Hong Kong and Singapore strengthen ties in personal data protection

The two nations will do joint research projects and cross-share experiences and best practices.

Hong Kong’s and Singapore’s data protection authorities signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to engage in collaborations involving personal data protection in the two jurisdictions, an announcement revealed.

Under the MOU, the Hong Kong SAR’s Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) and Singapore’s Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PDPC) will initiate in the cross-sharing of experiences, exchange of best practices, joint research projects and information exchange involving potential or ongoing data breach investigations.

The deal was the outcome of an initial discussion between the two authorities in September 2018, to explore opportunities to strengthen the partnership and develop bilateral platforms for the advancement of personal data protection.

Both Hong Kong and Singapore will also release a “Guide to Data Protection by Design” (DPbD) for ICT Systems, which aims to assist organisations in applying DPbD principles through practical guidance for all phases of software development and good data protection practices for ICT systems.