Data Protection Challenges in Asia-Pacific

Summary

In the last few years many jurisdictions in Asia-Pacific have gone from having little in the area of data protection, to having now strict data protection regimes. Some include GDPR-like provisions, such as Japan’s amendments to the Act on the Protection of Personal Information or the China’s Personal Information Protection Law. As more detailed and sanctionable data protection laws develop in the region, there is an increase in the risk associated with collecting, storing and processing data. Due to globalization, digitalization and growing complexity of products and services, compliance can be difficult especially with case law which is not easily translated into clear action points. Companies and employers should be conscious of the fast-evolving global and local data protection laws and the legal consequences.