The Asia Data Privacy Team were privileged to attend the IAPP Asia 2025 Privacy Forum and AI Governance Global event. Alongside friends and colleagues – and against the beautiful backdrop of the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Conference Centre – we developed our knowledge on the latest regional developments across privacy and AI. The key theme coming out of the event is that AI is here to stay – and developing a compliance approach, including one which is based off any existing privacy program, is critical to effective and trustworthy use of any technology (including AI). All sessions at the IAPP were invaluable, but we particularly enjoyed the opening session from Denise Wong, Deputy Commissioner of Singapore’s PDPC, and her overview of the Commission’s pragmatic approach to privacy, including the recent launch of a Global AI Assurance Sandbox and adoption guide for Privacy Enhancing Technologies. We appreciated the deep insights taken from presentations on children’s privacy (moderated by Claire Tan Chu Wen at Lenovo) and AI cybersecurity (with excellent input from Jun Chu at Google and Hailun Ying at Roblox in particular). We would be remiss not to mention the wonderful session on South Korea’s new AI law and global AI implementation moderated by our APAC Head of Data Privacy, Scott Warren, in conversation with Sun Hee Kim from Yulchon – participants came away with a clear understanding of how to comply with South Korea’s fascinating new regulations and to implement AI in a global setting.

The team was also delighted to host a sunset drinks event on Thursday night for over 60 key clients across the Asia Pacific Region at our beautiful Singapore office. The following day, we held a seminar tailored for other esteemed clients across the Asia Pacific region. The seminar, organized with the assistance of Julia Yeo, brought together a dynamic group of General Counsels, Chief Privacy Officers, and data protection professionals from leading global organizations. The objective was to share regional insights and provide practical takeaways to address evolving challenges in the data privacy and AI space for both legal and operational teams. Throughout, the participants were engaged in thoughtful conversations on the increasingly complex data privacy and AI landscape in the Asia-Pacific region.

Tanvi Mehta Krensel, our new partner based out of Sydney, provided an in-depth look at the upcoming reforms to Australia’s privacy framework. Her discussion included an overview of the new powers granted to the Privacy Commissioner in respect of breaches of the Privacy Act, which is likely to dramatically change the enforcement landscape. She also covered recent substantive changes to the privacy law, including the upcoming Children’s Online Privacy Code, enhanced transparency requirements (especially around automated decision making and cross-border transfers) and a renewed regulatory focus on how personal information is collected, all of which are expected to significantly influence how companies operate in Australia. Bindu Janardhanan followed with a presentation on India’s much awaited newly enacted Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act. Finally, Scott Warren closed off the seminar with a detailed briefing on recent data privacy and AI regulatory developments in Japan, the US, China and the EU. He also explored the rapidly a method of assessing the risks and implementing AI within your organization. The seminar concluded with a lively Q&A session and networking opportunity, where clients exchanged experiences and explored strategies to stay ahead of regulatory expectations.

The event was warmly received, with participants appreciating the opportunity to connect in person, gain timely updates, and hear directly from subject matter experts. We are grateful for the robust engagement and look forward to continuing the conversation with our clients as the regulatory landscape continues to evolve.

Should you have any questions or wish to discuss any of the topics covered in greater detail, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Scott Warren, Tanvi Mehta Krensel or Bindu Janardhanan.

Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this article is accurate, neither its authors nor Squire Patton Boggs accepts responsibility for any errors or omissions. The content of this article is for general information only and is not intended to constitute or be relied upon as legal advice.