Technology & Data Privacy

In Containing COVID-19 and Complying with the PDPA: Practical Tips

As part of the DORSCON Orange risk assessment, organisations have started implementing precautionary measures to minimise the risk of further transmission of COVID-19, including requiring visitors and employees to fill in health declaration forms to enable ease of contract tracing. When implementing these measures, organisations should be aware that large amounts of personal data may be amassed, and hence should pay particular attention in complying with the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 ("PDPA"). The Personal Data Protection Commission has released an "Advisory on Collection of Personal Data for COVID-19 Contact Tracing" on 13 February 2020 ("Advisory") to provide some guidance in this regard. In this Update, we look at the key aspects of the Advisory and how organisations can ensure compliance with the PDPA.