Penalty for privacy issues goes up

SINGAPORE: The acceptable boundaries of privacy have shifted over recent generations; what individuals once considered very personal and sensitive information, they now share across social media sites without a second thought, and many organizations have built their fortunes on the value they unleash from this data.

But worldwide, as companies have prioritized data collection above data privacy, legislators have had to step in with an increasing collection of regulations to protect their constituents' information, as a new report shares.

Across Asia, data privacy laws are fragmented, and the regulatory environment is different for each jurisdiction. A new Forrester Research report "What you must know about Data Privacy Regulations in Asia Pacific" by Masami Kashiwagi, highlights key data privacy regulations from across the Asia Pacific region.

Key findings from the report show that data privacy laws and fines are expanding in Asia Pacific. A number of member countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are enacting privacy laws, while Australia/New Zealand (ANZ) and Hong Kong legislations are in the amendment phase with a focus on increasing penalties. It adds that S&R Pros must understand local regulatory rules to become globally compliant. "You must work with your legal teams and chief privacy officer to understand the diverse and constantly changing requirements around data breach notification, encryption, and cross-border transfer that differ by country."

This report includes Australia, India, China and ASEAN data.