Egypt: new Data Protection Act introduced
On 15 July 2020, the Egyptian government introduced Law No. 151 of 2020 which provides for the protection of personal data. The law is intended to regulate and protect citizens from the processing of their personal information online. The law applies to all institutions and individuals processing personal information of an Egyptian subject which includes Egyptian companies operating overseas and foreign companies operating in Egypt.
The law:
- Imposes obligations on data controllers and data processors to restrict the processing of personal information;
- Imposes a notification period for data breaches to the Regulator, which are to be made within 72 hours of the breach;
- Outlines exceptions to the processing of personal information, such as when done by a natural person for personal use;
- Imposes sanctions for contravention of the law beyond the borders of Egypt;
- Imposes requirements for consent from the data subject for direct marketing and the processing of sensitive data.
The Resolution aims to attract foreign investment by demonstrating the country’s commitment to protecting online data.
The Act can be accessed here.
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