Data Protection Authority comes into force next year
View(s):Sri Lanka is to set up a Data Protection Authority (DPA) next year to protect personal data in its major move towards developing digital economy, while taking measures to implement Personal Data Protection Act, State Minister of Technology Kanaka Herath told the Business Times.
The government enacted the Personal Data Protection Act recently thereby becoming the first South Asian country to introduce comprehensive data protection legislation providing provisions to establish this independent authority, he revealed.
This data regulator will operate independently and will collaborate with other institutions such as the Central Bank, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL).
It will serve as the statutory body overseeing matters of the act and data protection in general in public and private institutions and especially of personnel data of citizens, he added.
The new authority is to oversea the protection of digital payments for government services which will be made mandatory effective from March 01 2023. This also includes considerations for any legal changes and technical assistance to implement this policy
As per the Data Protection Act, No. 9 of 2022, some of the components of the DPA would include a similar approach to that of other state affiliated bodies such as TRCSL.
Accordingly the President will appoint one of the Board members as its Chairperson and will retain the power to remove the appointed member.
DPA will be entrusted with the task of supervising and regulating public and private institutions data, through investigative and corrective powers under the data protection act.
It will provide expert advice on data protection issues and handle complaints lodged against violations of the General Data Protection Regulation and the relevant national laws.
State Minister Herath said steps have also been taken to improve cyber security in government agencies.
Forty three public institutions maintain 124 critical national information technology systems that affect the country’s national security, public welfare, economy, and health, he disclosed.
“These systems will have to be protected from cyber-attacks, he said adding that with the establishment of the Data Protection Authority, steps will be taken to improve cyber security of 10 government institutions.
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