Privacy Law at Liberia
Liberia is in the process of developing its first comprehensive data protection legislation, the Personal Data Protection and Privacy Act of 2024. This draft law aims to establish a structured framework for the collection, processing, transmission, storage, protection, and use of personal information within the country.
Key Aspects of Liberia's Draft Data Protection Legislation
1. *Scope and Authority
The proposed legislation is designed to supersede all existing laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations, and administrative regulations related to personal dat. Once enacted, it will provide a unified legal framework governing personal data protection in Liberia
2. *Stakeholder Engagement
In December 2024, over 50 stakeholders, including government officials, representatives from the media, civil society organizations, the education sector, and the diplomatic corps, validated the draft legislation during a forum in Monrovi. The validation process aimed to refine the draft and ensure it addresses the concerns of all relevant parties.
3. *Penalties for Non-Compliance
The draft law proposes penalties for unauthorized access, processing, and use of personal dat. It also addresses the concealment of breaches and other malicious disclosures of personal information held by individuals and institutions responsible for managing such data.
4. *Implementation Timeline
The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MoPT) has committed to incorporating inputs gathered from stakeholders before forwarding the draft legislation to the Law Reform Commission for final revie. Once reviewed, the draft will be submitted to the Legislature for passage into law.
⚖️ Current Legal Framework
As of now, Liberia lacks a standalone data protection la. The National Information and Communications Technology Policy of 2019 includes Section 5.15.1, which outlines principles for the lawful processing of personal dat. These principles include ensuring that personal data is processed fairly and lawfully, obtained for specified and lawful purposes, adequate and relevant to the purposes for which it is processed, accurate and up to date, and protected against unauthorized or unlawful processing.
🧭 Summary
Liberia is in the process of establishing a comprehensive legal framework for data protection through the **Personal Data Protection and Privacy Act of 2024*The draft legislation aims to address the collection, processing, and protection of personal data, with penalties for non-compliance. Stakeholder engagement has been a key component of the development process, and the legislation is expected to be submitted to the Legislature for passage into law in the near future.
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