In our last blog on Smart Cities we shared the statistic that 30 billion different IoT devices will be connected in 2020 and had a look at how personal data can be protected. As I researched this topic, I became more interested in what countries are doing to protect our personal data and this exact topic was covered in the Squared Online Digital Marketing course I am taking at the moment. In this blog, I am going to share an interactive map compiled by DLA Piper that will give you some true insight to the level of personal data protection around the globe today.

First, here an overview of the measures the US, EU, Singapore and Japan are taking to protect our personal data, be that for marketing products or helping modern citizens in smart cities.

US: The United States has no overarching regulatory scheme that oversees the collection, processing and transfer of all personal data. Instead of a national framework for managing personal data, the US is generally regulated by industry sectors. But there are two federal laws – the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTCA), which prevents unfair and deceptive practices,10 and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA), which protects children’s data.

EU: The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force on 25 May 2018 and sets the minimum standards for processing data in the European Union. It empowers individuals to demand that companies reveal or delete the personal data they hold. GDPR affects every company, but in particular those that hold and process large amounts of consumer data.

Singapore: The Personal Data Protection Act 2012 is a regulatory system that comprises various rules governing the collection, use, disclosure and care of personal data. It recognises the rights of individuals to protect their personal data, including rights of access and correction, and the needs of organisations to use personal data for legitimate purposes. The Act applies to organisations “collecting personal data from individuals in Singapore” regardless of whether “the organisation itself has a presence in Singapore.

Japan: The Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI) protects the privacy rights and interests of individuals. It applies to the use of personal information for business and has a broad and open concept of data processing. Japan has also recently established a Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) to act as “a supervisory governmental body on issues of privacy protection.”

OK – I got it! Where is the cool interactive map already? >>> https://www.dlapiperdataprotection.com

Data Protection is now a critical element of successful EU Grant proposals, Impact Ventures that involve personal data, Smart City projects that gather data to optimise services and just about every interesting project happening in the 20’s. We have partners that specialise in Data Protection and Data Security – please reach out for an introduction.

Feedback and Questions
Author: Alex Chalkley, Venturenomix Director. If you require grant writing support, business plan advice or strategy guidance for your impact project, then don’t hesitate to get in touch. We would welcome any feedback from you and would be happy to answer general questions about this blog.

Related Content and Comments
Please share this post with other members of your team or with your wider network. Here are some related articles and videos:

DLA Piper’s Blog “Privacy Matters”
Squared Online Digital Marketing Course 
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