2016

The labor ministry in India aims to rework the draft national policy for domestic workers to streamline the process of hiring and avoid harassment by placement employment agencies. Currently, placement agencies charge a certain proportion of the domestic worker's salary every month, more than the one-time fees they charge from the employer for providing such help. According to the Economic Times, India Times, the labor ministry will soon reveal a policy that would make it mandatory for placement agencies to charge a one-time 15-day salary from the domestic help and in turn provide them with social security cover that includes health coverage.

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.