Data Privacy in Local Government Units: A Moor’s Theory of Privacy Approach

Abstract

This study investigates the awareness and implementation of the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (RA 10173) among Local Government Unit (LGU) employees through the lens of James Moor’s Comprehensive Theory of Privacy. Using a quantitative, descriptive-correlational design, 78 randomly selected LGU personnel were surveyed to assess their level of awareness, extent of implementation, and associations with demographic factors, including sex, educational attainment, and employment status. Results indicate that employees demonstrate high awareness, while implementation is largely applied, with no significant differences across demographic groups. This suggests that organizational culture, institutional policies, and shared ethical responsibility exert a greater influence on privacy practices than individual characteristics. A strong positive relationship between awareness and implementation highlights knowledge as a moral and practical foundation for ethical data handling. The study underscores Moor’s Restricted Access/Limited Control (RALC) framework, emphasizing that privacy is context-dependent, ethically grounded, and institutionally mediated. Recommendations include continuous training, clearly articulated privacy policies, monitoring mechanisms, and fostering a culture of ethical accountability to enhance data privacy compliance in LGUs.