Originally published in Privacy & Security Law Report on December 17, 2012.

In the past several months, the privacy landscape in Asia has dramatically altered. Two countries, the Philippines and Singapore, enacted comprehensive data privacy laws for the first time; Malaysia is on the verge of finally implementing its first comprehensive data privacy law more than two years after its adoption; and Australia, Hong Kong and Taiwan have amended their existing privacy laws. These developments will profoundly affect organizations that do business in Asia, have employees in Asia, or who outsource services to Asia.

The following provides an overview of the changes that have or will be occurring in these jurisdictions and assesses the implications for businesses operating in Asia.