Law: Data Protection Act, 2021

Regulator: Data Protection Commissioner not yet established.

Summary: In 2021, the National Assembly in Belize adopted the Data Protection Act, 2021 ('the Act') which will enter into force on a day to be appointed by the Minister by Order published in the Gazette. The Act regulates the collection, keeping, use, and dissemination of personal data and establishes data protection principles as well as legal basis for the processing of personal data.

The Act also introduces specific requirements for data controllers and processors including conducting Data Protection Impact Assessments, appointing a data privacy officer, and maintaining records of processing. Furthermore, the Act creates specific restrictions on the transfer of personal data outside of Belize and provides data subjects with rights including rectification, access, erasure, data portability, among others. Importantly, the Act introduces fines of up to BZ 500,000 (approx. $248,240) for violations of its provisions.