Never Disclose a Student’s Grade to Another

Abstract

Having worked in medical schools at different locations the differences in attitudes toward privacy in different locations and countries has drawn my attention. People in Asian countries are generally not averse to sharing personal information. In India, many personal details of medical school faculty members are shared on the National Medical Commission website. I have been discussing this with my colleagues and acquaintances and the question most ask regarding sharing is ‘Will I face any negative consequences if I share this information?’ while in the west the question asked will be ‘Why should I share this information?’ The recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted these differences. Many Asian societies were more accepting of surveillance, registration using an app, and other measures to reduce disease transmission than western democracies. Many national identifications systems in Asia require the submission of biometric data by respondents and this has not resulted in widespread protests.