On 11 October 2021, the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCCS) issued a press release announcing that it had successfully obtained a Court order against a sole proprietor trading under the business name “Fire Safety & Prevention (SG)” for engaging in a series of unfair trade practices.
On 26 November 2021, the Consumers Association of Singapore launched the Standard Dispute Management Framework for E-marketplaces (“Framework”). The Framework serves as a guide for E-marketplaces on how to resolve consumer disputes speedily and fairly, and which would give greater assurance to consumers when they shop online.
On 25 November 2021, the United Nations announced that all 193 member states of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, including Singapore, adopted a first-of-its-kind global agreement on the ethics of artificial intelligence. The agreement focuses on the broader ethical implications of AI systems in relation to education, science, culture, communication and information; and articulates common values and principles to assist in the creation of legal infrastructure for the healthy development of AI.
On 9 December 2021, Singapore and the UK substantially concluded negotiations on the UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (UKSDEA). The UKSDEA covers key areas of the digital economy, such as data, artificial intelligence, fintech, digital identities and legal technology.
On 8 November 2021, the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO) announced the launch of two national artificial intelligence (AI) programmes for the government and financial sectors.
On 17 November 2021, the Health Sciences Authority issued an advisory against certain misleading claims circulating online regarding the ability of Lianhua Qingwen products to prevent or treat COVID-19.
The ASEAN Model Contractual Clauses are contractual terms and conditions that may be voluntarily adopted by companies as a legal basis for the cross-border transfer of data. The ASEAN MCCs are primarily designed for transfers of personal data between ASEAN nations, but can also be adapted with appropriate modifications for data transfers between businesses within Singapore or transfers to countries outside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
With effect from 1 September 2019, organizations are generally not allowed to collect, use or disclose National Registration Identity Card numbers and copies of NRIC and other national identification numbers, except in certain specified circumstances. Notwithstanding clear guidance documents issued by the Personal Data Protection Commission, it appears that some organizations continue to collect, use or disclose such national identification numbers in breach of the Personal Data Protection Act.
This data privacy update addresses the amendments to the Personal Data Protection Act, the changes to the Spam Control Act, the publication of the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore’s report on the Singapore Cyber Landscape in 2020, and the proposed new licensing framework for cybersecurity service providers.
On 1 September 2021, the Health Sciences Authority published an advisory warning stakeholders of a new suite of cybersecurity vulnerabilities, known as “BrakTooth”, affecting medical devices that utilize certain Bluetooth Link Manager Protocols.