Personal Data Protection and Safeguarding Draft Act June 2019 About the ARTICLE 19 Transparency and MENA Programme The ARTICLE 19 Transparency Programme advocates for the development of progressive standards on access to information at the international and regional levels, and their implementation in domestic legal systems. The Transparency Programme has produced a number of standard-setting publications, which outline international and comparative law and best practice in areas such as national security and privacy. On the basis of these publications and ARTICLE 19’s overall legal expertise, the Transparency Programme publishes a number of legal analyses, guides, and other materials each year, commenting on legislative proposals, as well as existing laws that affect the right to information, whistleblowing, data protection, and related rights. This analytical work frequently leads to substantial improvements in proposed or existing domestic legislation. All of our materials are available online at http://www.article19.org/ If you would like to discuss this analysis further, please contact David Banisar, Senior Legal Counsel and Head of Transparency of ARTICLE 19 at Banisar@article19.org. The ARTICLE 19 Middle East and North Africa (MENA) programme focusses on a number of countries in the region with concerns over their records on freedom of expression in the world. Many countries in the region lack legal protections for human rights and the rule of law is undermined by a lack of independent judiciaries. The 2011 Arab Spring popular protests brought hope for improvements but devastating wars, foreign intervention, and instability have since made it an extremely dangerous environment for journalists, civil society, and human rights defenders, forcing millions to leave in search of safety. As war and conflict tear apart infrastructure and cause huge regression in development indicators across Yemen, Syria, Libya, and Iraq, elsewhere repressive governments in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, and Bahrain have reinforced anti-human rights practices, often in the name of national security and counterterrorism. ARTICLE 19’s work on Iran focuses on monitoring laws, policies, and regulations that affect freedom of expression and information online and offline. We monitor Iran’s complex internet policies and respond to evolving threats online. We work with a wide network of experts and human rights defenders on how to effectively use Iran’s freedom of information law and to highlight violations on freedom of expression and access to information. If you would like to discuss the context and analysis of this Draft Act further, please contact Mahsa Alimardani at mahsa@article19.org. ARTICLE 19 – Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Rd, London EC1R 3GA – www.article19.org – +44 20 7324 2500 Page 6 of 58