Data Protection Trustmark elevated to Singapore Standard
Organisations will have clearer data protection requirements around critical areas such as third-party management and overseas transfers, says IMDA
[SINGAPORE] Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo announced the elevation of the Data Protection Trustmark (DPTM) to the Singapore Standard 714 at the opening of the Personal Data Protection Week on Monday (Jul 7).
This means that organisations will have clearer data protection requirements around critical areas such as third-party management and overseas transfers, said the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in a press statement.
The move also helps certified organisations to demonstrate their commitment to effective data protection, the government body added.
With a more developed data protection ecosystem already in place, the next step is for more formal standards to be put in place, Teo said at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
Prior to this, the trustmark did not have a Singapore Standard.
According to IMDA’s website, DPTM is a voluntary enterprise-wide certification for organisations to demonstrate accountable data protection practices.
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The IMDA worked with Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Accreditation Council to elevate the DPTM to the Singapore Standard, Teo added.
“Given the speed and scale of AI (artificial intelligence) adoption, there is some urgency... (for) standards to be developed and agreed to,” the minister said.
Teo said: “Companies that demonstrate accountable data protection practices can now apply to be certified under this new standard, which will set the national benchmark for companies that want to demonstrate data protection excellence.”
The trustmark will assure consumers that certified organisations adopt world-class practices in protecting their personal data, she added.
The theme for the Personal Data Protection Week this year is “Data Protection in a Changing World”, which acknowledges the significant changes in both the global operating environment and world of technology, said the minister.
These “twin forces” have disrupted workplaces, homes and relationships with each other, she added.
“It is inevitable that we must adjust our practices, laws and even our broader social norms.”
Teo added that the importance of data in the age of AI is as pertinent as ever, noting that generative AI (GenAI) models are built on vast amounts of data throughout the development life cycle.
“Given the criticality of data in the AI age, it should not be surprising that data has also become a limiting factor to continuing advancement,” she said.
Teo announced two more new initiatives during the event. They are the Global AI Assurance Sandbox and a new privacy enhancing technology (PET) adoption guide.
The sandbox is an expansion of the Global AI Assurance Pilot programme, which was launched by IMDA and AI Verify Foundation (AIVF) in February 2025.
AIVF is a not-for-profit foundation that is a wholly owned subsidiary of the IMDA.
The pilot programme covered 17 pilot use cases, with most of the GenAI applications meant for internal staff use.
The newly launched sandbox builds on insights from the pilot phase, and will cover new archetypes such as agentic AI and risks, which include data leakage and vulnerability to prompt injections, said IMDA.
It added that the sandbox will also be open to sector regulators who want to develop and get real-life feedback on their AI governance and testing guidelines.
The minister said: “The sandbox is a learning environment to help all of us, whether we are business users, government teams, governance teams (or) AI developers, to jointly develop solutions like better guard rails or processes for GenAI applications.”
The third initiative announced was the PET adoption guide.
Built upon the insights from the PET Sandbox launched in 2022, the new guide aims to support companies in adopting PETs and it comprises the PETs Use Case Evaluation Tool and an implementation checklist.
The evaluation tool helps organisations to identify and evaluate suitable PETs solutions for their specific business needs. The implementation checklist will highlight key areas of consideration for organisations across the PET adoption journey, IMDA said.
Teo said: “Ultimately, our aim with each of these sandboxes is to find coalition and consensus around what good looks like, whether for data protection or AI governance.”
As demonstrated in the PET Sandbox, Singapore’s approach towards emerging technologies is to help provide tools, resources and a safe environment to experiment, and to quickly share the learnings so that industries and consumers can benefit, she said.
The Personal Data Protection Week, which runs from Monday to Thursday, is expected to have more than 1,500 attendees, comprising Asean data protection authorities, data protection officers, chief data officers, AI/data product developers and industry/business leaders.
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