Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

In case you missed it, below are recent posts from Privacy World covering the latest developments on data privacy, security and innovation. Please reach out to the authors if you are interested in additional information.Continue Reading Privacy World Week in Review

Malaysia’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) was enacted in 2010 and came into force in November 2013, making Malaysia the first country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to enact comprehensive privacy legislation.

On July 31, 2024, the Personal Data Protection (Amendment) Bill 2024 (PDP Bill) was passed by the Dewan Negara (Malaysia’s Senate). It is expected to receive royal assent and thereafter come into force on a date to be appointed by the Minister of Digital by notification in the Gazette.

The PDP Bill introduces significant amendments to the PDPA, including specific definitions, new obligations on data controllers and stricter penalties for non-compliance. These amendments align the PDPA with internationally recognised standards, positioning Malaysia alongside its regional peers in Asia-Pacific, including Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

According to Malaysia’s Digital Minister, Gobind Singh Deo, these changes are driven by rapid technological advancements that necessitate society’s reliance on digital platforms for business, coupled with an expectation of protection. His comments come in response to a recent rise in complaints regarding the misuse and breach of personal data, an increase in personal data breaches, and a growing number of online fraud cases.

We outline below key changes brought about by the PDP Bill and its impact on businesses:Continue Reading Malaysia Pushes Out Groundbreaking Amendment to Personal Data Protection Act – Impact on Businesses

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has issued a practical guide[1] for AI design, development and deployment by organizations, as well as for policy formulation by governments in the region. The guide focuses on “traditional AI technologies” that exclude generative AI.Continue Reading ASEAN Publishes Multipurpose AI Governance Guide

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU) have rolled out their completed joint guide on the ASEAN model contractual clauses (MCCs) and EU standard contractual clauses (SCCs).[1]

This is the second half of a two-part guide, with this latter segment focusing on implementation aspects of the MCCs and SCCs.

Our global data team has prepared a practical guide that compares three standard contracts, as a means of facilitating international data transfers, namely:

  • The EU’s standard contractual clauses (effective since June 2021)
  • The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) standard contract (issued in March 2023)
  • The Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) model contractual clauses (published in January 2021).

Continue Reading A Guide Comparing EU, China, ASEAN Standard Contracts for Data Transfers

The European Commission and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have published a first-of-its-kind guide[1] that identifies the similarities and differences between the ASEAN model contractual clauses (ASEAN MCCs) and the EU standard contractual clauses (EU SCCs).

A second guide will be issued in due course, which will provide best practices for meeting