Quora Answer: Are Singapore Companies Liable for Job Applicant Personal Data?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Are Singapore companies liable to protect personal data of job applicants?”

Legally, they are bound to protect any personal data collected, and this is detailed under the Personal Data Protection Act (2012), Cap 26.  The Personal Data Protection Commission oversees the enforcement of the act, and complaints on the misuse of data may be directed at it.

Companies engaged in the collection of personal data as part of human resource activities, such as recruitment, or as part of market surveys, have to appoint a personal data protection officer to ensure adherence to the act of legislation.  The legal penalties for negligence are severe, with fines and other sanctions meted out for egregious malpractice.  You may refer to the act, in question, for the scope, offences, and penalties.