Protecting Personal Data: Are You Prepared?

The BVI Data Protection Act, 2021 (DPA) came into force on 9 July 2021.

Drafted around a set of EU-style data protection principles (the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR)) to which BVI data controllers must adhere, personal data must be collected in a fair and transparent manner and only be used and disclosed for purposes properly understood and agreed to by data subjects. Any personal data collected must be adequate, kept up-to-date and should not be retained for longer than is necessary to fulfil the collection purposes.

Importantly, the DPA provides a standard framework for both public and private entities in the management of the personal data they use. Internationally active organisations will find many similarities between the DPA and data protection laws of other jurisdictions where they are active but there are some key differences. The DPA provides a lighter touch approach to data protection regulation than other jurisdictions in the