on fake news related to Covid-19. Hate speech also dominated social media early during the pandemic — as seen by the aggressive comments on the "tabligh cluster".
Moreover, false information circulating on social media also became a catalyst for hate speech towards refugees, immigrants and foreign workers. Regulating digital content should not only mean that the government provides a safe space for all, but citizens themselves need to self-regulate when publishing comments online.
Considering all of the challenges that come with fighting the pandemic, it is fitting to consider preparedness for future crises and more adequate governance for new technologies. While the vulnerabilities and impacts of Covid-19 and the digital technology landscape could be startling, however, encouragingly, it could also be the reason for more rapid transformation.
The writer is a Senior Analyst at the Institute Of Strategic and International Studies (Isis) Malaysia