Singapore Welcomes Establishment Of The Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules (CBPR) Forum

SINGAPORE, 21 APRIL 2022: Singapore welcomes the establishment of the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules (CPBR) Forum and the invitation to join as a founding member.

Internet traffic continues to grow strongly as more activities take place digitally1, underpinned by the movement of data across borders. With the rise of digital activities and data movement across borders, Singapore has put in place various data protection measures such as the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) to safeguard individuals' personal data. The Global CBPR Forum will enable trusted and secure data flows, help businesses reach wider markets and gain tangible benefits from digital trade, facilitate research and innovation to complement Singapore's efforts in this area, and enable businesses to comply with data privacy regulations.

This was also why Singapore² joined the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CBPR and Privacy Recognition for Processors (PRP) Systems (the APEC Systems)³, formed in 2011 to establish a harmonised data protection standard across the Asia-Pacific to facilitate data transfers among organisations in participating APEC economies.

The Global CBPR Forum will build on the APEC Systems and enhance interoperability between different data protection and privacy frameworks in Singapore. It will enable certified organisations to transfer data seamlessly across borders to more economies, including non-APEC jurisdictions while applying the same high standards of data protection and privacy as the APEC Systems.

Singapore will continue to work with all partners in both the APEC Systems and the Global CBPR Forum. As Singapore’s Accountability Agent, IMDA will continue to work closely with our certified organisations to onboard them to the Global CBPR Forum.

Footnotes:

¹ Cross-border data flows enables the growth of the Digital Economy. According to World Bank’s World Development Report 2021, the yearly total internet traffic is projected to increase by about 50 percent from 2020 levels by 2022, where personal data are expected to represent a significant share of the total volume of data being transferred across borders. The COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated digitalisation trends, further amplified the importance cross-border movement of data to support the growth of digital services, e-commerce, and online activities.

² Singapore joined the APEC CPBR System in 2018. The APEC Systems are voluntary, enforceable, and accountability-based certifications formed in 2011.

³ The CBPR System applies to organisations that control the the collection, holding, processing, or use of personal data (data controllers), while the PRP System is designed for organisations who process data on behalf of client organisations (data processors or intermediaries).

Resources:

Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules Declaration  (161.46KB) 

ISSUED BY THE INFOCOMM MEDIA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (IMDA)

About Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)

The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) leads Singapore’s digital transformation by developing a vibrant digital economy and an inclusive digital society. As Architects of Singapore’s Digital Future, we foster growth in Infocomm Technology and Media sectors in concert with progressive regulations, harnessing frontier technologies, and developing local talent and digital infrastructure ecosystems to establish Singapore as a digital metropolis.

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Email: tan_yan_fang@imda.gov.sg