In today’s digital economy, data has become a critical component of the production of all digital goods and services. It is the raw material that feeds onboard systems, enabling autonomous cars to drive safely and efficiently, for example. As a result, strong management practices and robust governance models are increasingly necessary for business success.

One important shift is to adopt a new mindset that treats data as a product, which can be delivered as a self-service, scalable and secure data infrastructure. This approach introduces many new challenges for businesses, such as culture and mindset changes and a more cross-functional approach to business domain modeling. Moreover, data product thinking requires an investment in self-service tools for non-technical users and strong federated data governance models.

Another issue is how to deal with privacy issues related to the processing of personal information. Hong Kong’s PDPO regulates the collection, processing, holding, and use of personal information through six data protection principles. It also establishes the rights of individuals and specific obligations of data controllers. However, it does not explicitly include extra-territorial application.

Google, Apple, and Microsoft paused data requests from Hong Kong authorities after the law was enacted, according to their transparency reports published in May. Among them, Google produced some data in response to three of the 43 requests received by the company from the Hong Kong government in the second half of last year.

These companies are concerned that the PDPO could be seen as an unnecessarily broad and over-reaching privacy regulation. In addition, they argue that a “zero tolerance” approach to doxxing would violate free speech and lead to chilling effects on the media.

Tech Data Distribution (Hong Kong) Ltd (“Tech Data HK”) is a technology solutions aggregator and distributor in the IT ecosystem. It serves as an essential link in the channel, facilitating and assisting its customers to maximize business outcomes through IT infrastructure solutions. The company leverages its extensive experience in the market to identify and select solutions that best meet their needs. Its technological advancements, including software advances such as Allied Telesis’ Network AI, enable the company to solve problems caused by existing technologies and increase business opportunities.