ABS seeks feedback on responsibilities of banks under PDPA

THE Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) released on Wednesday the Code of Banking Practices, which aims to outline the responsibilities of banks under the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) and its regulations.

Under the PDPA - which recognises the rights of individuals to protect their personal data - individuals can register their Singapore telephone numbers to opt out of receiving marketing phone calls, mobile text messages such as SMS or MMS, and faxes from organisations under the Do-Not-Call Registry, which became effective on Jan 2, 2014. It operates in conjunction with the Data Protection provisions, which took effect on July 2, 2014.

ABS director Ong-Ang Ai Boon said individuals who provide their personal data to banks should be assured that their information will be collected, used and disclosed in accordance with the high standards set by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC).

"We hope that this Code will foster a better understanding of what you as an individual can reasonably expect from your bank concerning your personal data,'' she said.

The Code is available on ABS' website at (http://www.abs.org.sg/pdfs/Publications/ABS-Code-Banking-Practices-PDPA.pdf). Members of the public who wish to provide feedback may email their comments to banks@abs.org.sg by Aug 7, 2015.