NTUC Assistant Secretaries-General Patrick Tay, Melvin Yong and Desmond Choo have spoken in support of the Personal Data Protection (Amendment) Bill in Parliament on 2 November 2020.
They have also, however, expressed concerns over the timing of the amendments, especially during this current period of economic uncertainty.
Communications and Information Minister S Iswaran said the amendment to the law aims to strengthen consumers’ trust through organisational accountability; ensure effective enforcement of personal data; enhance consumer autonomy; and support data use for innovation.
The Bill to amend the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) was first tabled in Parliament on 5 October 2020.
He said: “The proposed amendments to the PDPA are another step to ensure our legislative and regulatory regime is fit for purpose for a digital economy with a complex data landscape.
“Our digital economy must be built on a solid foundation of trust, and consumers must have the confidence that their personal data will be secured and used responsibly, even as they benefit from digital opportunities and data services.”
LMPs Expressed Concerns
Mr Tay shared that these amendments may cause businesses to consume more resources to change their organisation’s policies, systems and processes, especially when the world prepares for recession.
Mr Yong echoed Mr Tay’s sentiments.
He urged the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) to consider providing some form of assistance to help alleviate companies’ financial burden after the Bill is made law.
Mr Choo suggested that the Government work with unions and trade associations to devise support platforms to help smaller businesses comply with the new regulations.
NTUC LearningHub currently conducts data-protection related courses, and that they could probably expand the scope of courses to complement the amendments made to the Act, added Mr Choo.
Seizing Opportunities in a Data-Driven Economy
However, Mr Tay also said that the proposed amendments are timely, given that e-commerce and tech companies are looking to expand or invest in Singapore.
“There is no better time than the present, to refine our data protection regulations as we continue in our race to lead in a data-driven economy. We must recognise and seize these opportunities; to ride the tech wave,” said Mr Tay, who is also a member of the Data Protection Advisory Committee of the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC).
He added that the creation of job opportunities and the sharpening of Singapore’s innovation capability could be advantageous to workers, especially in this current economic climate.
Personal Data Protection Essential
Expressing his support for the Bill, Mr Choo said that personal data protection is essential for an increasingly data-driven economy to function effectively.
“Without adequate safeguards regulating the usage and protection of data, consumers’ confidence can be eroded, making it difficult for legitimate companies and entities to operate optimally,” he said.
Importance of Personal Data Literacy
While on the topic of personal data, Mr Yong took the opportunity to point out that individuals too have a part to play in ensuring that their data is safeguarded.
He said: “Consumers need to be personal-data-literate and understand what they are consenting to when they tick off the checkboxes under a company’s user agreement … We, therefore, need to educate consumers about personal data literacy, even as the PDPC works to ensure that businesses safeguard data responsibly.”
He urged the PDPC to publish guidelines on how companies should highlight their key user agreement terms and conditions in an upfront and straightforward manner so that it would be apparent to consumers on the categories of personal data that will be collected.
