JOIN THE DPO COMMUNITY! The deadline to file your Data Protection Officer (DPO) information with the PDPC via ACRA BizFile+ (www.bizfile.gov.sg) is around the corner. If you have not done so, please act by 30 September 2024. Kindly note that it is mandatory for all organisations to appoint a DPO and make their business contact information public under the PDPA.
NRIC numbers are a permanent and irreplaceable identifier issued by the Singapore Government primarily for public administration purposes and to facilitate transactions with the Government.
Under the Advisory Guidelines on the PDPA for NRIC and Other National Identification Numbers, which takes effect on 1 September 2019, private sector organisations are only allowed to collect, use or disclose NRIC numbers or copies of the NRIC if:
The same treatment extends to Birth Certificate numbers, Foreign Identification Numbers and Work Permit numbers. While passport numbers are periodically replaced, organisations should avoid collecting the full passport numbers of individuals unless justified.
In addition, an individual’s physical NRIC, or other identification documents containing NRIC numbers or other national identification numbers, can only be retained by an organisation if required by law. The checking of the physical NRIC, Foreign Identity card or passport is allowed if the organisation needs to verify an individual’s particulars.