Singapore Data Festival expands privacy focus to AI and data governance

Singapore will hold its first Singapore Data Festival from 20 to 24 July at Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, expanding the scope of Personal Data Protection Week to cover artificial intelligence, data governance and the responsible commercial use of information.

The five-day event, organised by the Personal Data Protection Commission and Infocomm Media Development Authority, will examine how businesses can extract value from data while protecting personal information and meeting their regulatory responsibilities.

Programme will connect privacy, technology and business use

The festival will focus on three areas. The first will examine how stronger data protection practices and standards can support trust in Singapore’s data environment.

A second area will cover privacy-enhancing technologies, which allow organisations to analyse or share information while reducing unnecessary exposure of personal data. The sessions will consider how businesses can use these tools to develop products and services without weakening safeguards for customers and citizens.

The third area will address digital responsibility as companies adopt AI-enabled technologies. Discussions will cover the governance measures organisations need to use data responsibly as AI adoption increases.

Bringing these issues into one programme gives businesses a clearer view of the decisions involved in using data responsibly. Regulatory compliance is one part of the challenge. Companies must also consider how information is handled across their systems, who can access it and what controls apply when data is used by AI.

Participants will be able to attend sessions on regulatory developments, governance frameworks and the practical use of privacy-enhancing technologies. The programme is aimed at data professionals and business leaders responsible for technology, risk and organisational policy.

Speakers will bring banking and technology perspectives

Confirmed speakers include Nimish Panchmatia, Chief Data and Transformation Officer at DBS Bank; Markham Cho, Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy, Centres of Excellence at Google; and Royce Wee, Privacy and Data Policy Director for APAC Advocacy at Meta.

Their participation will bring perspectives from banking and large technology platforms, where the use of customer data is closely tied to regulation, security and public trust.

The main programme will be supported by partner events covering data governance, the security risks surrounding AI systems and regulation for specific industries. These sessions are intended to give participants more detailed guidance on how general privacy and governance principles apply in different operating environments.

Registration for Singapore Data Festival 2026 is open. Further details on the programme and speakers are available through the event’s registration page.