MINSK, 29 October (BelTA) – Belarus gives green light to its national personal data protection center. The move is stipulated by Decree No. 422 “On Measures to Improve Personal Data Protection”, which Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko signed on 28 October, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian leader.
The document is issued to follow up on law No. 99-3 of 7 May 2021 “On Personal Data Protection”.
The decree invests the national center with the status of an authorized body to protect the rights of the subjects of personal data. The document defines its main rights, tasks, functions and powers.
In particular, the center is empowered to verify compliance with personal data legislation, to make written demands (prescriptions) to eliminate identified violations, to demand termination of personal data processing if other ways cannot ensure protection of the rights of personal data subjects.
In addition, the decree establishes additional measures related to personal data protection. These include, for example, the need to undergo special training for individuals whose duties include personal data protection and the obligation to keep records of personal data to be processed by state agencies and other organizations.
The implementation of the decree will increase the protection of personal data in the state and ensure fuller realization of the constitutional right of citizens to protection from unlawful interference with privacy.
As BelTA reported earlier, the establishment of a personal data protection center was discussed at the government meeting hosted by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko on 22 October. The head of state recalled that in May 2021 a law was adopted to protect people's rights while processing their personal data. “The government and the Operations and Analysis Center believe that a separate authority should be set up to supervise the observance of this law,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. He stressed that the issues of personal data protection are important for the society and urged to solve the problems in this area. "People are concerned about this," the head of state said.
