Ethiopian Personal Data Protection Law (Proclamation 1321/2024): Business Compliance Guide

Ethiopia's legal landscape underwent a decisive transformation in July 2024 when the House of Peoples' Representatives formally published Proclamation No. 1321/2024 — the country's first comprehensive personal data protection legislation. For decades, Ethiopian businesses, government agencies, and international organisations operating in the country processed personal information under a patchwork of sector-specific provisions and constitutional privacy guarantees that lacked enforcement teeth. Proclamation 1321/2024 changes that reality entirely. It creates a unified, enforceable framework that imposes clear obligations on every entity — public or private, domestic or foreign — that collects, stores, uses, or shares the personal data of individuals in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Communications Authority (ECA) has been designated as the regulatory body responsible for overseeing compliance, maintaining the Register of Data Processors, investigating complaints, and imposing sanctions. For