Advancing a Digital Consumer Dialogue in the Asia-Pacific
On the side line of Global Privacy Assembly 2025 Seoul, Open Net , Access Now, Consumers Japan, Consumers Korea, Engage Media, Privacy by Design Lab Japan, Public Citizen; Professor Hiroshi Miyashita, Chuo University; Javier Ruiz Diaz, Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy held Advancing a digital consumer dialogue in the Asia-Pacific, an event to present and advance the Asia-Pacific Digital Consumer Dialogue (tentative name) with the following aims :
Overall aim:
- Creating a permanent collaboration forum for civil society organizations, consumer groups and academics to share information and coordinate activities on digital, data and privacy issues in the region.
- Establishing ongoing engagement with digital regulators, policymakers and relevant international bodies to ensure that policies incorporate citizen and consumer priorities.
Objectives of the session:
- Map priority issues and organizations relevant to digital and data policy in the region.
- Outreach to GPA participants to build new contacts.
- Gather feedback to help improve and shape future collaboration.
*Please see the presentation material of all the speakers at the end of this posting.
Congratulatory Remark: Yeongmi Yoon, Member, Personal Information Protection Commission, South Korea (12:30-12:35)
Keynote remarks: Benefits, challenges and best practices of collaboration of civil society and digital regulators (12:35-12:50)
- Carly Kind, Australian Privacy Commissioner
- Javier Ruiz Diaz (Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy, University of Sussex)
Session 1: Mapping data protection and digital/consumer rights issues in Asia-Pacific (12:50- 13:45)
Moderator: K.S. Park
– Data breaches and surveillance in the region and need for better protection: South Korea and Indonesia:
- Juho Kim (People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, Korea)
- Debora Irene Christine (Tifa Foundation, Indonesia)
– AI challenges in Asia-Pacific and citizen participation in AI policy development
- Cui Jia Wei (Judicial Reform Foundation, Taiwan)
– Digital trade agreements as tools for promoting cross-border data transfer and regulatory cooperation on it, and need for safeguards for consumer protection:
- Prof. Hiroshi Miyashita (Chuo University, Japan)
- Burču Killič (CIGI, Third World Network)
- Shobit S. (IT for Change, India)
Session 2: Paths to a safer and more inclusive digital economy in the Asia-Pacific (13:45-15:30)
Moderator: Phet Sayo (Engage Media)
– How advances in consumer protection can complement human rights and other norms and help advance digital safety:
- Chisako Gono (Consumers Japan)
- YouKyung (Jane) Huh (Consumers Korea)
- Alice Pham (CUTS, Vietnam) – joining remotely
– How academics and experts can best improve the quality of digital public policy:
- Colin Bennett (University of Victoria)
– Public interest technology and the role of SMEs in setting best practices:
- Kohei Kurihara and Chihiro Fujisaki (Privacy By Design Lab, Japan)
- Chia-Shuo Tang (Open Culture Foundation, Taiwan)
– Relevant regional policy fora and initiatives for engagement, such as ASEAN DEFA, CBPR, and DRAPAC:
- Raman Jit Singh (Access Now)
- Jamael Jacob (Philippines)
- Prapasiri ‘Nan’ Suttisom (Engage Media)
– Engaging with standards bodies:
- Amy Kato (Consumers Japan)
- Eunsook Moon (Chair of ISO/COPOLCO)
Session 3: Paths to a safer and more inclusive digital economy in the Asia-Pacific (15:30-16:00)
Moderator: Phet Sayo
– Summary of the lessons from the previous session, identifying key topics, policy spaces, challenges and obstacles: (YouKyung Huh, Javier Ruiz)
– Priorities for collaboration: (discussion facilitated by) Phet Sayo
– Next steps to continue the dialogue process and call for expressions of interest: KS Park
- The following topics were suggested as the priorities:
- a campaign to oppose UN Cybercrime Convention as it is to lower the standard of privacy that all digital consumers enjoy.
- engaging State parties on cross-border trade arrangements such as DEFA and CBPR
- a research to protect children’s privacy
- impact litigation on behalf of digital consumers (e.g., non-consensual targeted monoplizing.
Advancing a digital consumer dialogue in the Asia-Pacific (*English only)
Date and Time: Mon, 15 September 2025, 12:00-16:00 *Lunch included
Venue: Namsan Ⅲ (2F), Grand Hyatt Seoul
Hosts: www.opennetkorea.org, www.accessnow.org, www.shodanren.gr.jp, www.engagemedia.org, www.consumerskorea.org, www.privacybydesign.jp, www.citizen.org, Javier Ruiz (Center for Inclusive Trade Policy), Hiroshi Miyashita (Chuo University)
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