SINGAPORE Trends and Developments Contributed by: Chong Kin Lim, David N. Alfred and Anastasia Chen, Drew & Napier LLC
Drew & Napier LLC 10 Collyer Quay 10th Floor Ocean Financial Centre
Singapore 049315 Tel: +65 6531 4110 Fax: +65 6535 4864
Email: mail@drewnapier.com Web: www.drewnapier.com
Introduction Businesses in Singapore are increasingly confronted with the challenge of staying compliant and secure with data protection regulations, in the face of rapid adoption of digital services, increased data sharing, and AI risks. That said, the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) remains cognisant and respon - sive, refining, administering and enforcing Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) in ways that sup - port and balance accountability and innovation. This chapter of the guide unpacks the following topics which have recently taken on increasing relevance: • cross-border data transfers; • protection of data in the context of AI deployment; • phasing out of National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) numbers for authentication; • amendments to the Public Sector (Governance) Act (PSGA); and • local enforcement trends. Cross-Border Data Transfers Cross-border data transfers remain central to Singa - pore’s digital economy, supporting e-commerce and other digitally enabled functions such as data analyt - ics and AI deployment. As organisations increasingly rely on global technology vendors and distributed data infrastructures, compliance with cross-border transfer rules continues to be both an operational necessity and a strategic consideration. Cross-border data transfers are governed by Section 26 of the PDPA, which provides that organisations must ensure that any overseas recipient provides a
standard of protection to the transferred personal data that is at least comparable to the PDPA. In practice, this is typically achieved through contractual safe - guards. EU-Singapore Digital Trade Agreement (EUSDTA) A recent development in this area is the entry into force of the EUSDTA on 1 February 2026. As a key digital trade partner of the European Union, Singa - pore’s entry into the EUSDTA reflects both parties’ commitment to open, rules-based digital trade, while upholding strong protections for personal data and privacy in cross-border digital transactions. The EUSDTA introduces binding commitments designed to facilitate cross-border digital transactions and reduce regulatory uncertainty. These include pro - visions to: • strengthen online consumer protection; • protect personal data and privacy; • promote paperless trade; • recognise electronic signatures and contracts; and • prohibit unjustified data localisation requirements or forced transfers of source code. The EUSDTA is particularly relevant for businesses operating between Singapore and the EU that rely on cloud-based platforms, cross-border analytics or regional technology providers. While the EUSDTA does not replace domestic data protection obliga - tions, it signals a continued policy direction towards enabling trusted data flows through interoperable digital trade rules.
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