Hello from Hong Kong, where we are in the midst of Privacy Awareness Week!

The theme this year is “Privacy: From Principles to Practice.” The theme was chosen with the aim of raising awareness with respect to the importance of fostering a culture that protects and respects personal data within companies. During the week’s events, the privacy commissioner recognized the business opportunities arising from the use of personal data, but also the challenges that come with such use. The commissioner acknowledged the importance of subject matter experts in Hong Kong and the value they can derive from correctly using personal data, saying that, “With the ever-rising expectations of customers and members of the public with regard to protection of their personal data, SMEs should proactively protect personal data privacy to gain customers’ trust, so as to enhance their corporate reputation, competitive advantage and potential business opportunities.” He also shone a light on the privacy commissioner for personal data’s new dedicated hotline, designed to assist SMEs in enhancing personal data protection and “providing convenient and effective channels for the SMEs to raise their related enquires on compliance with the provisions of the PDPO.”

Elsewhere in the region, the National Privacy Commission in the Philippines ordered fast-food giant Jollibee Foods Corp. to temporarily suspend its online delivery service following reports of a data breach in December 2017. This suspension is in place until the company can prove that it has rectified the vulnerabilities on the site. And moving toward the south of the APAC region, New Zealand is a hive of activity in the data privacy space, with more than half of Kiwis reportedly more worried about online privacy than they were two years ago. It’s excellent to see that privacy awareness is on the up, regardless of where in the world you are.

Happy reading!
Anna