Donor data row

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) is scrambling to assuage donors and international partners who contributed more than $1.4 billion to the SupportJamaica.gov.jm website that the platform is owned by the Government and not Amber, a private company which developed the platform.

As public concerns mount over the privacy of donor information, the Government is also rushing to explain that the agreement between Amber and ODPEM provided that the associated government-controlled data would be migrated from Amber’s hosting environment to a government-designated environment. Amber’s hosting role was always intended to be temporary and technical, the agency added.

“ODPEM acknowledges that it did not complete the migration as agreed and accepts responsibility for the delay,” the agency said in a press release yesterday.

The board of the agency has directed that the process commence immediately, subject to the necessary technical and security feasibility, noting that it should be undertaken in a controlled manner that protects the continuity of the platform, the integrity of donor, volunteer and transaction records, and continued authorised access.

In its release, the disaster relief agency was at pains to assure donors that the Support Jamaica website was an official Government of Jamaica platform operating under ODPEM’s authority.

The clarification follows mounting backlash on social media and other platforms as persons criticise the Government for using a “privately owned’ website to collect and host private information from donors.

At a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) last week Tuesday, ODPEM Director General Commander Alvin Gayle told committee members that the website was owned by a private developer.

‘Private developer’

Committee Chairman Julian Robinson had asked Gayle: “Who currently owns the Support Jamaica website?” Responding, Gayle said: “The private developer still owns the website. They develop the website and then offer us service.”

Robinson further pressed Gayle, asking who had access to donor information on the website.

Gayle said, “Conceivably, however, the actual developers of the website will have access to the back end because they still own the website. So their approved staff would also have some access to the website.”

Continuing, he explained that the ODPEM and the developer had access to the information.

“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,” he added.

However, in stark contrast to the pronouncements last week Tuesday, ODPEM is now declaring that Support Jamaica is an official Government of Jamaica disaster-relief and recovery platform operating under the Government’s ‘.gov.jm’ domain.

“It was established as the authorised national portal through which Jamaicans, members of the diaspora, international partners, organisations and friends of Jamaica could support national relief and recovery efforts. Additionally, no private company can own, register or hold a government domain,” the agency stated.

The disaster response body said the Support Jamaica technology was initially developed by Amber, a Jamaican company, following Hurricane Beryl in 2024 under a royalty-free licensing agreement.

The ODPEM said after the original donation site had served its purpose, it was decommissioned.

It said Amber repurposed the technology and scaled to support the national response for Hurricane Melissa.

“Amber provided the platform free of charge as a philanthropic contribution to national recovery not as a paid contract and has continued to provide hosting, software maintenance and technical support at its own cost.”

Under the software-as-a-service arrangement, ODPEM said Amber serves as the technology provider, while the Government, through ODPEM, is authorised to use and operate the platform for official national disaster-relief and recovery purposes.

The disaster response agency is now contending that the use of a private technology provider does not alter the Government status of the platform.

“ SupportJamaica.gov.jm is an official Government of Jamaica platform operating under ODPEM’s authority. Donations are deposited into government accounts. Amber has never received, held or controlled funds donated through Support Jamaica,” the agency declared.

ODPEM said following recent parliamentary discussions and a public response that did not fully set out the contractual, technical and financial arrangements, the agency has reviewed the relevant agreements and operational framework and provides clarification for the Jamaican public and international donors.

It said the platform serves only as the digital interface through which donations are initiated. Transactions are processed through ODPEM’s designated financial institution and payment gateway for settlement into official Government of Jamaica accounts, it noted.

ODPEM said Amber’s role as technology developer and hosting provider does not give it access to or control over those accounts.

All donations remain subject to established government financial management, procurement, audit and reporting requirements, it further stated.

Chairman of the ODPEM Board, Trudy Deans, stated: “Support Jamaica is an official Government of Jamaica platform. Amber provided the technology, hosting and technical support during a national emergency, but it did not receive, hold or control donated funds, nor does it own donor information.

editorial@gleanerjm.com