ODPEM completes transfer of Support Jamaica website from Amber

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) is reporting that it has now completed the process of taking full ownership of the Support Jamaica website, which was used by the Government to raise over $1 billion in Hurricane Melissa donations, from the private developer, adding that the site’s data remains secure.

Concerns were raised in June after ODPEM Director General Commander Alvin Gayle told a meeting of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee that the website was owned by Amber Innovations Limited.

It was also disclosed by Gayle that both Amber and the agency have access to the donor information on the website.

“As per our current privacy statement, we would have made the necessary adjustment to make it clear, as it is now, they own the website. We are utilising a portal,” said Gayle at the time.

The matter raised concerns about privacy and data protection among some members of the committee and other stakeholders.

In a statement today, ODPEM indicated that it has now completed the migration of Government-controlled data associated with the Support Jamaica platform from the temporary hosting environment provided by Amber to a secure Government environment.

The agency said this is a fulfilment of its commitment to regularise the hosting arrangements for the platform and ensure that information entrusted to Support Jamaica is maintained within the appropriate Government environment.

“We gave a commitment that this matter would be addressed, and that commitment has now been fulfilled,” said Chairman of the Board of ODPEM, Trudy Deans.

“We recognise the importance of transparency, accountability and responsible action in how information entrusted to Government is managed. Throughout this process, our priority has been to protect the information associated with Support Jamaica and to ensure that it is properly managed under appropriate Government oversight,” Deans added.

ODPEM stated that it remains the data controller for information collected through the platform and is responsible for determining how that information is used and processed.

The agency said that Amber provided the technology and temporary hosting environment for the website and has never owned the personal information collected through Support Jamaica.

ODPEM said that it has no evidence that the site’s data was compromised at any time and that access to the data continues to be restricted to authorised personnel and purposes, supported by appropriate security and audit controls.

“The completion of the migration strengthens the governance and long-term management of the Support Jamaica platform and provides a clearer framework for Government oversight, accountability and the responsible handling of information. It also supports the continued secure operation of the platform as an important national mechanism for relief and recovery.”

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