Data Protection Authorities

EU Countries

AUSTRIA

• Austrian Data Protection
• Austrian version
• Austrian Laws & Ordinances

BELGIUM



• Belgian Data Protection Authority (in Dutch or French)
  
• Consolidated text of the Belgian Law on privacy protection in relation to the processing of personal data as modified on 11 December 1998
• Privacy International Belgium Privacy Page

CZECH REPUBLIC 

• Office for Personal Data Protection
  
• Act No. 101 of 4 April 2000 on Protection of the Personal Data and on Amendments to Some Related Acts 

DENMARK 

• Danish Data Protection Authority
  
• Danish version
• Act on Processing of Personal Data 2000
• Danish position produced by EPIC and Privacy International Survey 2004
  

FINLAND


• Tietosuojaviranomaiset - Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman
• Finnish version
• Personal Data Act 1999 (523/1999)
• Act on the Amendment of the Personal Data Act (986/2000) - unofficial English translation
  

FRANCE

• Commission Nationale de L'informatique et des Libertes (CNIL)
  
• CNIL - in English
• Act on 6 January 1978 relative to computers, files and liberties (pdf) - English translation
• Decree No 2005-1309 of 20 October 2005 enacted for the application of Act No 78-17 of 6 January 1978 on Data processing, files and individual liberties amended by Act No 2004-801 of 6 August 2004 (pdf) - English translation
  

GERMANY


• Federal Data Protection Commissioner
  
• German version of the Federal Data Protection Commissioner
• German position - produced by Privacy International
• Lander's (State) implementation of the Data Protection Direction 95/46/EC
  
• Berufsverband der Datenschutzbeauftragten Deutschlands e.V. (BvD) - Group representing the data protection officials with the aim of encouraging exchange of experiences etc. NB. This is in German.
• The German Association for Data Protection and Data Security (in German)
  
• Online Profiling - in German
• Overview of Information Technology related laws in Germany
• Akademie.de
• Virtual Privacy Office

• Act to amend the Federal Data Protection Act & other enactments 18 May 2001 (pdf) - unofficial English translation
  
• German Unfair Competition Act 2004 - new provision on direct marketing that implements the Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications 2002/58/EC
  
• Telecommunications 2004 (pdf) - Replaces the Telecommunications Act 1996
• Teleservices Act 1997 (amended in 2001)
• Teleservices Data Protection Act 1997 (amended in 2001) (pdf)
• Proposed Telemedia Law (Telemediengesetz) (pdf)
  

• Hellenic Data Protection Authority 
• Greek version
• Law 2472/1997 on the Protection of Individuals with regard to the Processing of Personal Data - As amended by laws 2819/2000 and 2915/2000, this is the unofficial English translation.

ICELAND  
• Icelandic Data Protection Commission 
• Icelandic version
  
• Act no. 77/2000 on the Protection and Processing of Personal Data
• Icelandic Supreme Court: Ragnhildur Guðmundsdóttir v the State of Iceland (pdf) - defines personal data
• Icelandic laws on Data Protection

IRELAND

• Data Protection Commissioner
• Data Protection (Amendment) Act 2003 (pdf) - implements the Data Protection Directive
• Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003 (pdf): a compendium produced by the Data  Protection Commissioner
  

ITALY
• Italian Data Protection Authority  
• Associazione Nazionale Garanzia Della Privacy 
• Protection of Individuals & other Subjects with regard to the Processing of Personal Data
  
• Act no. 675, 1996 (in Italian)
• Personal Data Protection Code  - took effect on January 2004
• www.dataprotection.it
  

LUXEMBOURG

• National Commission for Data Protection (CNPD) - in French or German
  
• CNPD - English version
  
• Law of the Protection of Persons with regard to Personal Data 2002  (pdf) - unofficial English translation -  Took effect on 1st December 2002
  
• Act of 30 May 2005 (Data Protection and Electronic Communications) (in French) - implements the Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications 2002/58/EC
  

NETHERLANDS
• Dutch Data Protection Authority - The College Bescherming persoonsgegevens
• Personal Data Protection Act 2000 - unofficial English translation
• The Privacy Page

PORTUGAL
• CNPD - Comissão Nacional de Protecção de Dados English version can also be found on the same website.
• Act on the Protection of Personal Data No. 67/98

SPAIN
• Spanish Data Protection Authority
• Organic Law 15/99 on the Protection of Personal Data - unofficial English translation (pdf)
  
• Spanish version
• habeasdata.org/
  

SWEDEN
• Data Inspection Board
• Swedish Ministry of Justice: Data Protection
• Swedish implementation of the EU Directive - provides a background to the Swedish Personal Data Act and its implementation of the EU Directive.
• Swedish version
• Personal Data Act 1998 (pdf)
  
• Internet Law in Sweden

UK
• Information Commissioner
• Information Tribunal
  
• Data Protection Act 1998
• Freedom of Information Act 2000
• Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
• Department of Constitutional Affairs:  Freedom of Information & Data Protection
• Durant case by the  UK Court of Appeal  - Updated Guidance Feb 2006 (pdf) is also available from the Information Commissioner.
  

OTHER COUNTRIES

ARGENTINA

• Data Protection Authority
• Personal Data Protection Act 2001 - unofficial English translation
• European Commission decision on the adequate protection of personal data in Argentina
• Proteccion de Datas Personales
  

AUSTRALIA

• Australian Privacy Commissioner
• Privacy Act 1998 - Also incorporates the new amendments made under Act No. 49 of 2004.
• Privacy (Private Sector) Amendment Regulations 2002 (No.1) No.105 (pdf)
• Privacy (Private Sector) Regulations 2001 Statutory Rules 2001 No. 266
• PLPR Australian's Privacy Guide
• Australian Privacy Regimes - produced by Caslon

BRAZIL


• Brazilian position produced by EPIC and Privacy International in the latest survey 2004
• Brazilian constitution - see Art. 5(X) on privacy
  



CANADA

• Data Protection Laws in Canada

• Chilean position produced by EPIC and Privacy International in the latest survey 2004
  
• Act on the Protection of Personal Data 1999
  

• Privacy Protection Law Project (pdf)
• Report of the Chinese position - produced by Privacy International
  

ESTONIA

• Estonian Data Protection Inspectorate
• Personal Data Protection Act 2003 (pdf) - amended by later Acts..
• Estonian version

GUERNSEY

• Data Protection Commissioner
• Information about the Data Protection (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law 2001 (pdf)
  
• Commission finding of adequacy under Art. 25 Data Protection Directive (pdf)
  

HAWAII

• Office of Information Practices
• Uniform Information Practices Act (Modified) Chapter 92F - unofficial copy

HONG KONG

• Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data
• Hong Kong Freedom of Information Office
• Hong Kong's position produced by EPIC and Privacy International in the latest survey 2004
  
• Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486)

HUNGARY

• Parliamentary Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information Hungary version
• European Commission decision on the adequate protection of personal data in Hungary (pdf)
  
• Act No. LXIII of 1992 on Protection of Personal Data & Disclosure of Data of Public Interest

• Indian position - produced by  EPIC and Privacy International in the latest survey 2003
Information Technology Act 2000 - Proposals to strengthen this Act to cover data protection

ISLE OF MAN
• Office of the Data Protection Supervisor
• Data Protection Act 2002 - introduced in March 2002 to to enable the data protection laws of the Isle of Man to meet the "adequacy" requirements under the EC Data Protection Directive.
• Commission finding of adequacy under Art. 25 of the Data Protection Directive - found on page 48.
• Unsolicited Communications Regulations 2005 (pdf) -  Takes effect on 1st October 2005 and implements Art. 13(1) of the Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications 2002/58/EC.

JAPAN


• Japan Privacy Resource  - produced by Privacy Exchange
• Personal Data Protection Law  - in Japanese
• Unofficial translation of the Personal Information Protection Act 2003, No. 57 (pdf)
• Consumer privacy in Japan - produced by Privacy and American Business (pdf)
• Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications: Information and Communications
• Opposition to the pending bill on data protection (12 April 2003) 
• Private Information Bill passes Upper House
• Results of the public comments on Draft Amendment to "Guidelines on the Protection of Personal Information in the Telecommunications Business" and Interim Report from "Study Group Concerning Information Privacy in the Telecommunications Business Field"
• METI: Personal Information - the METI has also issued draft Guidelines for the Protection of Personal Information in Businesses That Use Human Genetic Information and has asked public to comment on this

JERSEY
• Office of the Data Protection Registrar
• Guidelines to the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 1987 (pdf)
  

LITHUANIA
• State Protection Inspectorate
• Law on the Legal Protection of Personal Data 2003 (pdf)
  
• Law on Electronic Communications 2004
  

MALTA


• Office of the Data Protection Commissioner
  
• Maltese Data Protection Act (Chapter 440) (pdf) -implements the Data Protection Directive
• Complaint form to the Maltese Data Protection Commissioner - you can lodge a complaint for breach of the Maltese Data Protection Act
  
• Maltese position produced by EPIC and Privacy International Survey 2004
  

MEXICO

• Mexican position - produced by EPIC and Privacy International Survey 2004.

NEW ZEALAND
• Office of the Privacy Commissioner
• Privacy Act 1993

• Data Inspectorate
• Act of 14 April 2000 no. 31 relating to the Processing of Personal Data (Personal Data Act) (pdf)
  
• Norwegian version

PHILIPPINES


• Philippines position produced by EPIC and Privacy International Survey 2004
• Information Technology & E-Commerce Council
  

POLAND
• The Inspector General for the Protection of Personal Data
• Polish version
• Act on the Protection of Personal Data 1997

SINGAPORE
• Media Development Authority Press Release "Model Data Protection Code for the Private Sector"
• Report on a Model Data Protection Code for the Private Sector (pdf) - prepared by the National Internet Advisory Committee
  
• TrustSg Model Data Protection Code (pdf)
  
• Singaporean position - produced by the  EPIC and Privacy International in the latest survey 2004

SLOVAKIA
• Slovakian Data Protection Authority
• Slovakian position - produced by the  EPIC and Privacy International in the latest survey 2004
  

SOUTH AFRICA

• South African Constitution, Chapter 2: Bill of Rights, Section 14 - Privacy
• South African Law Reform Commission  Discussion Paper 109 - Privacy and Data Protection
  

SWITZERLAND


• Swiss Federal Data Protection Commissioner
• European Commission Decision concerning the adequacy of data protection in Switzerland (pdf)

USA


• US Department of Commerce - Safe Harbor
• US Department of Commerce Federal Trade Commission: Privacy Initiatives
• US position - produced by EPIC and Privacy International Survey 2004
  
• Safe Harbor Implementation Study 2004 commissioned by the European Commission (pdf)
  
• Electronic Privacy Information Center
• The Committee on Energy & Commerce - Privacy
• US Department of Health & Human Services - Office for Civil Rights
• Office of Privacy Protection in California
• Health Privacy 101 - Established in 1997 to raise public awareness and importance of health privacy.
• American Statistical Association's Privacy, Confidentiality & Data Security 
  
• Privacy in the Information Age - Established to evaluate causes for concern about privacy in the information age and tools and strategies for responding. It is funded by W. K. Kellogg Foundation, the Sloan Foundation, the AT&T Foundation, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
• Californian Privacy
  
• Privacy/Data Protection Project
  
• Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning & Evaluation - HHS Privacy Committee
  
• Californian Online Privacy Protection Act 2003 (pdf) - takes effect on 1 July 2004
• Personal Data Privacy and Security Bill 2005
• "Privacy Protection plan goes to the Senate"
• Summary of the Legislation before the US Congress (109th) provided by CDT
• National Conference of State Legislators: Privacy