P7: Privacy Of Personal Information

PRIVACY OF PERSONAL INFORMATION 03.06.2009 Siti Nuraisyah Razali Constance Kang Sherilyn Nicole Soh Janine Lee Salmiahyus Yussof Michelle Too

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INTRODUCTION The topic: Privacy of personal information The following presentation is based on the report from NIAC and plotted out according to research on some current measures the government has taken to safeguard personal information in Singapore

THE NEED FOR SINGAPORE TO BOOST PROTECTION It is an international trend To prevent identity theft and other mischief To match the advancement of the technology (cyberspace) To boost consumer confidence

To attract investors To work towards Singapore’s goal of being the info-communication hub of a fully networked world To impose discipline over technology practitioners who are yet to be regulated by any code of ethical behaviour

THE IMPORTANCE OF DATA PROTECTION Consumer Confidence: It is crucial to ensure that there is a certain level of data protection so that it would not hamper growth of e-commerce. Consumer confidence in e-commerce market depends largely on data protection Harmonised regime: It is easier to have a set of rules to follow than a diversified codes and practices. This will translate to a lower operational cost since there is only a set of common requirements for global business to follow

CON’T Although not an EU nation, EU Directive prohibits transfer of personal data to countries which do not guarantee protection of such data Thus causing a barrier for flowing of information from EU countries to Singapore (Already happened to our neighboring countries) • EU is the 3rd largest export market in Singapore

CURRENT/ARISING PROBLEMS Data protection law is not comprehensive enough The regulation of data protection approach is too traditional and lacks uniformity No focus on protection for the private sector Singapore does not take into consideration issues such as rights to access and correction, accuracy and data security

POSSIBLE CONSQUENCES Loss of reputation for local businesses as responsible corporate citizens because an information privacy scandal can be more costly Future enactment of data protection laws in Singapore would be impeded Modern technologies present ample opportunities for rumour-mongers to generate high level of paranoia, hence undermining investments Inconsistent data protection regimes makes monitoring and auditing by relevant authorities difficult and confusing amongst consumers

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS Desirable to have effective data protection in Singapore’s private sectors The data protection regime could follow the guidelines of international standard Voluntary data protection guidelines should be given official recognition Access and correction rights for the data protection regime should not be limited to Singapore residents Certain type of data or data processing may be exempted from the application of some or all the data protection rules

CONCLUSION Loan sharks will no longer be able to publicize the details of debtor. Doing so would be considered an illegal act This signifies that personal information will be strongly protected Foster awareness that there are data protection laws in place for the general public

THANK YOU.