ECUADOR

On February 11, the National Assembly concluded the first debate on the personal data protection bill. The regulation seeks to protect the rights of citizens regarding the processing of their personal, economic and social data. The plenary heard from officials from the Executive and EU data protection experts as well as members of Congress from Chile and Brazil. In other news, the Economic Development Committee approved the report for the first debate of the draft reforms to the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Law, which is expected to be analyzed by the plenary in the short term. 

Personal Data Protection Bill

The director of the National Public Data Registry Directorate, Lorena Naranjo, explained that the bill was drafted over two years and responds to the reality of a hyper-connected society. She also stated that the regulation does not allow for citizens using social networks or the Internet to be controlled, nor does it limit freedom of expression, but seeks to favor commercial and trading activities. Access the full presentation by clicking here.

Manuel García, representative of the European Union’s Data Flow and Data Protection Unit, said that the initiative will foster a better understanding of the global situation regarding personal data protection. He explained how important it was to protect sensitive information and define principles and obligations in this area to guarantee rights which could be enforced by individuals, such as the right to access, rectification, cancellation and the right to be forgotten. The International Relations Committee will now take the observations made in order to prepare the report for the second debate.

Felipe Harboe, former Minister of the Interior of Chile, emphasized the right to be forgotten and the importance of clarifying this right in relation to the contradiction between the right to be forgotten and freedom of expression. Likewise, Brazilian Congressman Danilo Doneda explained that regional geopolitical efforts are converging in the area of personal data with the aim of protecting this information. He also pointed out the relevance of legislation and its evolution, for the benefit of the legal security of citizens and the government.

Reforms to the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Law

The document approved proposes empowering the Superintendency of Banks to oversee the registration and control of crowdfunding platforms, a role currently performed by the Superintendence of Companies, Securities and Insurance. The initiative also proposes the creation of an Observation and Follow-up Commission to provide guarantees to investors.