Law: Data Protection Act No. 7-2020 

Regulator: Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC)

Summary: The Data Protection Act No. 7-2020 (the Act) was signed into law by the Governor General on July 10, 2020. On December 1, 2021, Sections 2, 4, 56, 57, 60, 66, 74, and 77 of the Act together with the First Schedule of the Act were brought into operation. These provisions appointed and established the Office of the Information Commissioner (the OIC). However, the substantive provisions under the Act which include the rights of a data subject and the legal obligations of a data controller are not yet in effect. Those provisions will not come into operation until the Government has publicly appointed an effective date. Pursuant to Section 76 of the Act, data controllers have a transitionary period of two years from the effective date of the Act to take the necessary steps to ensure full compliance with the provisions of the Act. Data controllers have until November 30, 2023, to reform their data processing practices to ensure that they comply with the provisions of the Act.

In addition to the above, Article 13(3)(j) of the Constitution of Jamaica protects the right to privacy. Furthermore, sectoral legislation in Jamaica regulates matters in relation to telecommunications, banking, cybersecurity, and consumer protection.