Personal data protection bill nearing Parliament take-up

It could be filed as early as 3Q and once passed businesses will have to comply with stricter consumer data laws.

Under the proposed Data Protection Law, organizations except those in the public sector, will need to observe more stringent rules on collecting, analyzing and passing on personal data obtained from customers.

Fines are currently set for of up to $1 million for the most serious violations.

While the full implementing rules are still being finalized in the current public consultation phase, the spearheading Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts (MICA) said that it intends to introduce the Bill to Parliament by the third quarter of 2012.

It will be known as the Personal Data Protection Act or PDPA after it is passed.

"After the Bill is passed, a sunrise period of 18 months, during which the PDPA is enacted but will not come into force, will be provided to allow organisations sufficient time to put in place the necessary measures to comply with the Act," said MICA.

"The proposed introduction of a data protection regime in Singapore seeks to create a balance between the need to protect individuals’ personal data against organisations’ need to obtain and process such data for legitimate and reasonable purposes. It seeks to protect the interests of consumers and deliver economic benefits for Singapore," it explained.

"The proposed DP regime seeks to safeguard individuals’ personal data against misuse, at a time when such data has become increasingly valuable for businesses and more easily collected and processed with infocomm technology. The development of a general DP regime will put Singapore on par with other advanced economies that have introduced DP laws. This will strengthen and entrench Singapore’s position as a trusted hub for businesses, a key national economic strategy for Singapore," it added.

Another round of public feedback for the Bill will be held from March 19 to April 30, 2012.