International Privacy Laws

The following list contains a number of international privacy related laws by country and region. Wherever possible, these hyperlinks reference an English translation of the law. See also our list of U.S. Privacy Laws.

• Argentina: Personal Data Protection Act of 2000 (aka Habeas Data)
• Austria: Data Protection Act 2000, Austrian Federal Law Gazette part I No. 165/1999
(Datenschutzgesetz 2000 or DSG 2000).
• Australia: Privacy Act of 1988
• Belgium: Belgium Data Protection Law and Belgian Data Privacy Commission Privacy Blog
• Brazil: Privacy currently governed by Article 5 of the 1988 Constitution.
• Bulgaria: The Bulgarian Personal Data Protection Act, was adopted on December 21, 2001 and entered into force on January 1, 2002. More information at the Bugarian Data Protection Authority
• Canada: The Privacy Act - July 1983
  Personal Information Protection and Electronic Data Act (PIPEDA) of 2000 (Bill C-6)
• Chile: Act on the Protection of Personal Data, August 1998
• Colombia: Two laws affecting data privacy - Law 1266 of 2008: (in Spanish) and Law 1273 of 2009 (in Spanish) Also, the constitution provides any person the right to update their personal information
• Czech Republic: Act on Protection of Personal Data (April 2000) No. 101
• Denmark: Act on Processing of Personal Data, Act No. 429, May 2000.
• Estonia: Personal Data Protection Act of 2003. June 1996, Consolidated July 2002.
• European Union: European Union Data Protection Directive of 1998
• EU Internet Privacy Law of 2002 (DIRECTIVE 2002/58/EC) With a discussion here.
• Finland: Act on the Amedment of the Personal Data Act (986) 2000.
• France: Data Protection Act of 1978 (revised in 2004)
• Germany: Federal Data Protection Act of 2001
• Greece: Law No.2472 on the Protection of Individuals with Regard to the Processing of Personal Data, April 1997.
• Guernsey: Data Protection (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law of 2001
• Hong Kong: Personal Data Ordinance (The "Ordinance")
• Hungary: Act LXIII of 1992 on the Protection of Personal Data and the Publicity of Data of Public Interests (excerpts in English).
• Iceland: Act of Protection of Individual; Processing Personal Data (Jan 2000)
• Ireland: Data Protection (Amendment) Act, Number 6 of 2003
• India: Information Technology Act of 2000
• Italy: Data Protection Code of 2003
  Italy: Processing of Personal Data Act, January 1997
• Japan: Personal Information Protection Law (Act) (Official English Translation)
  Law Summary from Jonesday Publishing
• Japan: Law for the Protection of Computer Processed Data Held by Administrative Organs, December 1988.
• Korea - Act on Personal Information Protection of Public Agencies Act on Information and Communication Network Usage
• Latvia: Personal Data Protection Law, March 23, 2000.
• Lithuania: Law on Legal Protection of Personal Data (June 1996)
• Luxembourg: Law of 2 August 2002 on the Protection of Persons with Regard to the Processing of Personal Data.
• Malaysia - Common Law principle of confidentiality Draft Personal data Protection Bill (Not finalized) Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1989 privacy provisions.
• Malta: Data Protection Act (Act XXVI of 2001), Amended March 22, 2002, November 15, 2002 and July 15, 2003
• Morroco: Data Protection Act
• Netherlands: Personal Data Protection Act 2000
• New Zealand: Privacy Act, May 1993; Privacy Amendment Act, 1993; Privacy Amendment Act, 1994
• Norway: Personal Data Act (April 2000) - Act of 14 April 2000 No. 31 Relating to the Processing of Personal Data (Personal Data Act)
• Philippines: No general data protection law, but there is a recognized right of privacy in civil law.
• Romania: Law No. 677/2001 for the Protection of Persons concerning the Processing of Personal Data and the Free Circulation of Such Data
• Poland: Act of the Protection of Personal Data (August 1997)
• Portugal: Act on the Protection of Personal Data (Law 67/98 of 26 October)
• Singapore - The E-commerce Code for the Protection of Personal Information and Communications of Consumers of Internet Commerce. Other related Singapore Laws and E-commerce Laws .
• Slovak Republic: Act No. 428 of 3 July 2002 on Personal Data Protection.
• Slovenia: Personal Data Protection Act , RS No. 55/99.
• South Korea: The Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Data Protection of 2000
• Spain: ORGANIC LAW 15/1999 of 13 December on the Protection of Personal Data
• Switzerland: The Federal Law on Data Protection of 1992
• Sweden: Personal Data Protection Act (1998:204), October 24, 1998
• Taiwan: Computer Processed Personal data Protection Law - applies only to public institutions.
• Thailand: Official Information Act (1997) for state agencies. ( Personal data Protection bill under consideration.)
• United Kingdom: UK Data Protection Act 1998
  Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 official text, and a consumer oriented site at the Information Commissioner's Office.
• Vietnam: The Law on Electronic Transactions 2008