The Impact of the Personal Data Protection Act on Singaporean Businesses

The Impact of the Personal Data Protection Act on Singaporean Businesses

The Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) is a national data privacy law that governs all collection, use, and disclosure of personal data in Singapore. It was introduced in 2012 and took effect in 2014. The PDPA aims to provide a baseline standard of protection for personal data in Singapore and complements sector-specific legislative and regulatory frameworks, such as the Banking Act and Insurance Act.

The PDPA has had a significant impact on Singaporean businesses since its implementation. One of the most notable impacts has been on the way businesses collect, use, and store personal data. The PDPA requires businesses to obtain consent before collecting, using, or disclosing personal data and to inform individuals about the purposes of such collection, use, or disclosure. This means that businesses must have clear and transparent policies in place regarding personal data, and individuals have greater control over how their data is used.

The PDPA has also impacted the way businesses handle data breaches. Under the PDPA, businesses must report any data breaches that result in or are likely to result in significant harm or impact to affected individuals. This requirement has prompted businesses to strengthen their cybersecurity measures and invest in data protection technologies.

In addition to these impacts, the PDPA has also affected the relationships between businesses and their customers. By requiring businesses to be transparent about their data collection and use practices, the PDPA has helped to build trust between businesses and their customers. This has led to increased customer loyalty and repeat business for many companies.

The PDPA also outlines the liabilities of organisations in Singapore, laying out their obligations in all aspects of managing personal data. Failure to comply with these may result in financial penalties imposed by the PDPC, which range up to $1,000,000. 

The recent case of Eatigo International

In the case of Eatigo International, the organisation was made to pay a financial penalty of S$62,400 for failure to comply with the Protection Obligation of the PDPA. This happened when a legacy database was infiltrated, and the personal data it houses was breached. This affected database contained personal data relating to approximately 2.8 million individuals, encompassing personal data such as passwords, access IDs, and Facebook tokens.

How a DPO can help 

Your appointed DPO can work with you on your PDPA compliance, ensuring that there will be policies in place to make sure that the handling of personal data is PDPA compliant. 

A Data Protection Officer (DPO) oversees data protection responsibilities and ensures that organizations comply with the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). Furthermore, every Organization’s DPO should be able to curb any instances of PDPA noncompliance as it is the officer responsible for maintaining the positive posture of an organization’s cybersecurity.

DPOs complement organizations’ efforts to ensure that the organisation’s methods of collecting personal data comply with the PDPA. It also ensures that policies are set in place to make sure that there will be no instances of data breaches in the future.

Don’t wait any longer to ensure your organisation is PDPA compliant. Take our free 3-minute PDPA Compliance Self-audit checklist now, the same “secret weapon” used by our clients to keep them on track. Upon completion, we will send you the results so you can take the necessary action to protect your customers’ data. Complete the free assessment checklist today and take the first step towards protecting your customers’ personal data.