The Singapore Association of Pharmaceutical Industries Code of Conduct was amended to provide clearer guidelines on the offering of educational materials and items of medical utility to Healthcare Professionals, and the initiation of donations to charitable organisations or institutions.
Singapore authorities are looking to address the recent spate of SMS-phishing scams targeting digital bank users through a variety of measures. The multi-stake holder approach involves government entities with responsibilities for the financial, telecommunications and home affairs sectors, as well as industry groups such as the Association of Banks in Singapore.
On 10 January 2022, the Singapore Ministry of Communications and Information responded to a parliamentary question on measures that ensure companies in Singapore engage third- and fourth-party IT vendors that are licensed and certified by the MCI. The Singapore government has put in place trustmark certifications to help companies better identify IT vendors with strong data and cyber security practices to minimise the risk of data breaches and leaks. Further cybersecurity trustmarks are under development by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore.
On 10 January 2022, the Singapore Ministry of Communications and Information responded to a parliamentary question relating to the number of cases of unauthorised sales of consumers’ personal data that have been investigated over the last five years, and how many of those cases were successfully prosecuted by the Personal Data Protection Commission.
On 17 December 2021, the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority launched its public consultation on its proposed legislative amendments to the Companies Act, Accountants Act, ACRA Act, Business Names Registration Act, Limited Liability Partnerships Act, Limited Partnerships Act and Variable Capital Companies Act 2018, relating to data, digitalisation, and corporate transparency within Singapore’s business environment. The proposed changes, if enacted, would reduce the amount of data that must be filed with ACRA and limit the personal data that is made available publicly.
On 30 December 2021, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) announced that it had detected potent adulterants in five products that were marketed on local e-commerce and social media platforms. The HSA has since removed the affected listing and issued warnings to sellers of said products.
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.