New laws adopted in Egypt and Switzerland

The influence of the EU GDPR continues to be felt far and wide. Egypt has adopted its first ever data protection law which enters into force on 16 October 2020 (p.1), and Switzerland has recently updated its 1992 data protection law, planning to retain its EU adequacy status.

The GDPR has also been a model for many African countries, several of which already have legislation in place. In this issue, we report on Nigeria’s Data Protection Bill, 2020.

How would a US federal privacy law interact with existing state level privacy laws? In this issue we look at the private right of action under the California Consumer Privacy Act and how it might be expanded.

The Schrems II judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in July has had an impact on US business and is a major topic that will stay with us for some time, although the EU Commission is prioritising this work and is trying to find a solution for data transfers from the EU to the US. We may see revised Standard Contractual Clauses emerge before Christmas. An expensive alternative is using Binding Corporate Rules. Read what the experience has been in 2020 with companies working with four national DPAs as lead authorities.

Professor Graham Greenleaf explores the relationship between trade agreements and new data privacy laws and Bills in Asia-Pacific countries, and together with Dr Katharine Kemp, the anti-competition developments in Australia regarding Facebook and Google.

We will return to these questions in our series of five PL&B webinars on German data protection legislative and judicial developments and their impact on business. The first webinar on 28 October will discuss how different laws are becoming more relevant to privacy issues, for example, in the Facebook decision of the Federal Cartel Authority (PL&B International Report December 2019 p.1) and the subsequent Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf and Federal Supreme Court decisions. See www.privacylaws.com/germany for the programme and on how to register.

Laura Linkomies
Editor, Privacy Laws & Business

October 2020