The Big Read: What’s the big deal with data privacy? Thorny, complex issues confront citizens and governments Toggle share menu
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The Big Read: What’s the big deal with data privacy? Thorny, complex issues confront citizens and governments
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The Big Read: What’s the big deal with data privacy? Thorny, complex issues confront citizens and governments
The enormous use of personal data by corporates and governments have become part and parcel of today’s connected society and quality of life, but also risks being misused or falling into the wrong hands. (Illustration: TODAY/Anam Musta’ein)
Young Upstarts
by Andy Prakash, founder of Privacy Ninja
The increasing pervasiveness of online activities have led to a greater demand for interconnectivity. This environment is more apparent in nations such as Singapore where there is extensive internet connectivity and the citizens are digitally knowledgeable. Thanks to the Singapore government’s unrelenting drive for its Smart Nation initiative, both public and private organisations have also been working towards a digitally inclusive and interconnected space.
Recently, for instance, one of the three thrusts included in Singapore’s Cyberspace Masterplan 2020 is geared towards empowering the cyber-savvy population. And only a few days ago, the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) launched a digital signature feature on the SingPass mobile app to provide “greater convenience” for its more than 2.1 million users, enabling them to sign digital documents in less than two minutes.
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Singapore data privacy law updates 2020
In June 2020, the Personal Data Protection Regulations 2014 (“
Regulations”) were revised to recognise the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (“
APEC”) Cross Border Privacy Rules (“
CBPR”) System and, for data processors, the Privacy Recognition for Processors (“
PRP”) System certifications as an additional data transfer mechanism under the PDPA for transferring personal data outside Singapore.
Section 26 of the PDPA restricts an organisation from transferring personal data outside Singapore (“
Transfer Limitation Obligation”), unless at least one of the prescribed safeguards has been put in place to ensure that the data recipient will provide a standard of protection to the transferred personal data that is comparable to the protection under the PDPA. The Regulations further specify the steps that an organisation may take to ensure that the overseas recipient of personal data is bound by legally enforceable obligation