What qualifies as 'emotional distress' when personal data is misused

If a customer sees that his information is being used repeatedly it would not be unreasonable for the victim to feel distressed. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
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SINGAPORE - If you are having sleepless nights due to "emotional distress" after your personal data was misused by others, there may now be legal recourse to take the culprits to task.

But before getting trigger-happy in launching lawsuits to enforce your rights, know that experiencing mere annoyance or unhappiness that someone else has your details would not qualify as "emotional distress" under the law. This is because such emotions, seen as part of the ups and downs of daily life, should be tolerated.

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