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.
The Singapore High Court refused a consumer’s attempt to re-file a failed claim after the lower court issued a final and unappealable decision. The consumer first brought a claim against e-commerce platform Lazada at the Small Claims Tribunal. After a decision was made, the consumer applied to the District Court for leave to appeal against the decision. The District Court refused to grant leave to appeal, which, under law, is considered as final. However, the consumer still brought a claim before the High Court, arguing that she was filing a fresh claim in respect of the damages that were not granted. The claim was refused.
On 15 July 2021, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) fined Riway (Singapore) Pte Ltd SGD 3,000 for making false claims that its health supplement product, Purtier Placenta, is able to treat diseases and conditions such as cancer and diabetes.
On 19 July 2021, the Medical Devices Branch (MDB) of the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) published its draft “Regulatory Guidelines on Risk Classification of Standalone Medical Mobile Applications (SaMD) and Qualification of Clinical Decision Support Software (CDSS)” for comments.
The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) has launched a set of Data Ethics Principles to guide the pharmaceutical industry on best practices for using data responsibly and sustainably.
On 8 June 2021, the National Environmental Agency (NEA) announced that it would be increasing the Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) of four targeted types of household appliances. The increased MEPS levels take effect from 1 January 2022.
The Singapore Health Sciences Authority is trialing an e-commerce surveillance tool to crack down on contraband products sold online, including illegal drugs, health products and cosmetics. The bot uses robotic process automation and artificial intelligence to trawl through online listings. It analyses information from the listings, including pictures, descriptions and profiles, to identify illegal products and listings that contain illegal or dangerous ingredients.
On 8 June 2021, the National Environmental Agency (NEA) announced that it would be increasing the Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) of four targeted types of household appliances. The increased MEPS levels take effect from 1 January 2022.