Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act to enter into force in July 2014

Singapore's Minister for Communications and Information, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, has announced that the personal data protection requirements of the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA) will enter into force on 2 July 2014.

The Do Not Call Registry, or DNC Registry will enter into force on 2 January 2014. The scheme means that organisations will have to weed their telemarketing lists against the DNC registry, which will consist of three separate registers: No Voice Call, No Text Messages, and No Fax Messages. There is currently a public consultation until 5 June 2013 about the operational aspects of the DNC.

The Personal Data Protection Commission, established earlier this year but launched officially on 15 May, will organise training events and seminars to educate companies about the new requirements. Leong Keng Thai, Chairman of PDPC said: "The Commission recognises that organisations need to collect and use data for legitimate purposes and to better serve their customers. We also understand the challenges some organisations may face in preparing to comply with the PDPA. I want to assure you that the Commission is committed to working with the industry to address the opportunities and challenges that arise with the implementation of personal data protection."

More information about training in Singapore can be found here.

Privacy Laws & Business 26th Annual International Conference (Bridging
Privacy Cultures) in Cambridge, UK, 1-3 July 2013, will include a session on Singapore on Monday, 1st July. The speaker will be Angela Xu, Policy Manager at Singapore's PDPC.

PL&B is also organising an Asia Roundtable in London on 1st October,
covering 11 Asian countries and hosted by Pinsent Masons. This event
will be led by Professor Graham Greenleaf, PL&B's Asia-Pacific Editor, and will have as a speaker Ms. Koh Li-Na, Commission Member of Singapore's Personal Data Protection Commission, and Director (Policy). The countries Professor Greenleaf plans to cover are: China (PRC), Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.