Members of El Salvador’s parliament have unanimously voted to approve the Personal Data Protection Law. 

The legislation will enter into force a year after its publication in the Official Gazette, but there will be a six-month grace period to allow organisations time to update their personal data processing systems to ensure they will be able to comply.

Under the new legislation, which establishes the right of people to know what information is kept on them and for what reason, citizens will have the right to access, rectify or delete personal data held on them.

The legislation seeks to stop misuse of private information which can be exposed indiscriminately and for purposes unrelated to the interests of wider society.

Fines for very serious infractions of the law will be up to 500 monthly minimum wages in the commerce and services sector, serious breaches up to 200 such wages, and minor infractions up to 50.

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