The 61st APPA Forum hosted by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia
The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia (OIPC) hosted the 61st Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities (APPA) Forum virtually on June 19 and 20, 2024.
The forum was attended by 20 APPA members across the Asia-Pacific Region.
Over the intensive, two-day forum, members discussed a wide array of global privacy issues, regulatory experiences, and enforcement challenges and shared their latest developments and insights.
The highlights of the forum are summarized below.
New member
APPA welcomed the Department of Personal Data Protection for Malaysia as its 21st member.
Day One (members-only session)
On Day One, the 61st APPA Forum was opened by Michael Harvey, British Columbia Information and Privacy Commissioner and Chair of the APPA Secretariat, who welcomed APPA members and gave an overview of the agenda. This agenda item was followed by a traditional welcome from Diane Sam, a Songhees Nation community member. The opening formalities concluded with the approval of meeting minutes from the 60th APPA Forum.
The focus on Day One was on APPA’s standing agenda items.
The formal agenda began with a presentation of the Governance Committee report from the OIPC in its capacity as APPA Secretariat and Chair of the APPA Governance Committee. The Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) of Singapore was nominated as the new APPA Secretariat, and Commissioner Lew Chuen Hong of PDPC Singapore thanked OIPC for their contributions since 2016. This was followed by presentations of reports on the activities of the APPA Working Groups – the Communications Working Group and the Technology Working Group.
Members then presented their jurisdiction reports and gave updates on key privacy developments in their jurisdictions. Presenters were asked to outline developments in their jurisdictions from the last six months that may be of interest to the forum. Some of the topics discussed during the session included:
- investigations and enforcements;
- strategic priorities;
- data breach policy compliance;
- regulation of biometrics technologies;
- children’s privacy and keeping kids safe;
- artificial intelligence governance policies and initiatives.
This was followed by two presentations:
- Keith Sonderling, Commissioner on the US Equal Opportunity Commission, provided a pre-recorded presentation on Artificial Intelligence and the Workplace.
- The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Hong Kong, China, then presented on their publication of the “Artificial Intelligence: Model Personal Data Protection Framework.”
Day Two (closed session)
Commissioner Harvey opened Day Two of the Forum with an overview of the day’s agenda. This was followed by two panel discussions, one led by Dr. Khaled El Emam, Professor, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, on synthetic data and artificial intelligence, and the other led by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Canada, on age verification.
The following global privacy networks and organizations provided update reports:
- Ibero-American Network of Data Protection
- Global Privacy Enforcement Network
- Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules
- Global Privacy Assembly
- Global Privacy Assembly International Enforcement Cooperation Working Group
- Global Privacy Assembly Data Protection and Other Rights and Freedoms Working Group
- Global Privacy Assembly Digital Citizen and Consumer Working Group
At the end of day two, the draft communique was approved for release, followed by closing remarks from the OIPC.
Commissioner arrivals and departures
APPA members acknowledged the leadership of individuals in member authorities and offered best wishes for their retirements and new appointments.
APPA members thanked and acknowledged the contributions of:
- Sven Bluemmel as Information Commissioner for Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner, Victoria, Australia;
- Mieko Tanno as Chairperson for the Personal Information Protection Commission, Japan;
- Angelene Falk as Information Commissioner and head of the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner; and
- Michael McEvoy as Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia.
APPA members recognized the new appointments of:
- Sean Morrison as Information Commissioner for Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner, Victoria, Australia;
- Joanne Kummrow as Information Commissioner, Office of the Information Commissioner, Queensland, Australia;
- Shizuo Fujiwara as the Chairperson, Personal Information Protection Commission, Japan.
- Elizabeth Tydd as Freedom of Information Commissioner, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
- Carly Kind as Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner; and
- Michael Harvey as Information and Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia, Canada.
Next meeting
The 62nd APPA Forum will be hosted by the Personal Information Protection Commission, Japan, from November 26-27, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan.
61st APPA Forum attendees
- Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
- Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner, British Columbia, Canada
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner New Zealand
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Hong Kong, China
- Personal Information Protection Commission, Japan
- Office for Personal Data Protection, Macao, China
- National Privacy Commission, Philippines
- Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner, Australia
- National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and Personal Data Protection, Mexico
- Office of the Information Commissioner, Queensland, Australia
- Personal Data Protection Commission of Singapore
- National Authority of Data Protection of Peru
- Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner, Victoria, Australia
- Information and Privacy Commission, New South Wales, Australia
- Office of the Information Commissioner, Northern Territory, Australia
- Korea Internet & Security Agency
- Federal Trade Commission, United States of America
- California Privacy Protection Agency, United States of America
- Department of Personal Data Protection for Malaysia
61st APPA Forum observers and guests
- Keith Sonderling, Commissioner on the US Equal Opportunity Commission
- Dr. Khaled El Emam, Professor, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa
- Carole Piovesan, Managing Partner, INQ Law
- Liz Thomas, Director of Public Policy and Digital Safety, Microsoft
- Eric Goldman, Associate Dean for Research, Professor of Law, Santa Clara University School of Law
- Ibero-American Network of Data Protection
- Global Privacy Enforcement Network
- Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules
- Global Privacy Assembly
- Global Privacy Assembly International Enforcement Cooperation Working Group
- Global Privacy Assembly Data Protection and Other Rights and Freedoms Working Group
- Global Privacy Assembly Digital Citizen and Consumer Working Group