The Asia Internet Coalition (AIC), which includes global digital media giants, has asked several questions about “Pakistan’s first-ever Data Protection Act of 2023”. AIC claimed that the new bill does not address a majority of industry’s substantive concerns.
“In its current form, the bill will negatively impact the ability of foreign internet companies to trade with and operate in Pakistan, hamper the country’s economic recovery and deter foreign investment. Local Pakistani companies may lose access to cost-efficient global cloud services, making them less competitive as they incur significant costs to operate and maintain servers.” said Jeff Paine Managing Director (MD) AIC in a letter addressed to Amin ul Haque, federal minister of information technology and telecommunications.
Asia Internet Coalition is concerned about Pakistan’s first-ever data protection law
The MD indicates that he advises on behalf of AIC and its members on the Draft Bill for the Protection of Personal Data 2023. The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications (MoITT) published the bill on May 19, 2023.
Main issues raised:
There are four main problems with the latest Draft Personal Data Protection Bill 2023, released in May 2023 (the Bill):
- The bill requires critical personal data to be processed only in Pakistan (the data localization requirement)
- The definition of critical personal data should be broadly defined so that it can negatively impact private companies;
- The bill introduces a requirement to share sensitive personal data with the government;
- A child’s age under the bill should be thirteen, not eighteen;
- There should be a maximum fine for violations of the bill.
He further stated that the protection of personal data is an important part of any privacy framework. They also appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback on the draft bill.
AIC requested an industry meeting to better understand the bill’s positions and priorities. “We are also proposing to discuss possible areas of cooperation, as well as consultation opportunities that could further assist the Government’s review of the 2023 Data Protection Act. Therefore, we welcome a videoconference meeting with you or your team at a date and time that is convenient for you.” noted the letter.
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