BRASIL

The discussion of a proposed constitutional amendment to protect personal data as an individual guarantee of citizens’ rights is making progress on the floor of the Senate. As it is a constitutional amendment, the bill must be debated in five Senate plenary sessions before being voted on, first in general, and then in particular. The initiative, which has already completed its third discussion session, is expected to be ready to be voted on in the next few weeks, before passing to the Chamber of Deputies.

The initiative filed by Senator Eduardo Gomes (Movimiento Democrático Brasileiro – allied with the ruling party), proposes providing constitutional guarantees of protection for the personal data of both Brazilians and foreigners residing in the country, including data available on digital media. The proposal also enshrines the power to legislate on personal data protection and processing.

Gomes explained that the bill seeks to guarantee the privacy of personal data at constitutional level, in order to “protect the inviolability of citizens’ information circulating on the Internet.” The bill has already been discussed in three sessions and Congress is expected to continue discussing it in the next few days so that it can be voted on in the short term.