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Privacy Laws of the World |
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This document is a partner to pages on International Instruments, on Privacy Laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and on Privacy Laws of the States and Territories of Australia
There is a vast array of privacy laws around the world. This document provides access to many laws, and to many resources that point to yet more laws. Please advise us of improvements that should be made. The links in this page are reviewed periodically. Please advise any broken links to the APF Web-Team.
Valuable resources on the web are as follows:
In print, see:
This section has a section for each of about 30 countries, in alphabetical order. Each section lists important laws relevant to privacy, together with any other relevant sources for that country,
Details are available for:
Federal Data Protection Act of 1978
Austrian Telecommunications Act (1997)
Industrial Code (1994)
Genetic Engineering Act 1994
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
Law on the Protection of Privacy Regarding the Processing of Personal Data (1992)
Law of 30 June 1994
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
See also AustLII's Belgian Subject-Index for Privacy
All Canadian statutes can be accessed via CanLII.
Privacy Act (1983) - federal public sector
Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) - private sector, incl. coverage of Provinces without explicit law
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
See also AustLII's Canadian Subject-Index for Privacy
Protection of Personal Data in Information Systems Act [Act of April 29, 1992 on Protection of Personal Data in Information Systems (No. 256/92)]
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
Law on Public Access
Law on Public Filing Systems
Danish Penal Code
[?Private Registers Act of 1978 (Lov nr 293 af 8 juni 1978 om private registre mv), in force 1 January 1979]
[?Public Authorities' Registers Act of 1978 (Lov nr 294 af 8 juni 1978 om offentlige myndigheders registre), also in force 1 January 1979]
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
See also AustLII's Danish Subject-Index for Privacy
Section 8
Personal Data Act (1999)
Statistics Act
Act on the Medical Research Development Centre
Act on the Protection of Privacy and Data Security in Telecommunications
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
See also AustLII's Finnish Subject-Index for Privacy
Law No. 78/17 (1978) Data Processing, Data Files and Individual Liberties
Penal Code
Labour Code
Law on Video Surveillance (1995)
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
See also AustLII's French Subject-Index for Privacy
The highest court has inferred a "right of informational self-determination" directly from Article 2 of the German Constitution which declares protective personal rights (Persönlichkeitsrechte)
Federal Data Protection Act (1990)
Central Register of Foreigners Act (1994)
Federal Telecommunications Act (1996)
Telecommunications Carriers Data Protection Ordinance
Article 2 of the Federal Information and Communication Services Act (1997)
All Länder have data protection laws
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
See also AustLII's German Subject-Index for Privacy
Law No. 2472/97 Protection of the Individual Against Processing of Personal
Data
Law No. 2225/94 protects freedom of correspondence and communication
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance
See Berthold M. & Wacks R., 'Data Privacy Law in Hong Kong', FT Law & Tax, 1997
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
See also AustLII's Hong Kong Subject-Index for Privacy
Protection of Personal Data and Disclosure of Data of Public Interest (1992)
and privacy included in other legislation
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
See also AustLII's Hungarian Subject-Index for Privacy
Act Nr. 121 Concerning the Registration and Handling of Personal Data (1989)
Act on a Health Sector Database no. 139/1998, 17 December 1998]
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
The Irish Constitution recognises a right to privacy
Data Protection Act 1988
Some coverage under other legislation
Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages (Regulation) Act
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
See also AustLII's Isle of Man Subject-Index for Privacy
The Protection of Privacy Law 5741-1981, 1011 Laws of the State of Israel 128. Amended by the Protection of Privacy Law (Amendment) 5745-1985
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
Article 14 and Article 15]
Labour Decree n. 39/93
Law No. 59 of 15 March 1997
Legislative decree No. 171 of 13.05.98
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
Act on Protection of Computer Processed Personal Data held by Administrative Organs (1988)
large number of Ordinances enacted by local authorities
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
Protection of Personal Information by Public Organisations Act
The Use and Protection of Credit Information Act
Protection of Confidentiality in Communications
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
Nominal Data (Automatic Processing) Act (1979)
other regulations eg. with respect to police and medical data files
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
Federal District Penal Code
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
Police Registration Act (1991)
Medical Treatment Information Act (1995)
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
See also AustLII's Netherlands Subject-Index for Privacy
Official Information Act 1982
Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987
Electoral Act 1993
Domestic Violence Act 1995
Generally, see the NZ Privacy Commissioner's Legislation page
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
See also AustLII's New Zealand Subject-Index for Privacy
Act no.48 of 9 June 1978 relating to Personal Data Registers, etc.
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
See also AustLII's Norwegian Subject-Index for Privacy
Article 51
Act on the Protection of Personal Data (1997)
An Order of the Ministry of Health in 1993
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
Article 35
Act on the Protection of Personal Data (1998)]
Law on Computer Crime (1991)
regulations such as the Registry of Non-Donors of Human Organs and the Identity Card Centre
regulations controlling the databases operated by the Gendarmerie, the Border and Foreign Services and the Criminal Police
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
See also AustLII's Portuguese Subject-Index for Privacy
Ley Orgánica 15/99 de 13 de Diciembre de Protección de Datos de Carácter Personal 1999]
Law on public statistics
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
See also AustLII's Spanish Subject-Index for Privacy
contains privacy provisions and also the "Instrument of Government"
Law on Public Camera Surveillance 1998 (Lag (1998:150) om allmän kameraövervakning)
Credit Information Act
Debt Recovery Act
Official Statistics Act
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
Federal Law on Data Protection (1992)
Telecommunications Law; Employment Contract Provisions
Federal Statistics
Swiss Criminal Code. Professional Secrecy in Medical Research 1993
Most of the Swiss Cantons have data protection laws
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
See also AustLII's Swiss Subject-Index for Privacy
s.5 "Privacy and Protection of Private Life", Article 20 "Privacy of the Individual's Life"
draft law on Data Protection
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
Financial Services Act 1986, Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990
Charities Act 1993
Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
Resources provided by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Information Centre
See also AustLII's U.K. Subject-Index for Privacy
The Supreme Court has read into it the Bill of Rights a limited constitutional right of privacy
The U.S. steadfastly refuses to establish generic privacy protection laws. As a result, they have the most privacy laws of any country in the world. The reason is that every time a new issue hits the airwaves, a new statute results, targeted at this year's major public scandal. ...
Federal Trade Commission Act (1914)
Fair Credit Reporting Act (1970)
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, Public Law 93-380, 1974
Cable Communications Policy Act (1984)
Cable Privacy Protection Act of 1984
Electronic Communications Privacy Act (1986)
Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act (1988)
Tax Reform Act of 1976,
The Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978
Video Privacy Protection Act (1988)
Telephone Consumer Protection Act (1991)
Drivers Privacy Protection Act, PL 103-322, 1994
"Children's Online Privacy Protection Act" (1998)
A number of State Constitutions include a right to privacy. States generally follow the federal sectoral model and enact privacy enhancing statutes on a sectoral (industry by industry) basis
See Bob Smith's Compilation of U.S. State and Federal Laws
See Bob Smith's history of privacy in the U.S.A., available from Privacy Journal
See Privacy International's Country Report for 1999
See also AustLII's U.S. Subject-Index for Privacy
This resource could be developed only by standing on the shoulders of giants, namely:
A few bits were drawn from a rather deficient OECD/ICCP document.
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Created: 31 May 2000 - Last Amended: 30 September 2006 by Roger Clarke - Site Last Verified: 11 January 2009
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