If adopted efficiently, the PCPD’s Ethical Accountability Framework should help organizations to demonstrate and enhance trust with individuals.
In October, 2018, Hong Kong’s Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) presented the findings of an inquiry into the ethics of data processing, commissioned by the PCPD with the help of the Information Accountability Foundation (IAF). The result of the inquiry, published as the Ethical Accountability Framework, provides an “instruction manual” for processing data in an ethical and accountable manner.
Following on the heels of the PCPD’s report, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) issued a Circular titled Use of Personal Data in Fintech Development, encouraging authorized institutions (AIs) to adopt the PCPD’s Ethical Accountability Framework. Continue Reading
Following a 
On 4 July 2019, one day after the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) published 
The UK government has released a consultation advocating the introduction of sweeping new requirements for service providers to share both consumer data (upon request) and data regarding their own products and services, with third parties. The proposals, released on 11 June 2019 by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in its Smart Data report and consultation, are indicative of a wider drive toward requiring companies to free up access to the data they hold. The drivers behind this include a desire to increase competition, foster the growth of data-driven services, and improve consumer choice.
The UK’s data protection supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), published guidance on 3 July 2019 to provide greater clarity to organisations grappling with how the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies to cookies and similar technologies. The new guidance makes it clear that under the GDPR, consents cannot be the default or blind setting, and consents cannot be bundled, as had been the common “wait and see” practice among many online businesses and sites. Organisations subject to the ICO jurisdiction will want to pay immediate attention to this guidance, including some helpful, pragmatic tips.
On 8 July 2019, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) announced a notice of intent to fine British Airways £183.39 million (about US$230 million) for violating the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The proposed fine is the largest to date under the GDPR, and equals 1.5% of British Airways’ 2017 global turnover, according to the 
On 6 February 2019, the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in conjunction with the UAE Minister of Health and Prevention (the Minister) issued a new law on the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in health fields in the UAE. Federal Law No. 2 of 2019 (the Law) entered into effect in May 2019 and will likely affect the activities of a number of entities operating in the healthcare sector in the UAE, including healthcare service providers, life sciences companies, cloud service providers, healthcare IT systems suppliers, and medical insurance providers. 
On May 1, 2019, the Russian President signed draft law No. 608767-7, commonly referred to as the Russian Internet Law, or “RuNet Law” (Federal Law No. 90-FZ “On Amending Federal Law ‘On Communications’ and Federal Law ‘On Information, Information Technology and Information Protection’”). The majority of RuNet Law amendments will come into effect on November 1, 2019.
The ICO is required by s123 of the Data Protection Act 2018 to prepare a code of practice which contains guidance on standards of age-appropriate design of relevant information society services likely to be accessed by children. On 15 April, the ICO published a draft code of practice on age-appropriate design for online services (the Code). A copy of the Code can be found 