Singapore will galvanise its Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) with a new data sharing requirement. The news was unveiled at the World Mobile Congress 2019, which took place at the end of February in Barcelona.
Drawing inspiration and guidance from the EU’s GDPR, the PDPA was formulated in 2012 and came into being two years later. It was created to bring more governance over ways in which Singapore-based companies collect, store, use and disclose data.
Referred to as ‘data portability’, the new data sharing requirement will help consumers in Singapore to change between service providers without risk of losing purchase histories and other related transactional information records.
The amendment will also enable consumers to transfer their data between service providers across different industries.
For instance, if personal data such as weight and height is stored in an individual’s smart device, then the manufacturer of the device will be able to move that information to an insurance company.
The insurance company would then be able to create more effective policies, based on this bespoke data, thus providing a more attractive package to consumers.
A report on data portability has been put together to offer further insight into the strengths it offers within a ‘smart nation’ and a digital economy. Discussions are now underway to determine the best pathways to implementation of such a culture.
The report will look explore the ways in which data portability can drive business innovation and increase competition while restoring more power back into consumers’ hands regarding how their data is used. The paper will also construct a framework for data originators, data recipients and consumers to ensure that data portability is better understood.
Singapore’s Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran, said:
“Data is a key enabler of digital transformation, but a delicate balance must be struck between data protection and business innovation,” said S Iswaran, the minister for communications and information.
“Today, Singapore is issuing a discussion paper on data portability, which sets out our thoughts through the lens of personal data protection, competition and data flow to support services and innovation in the digital economy.
“We hope more can join us in this international discourse and work together to build a trusted global environment for business innovation.”
European Data Protection Summit will take place on June 3rd in Central London and will play host to 800 DPO’s, Security Professionals and senior business decision makers looking for; information, updates, clarity, advice and solutions.
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