UNCTAD added PH to countries with free-flow data

The Philippines was included among the list of six countries that allow free flow of data across its borders, boosting the growth of the digital economy, said United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
In a newly-released report, UNCTAD stated that the country — along with Australia, Canada, Mexico, Singapore, and the United States — uses a “light-touch approach” in monitoring compliance of domestic laws in its cross-border data flow.
The report attributed the Philippines’s use of a light-touch approach to its “dependence” on the outsourcing industry in driving the economic growth of the country.
Meanwhile, the National Privacy Commission (NPC) noted that it is important to prioritize the privacy rights of the Filipinos while ensuring the free flow of information to allow innovation and growth.
NPC stated that they are making sure that the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector is abiding by the Data Privacy Act implemented in the Philippines to ensure security among exchanged information in the country.