As you step into the digital labyrinth of data protection, imagine for a moment that you, as an in-house counsel, are the guardian of secrets in a high-tech fortress, entrusted with the task of defending the treasure trove of personal information from the relentless onslaught of data marauders!  

As digitisation and cyber threats rise, countries in Southeast Asia have enacted laws to protect personal data and prevent cyber-attacks. But with varying requirements across jurisdictions, the compliance burden for companies has only increased, and in-house counsel play a critical role in ensuring compliance with these laws by providing guidance on legal requirements and best practices. 

Japan’s data protection law, the Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI), might be nearly 20 years old now, but its most recent amendments came into effect in April this year. Lawyers discuss how their clients are keeping up with the latest spate of changes.

India’s new data protection law has been months in the making. The Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 was tabled in parliament by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in December that year; since then it is being analysed by a Joint Parliamentary Committee in consultation with experts and stakeholders. Key aspects to the bill include sweeping mechanisms for protection of personal data, setting up a Data Protection Authority of India (DPA), a provision that the central government can exempt any government agency from the bill, and the “Right to Be Forgotten.” Since it was tabled, reaction has been mixed: There is the acknowledgement that India does need to fortify its data protection laws, coupled with the anxiety that the bill could be a serious threat to Indians' privacy. You can play a really cool card game to understand the bill better, and do also read this recent piece about the “arduous task” that lies ahead of the proposed DPA.

Hill Dickinson has hired insurance, shipping and competition law specialist Caroline Thomas as a partner in Hong Kong from Holman Fenwick Willan.