Insights

While it is unclear at this stage what exactly a second Trump administration means for U.S. digital, technology, and trade policy, one thing that is clear is that it will involve major changes, especially as it relates to the potential for high, broad tariffs. Media reports and commentary and recent personnel appointments give some early clues on what else a second Trump administration may do. It is an open question as to which Biden administration policies a second Trump administration keeps, revises, or scraps (like Biden administration executive orders on artificial intelligence) and which policies and strategies from the first Trump administration it revives or revises. It is also unclear the extent to which a second Trump administration will consider the interests of allies and close trading partners and whether the Trump administration will pursue its own vision for global technology governance at the G7 and other fora.  

Amid the continued exponential rise and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) systems, the Council of Europe set a unique precedent earlier this year by adopting the first-of-its-kind legally binding international AI framework. Aimed at ensuring the respect of human rights, the rule of law, and democracy in the use of AI systems, the framework strikes an important balance in addressing the risks throughout the lifecycle of an AI system without hampering innovation.

The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) is currently in the process of introducing the first ever amendments to its Cybersecurity Act (CS Act) 2018 via the Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill.  Through these Amendments, CSA is looking to account for advancements in Singapore’s technology and business landscape since 2018.  It is also hoping to holistically enhance the cybersecurity of not only the country’s critical information infrastructure (CII) but also other digital infrastructure important for Singapore’s economy.

Across the Asia-Pacific (APAC), the past year has brought defining developments for privacy and cybersecurity regulations in the region. A number of countries have implemented new or updated existing policy instruments—a testament to the growing relevance of a strong privacy and cybersecurity framework in the face of rapid global digital transformation. Topline 2023 changes and actions across APAC have included Vietnam’s Decree on Personal Data Protection; Bangladesh’s Cyber Security Act and draft Data Protection Act; amendments to Taiwan’s Cyber Security Management Act; and Indonesia’s Presidential Regulation Number 47 of 2023 on Cyber Crisis Management and National Cyber Security Strategy.