November

Government agencies engaged in processing personal data are being told to implement stricter rules on data sharing, according to a draft copy of the circular set to be released by the National Privacy Commission (NPC). NPC Deputy Commissioner Ivy D. Patdu said Circular 16-001, dated Sept. 30 is currently being reviewed for release. Circular 16-001, is part of a series of guidelines that NPC is looking to release.

The guidelines are meant to police data privacy rights. The NPC is tasked with implementing the Data Privacy Act, providing necessary protections for sensitive information in both public and private IT systems. NPC said government agencies shall be given a one-year transitory period to comply with the circular. It will take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

Citizens of Singapore can rest easy that their data is safe and secure, as a survey found out that the city-state is the best Asian country for data privacy. According to a report by Artmotion, Singapore garnered a risk score of 1.9%, as a result of the island state 's independent privacy legislation and political stability. Singapore was behind Switzerland, the safest nation for data storage, which received a risk score of 1.6%. The only other Asian nations which are considered secure include Hong Kong (5th), Taiwan (6th), and South Korea. Singapore is also ahead of the United Kingdom and the United States of America which ranked 23rd and 38th respectively, the report noted.

The Belgian Data Protection Authority recently published a 13-step guidance document that will help organizations prepare for the EU General Data Protection Regulation. The steps include awareness, internal records, privacy notice, individuals ' rights, access requests, legal basis, consent, children 's personal data, data breach, data protection by design and data protection impact assessments, data protection officer, international, and existing contracts.