Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

172 Countries with Data Privacy Laws -Year by Year 1973-2025

1 1

Graham Greenleaf @grahamgreenleaf.bsky.social · 5d

Gambia's National Assembly passed the Personal Data Protection and Privacy Bill, 2025 on 29 September, 2025. This makes Gambia the 173rd country to enact a data privacy law. It requires Presidential assent. For the other 172 see papers.ssrn.com/abstract_id=...

<p>For the past 52 years, since 1973 when Sweden enacted the first national data privacy law, countries around the world have enacted new data privacy laws at a

Malaysia's complex new guidelines on cross-border data transfers

1

Graham Greenleaf @grahamgreenleaf.bsky.social · 8d

My article on Malaysia's complex new guidelines on cross-border data transfers is at papers.ssrn.com/abstract_id=... . Still a poor law after 2024 reforms, but definitely improving.

<p>Malaysia’s <i>Personal Data Protection Act</i> (PDPA) was one of the earliest enacted in Asia, but not brought into force until 2013. In 2024 it underwent it

The deeper story behind America's pending loss of free speech

2

Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 24d

The real reason Disney restored Kimmel's late-night show? We, the people, have extraordinary power. Let me explain. https://robertreich.substack.com/p/the-deeper-story-behind-americas

The real reason Disney restored Kimmel's late-night show

robertreich.substack.com

86 720 2.7K

Graham Greenleaf @grahamgreenleaf.bsky.social · 25d

AustLII www.austlii.edu.au (1995 - ) and the other LIIs in the Free Access to Law Movement still stick to the ideals of the 90s, survive and sometimes thrive.

1 2 3

Sinjut @sinjut.aus.social.ap.brid.gy · Sep 17

David Pope captures it beautifully.

Cartoon by David Pope titled "Tall Poppy Syndrome".
ABC reporter John Lyons stands holding a microphone amongst reporters bowing flat sycophantically before Donald Trump. Trump points at him and says "Tell the Australian Prime Minister to weed thus one out."

1 27 1

Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · Aug 25

Sending troops into US cities against their will.

Strong-arming corporations and extracting gifts in exchange for tariff exemptions.

Calling on state governments to gerrymander in his favor.

Trump is the "big government" nightmare conservatives have always warned us about.

150 1.4K 4.1K

Graham Greenleaf @grahamgreenleaf.bsky.social · Aug 13

Cambodia's Post & Telecoms Ministry has released a draft law on personal data protection in July 2025. Still no DPA, and relies on dozens of prakas (regs) being made. See my article on the 2023 Bill: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.... May be better than nothing, but maybe not if there is no enforcement

Cambodia's Draft Data Privacy Law: Too Much is Left to Delegated Prakas

Cambodia is one of the last four of the eleven ASEAN countries that has not enacted a data privacy law. Cambodia’s Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPT

5

Graham Greenleaf @grahamgreenleaf.bsky.social · Aug 12

Dave's map is accurate for the 166 'comprehensive' laws. Add laws restricted to either the private sector (Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Bahrain, China, UAE, Vietnam, Qatar), or only the public sector (Yemen), & you get 172 countries with data privacy laws. See my papers.ssrn.com/abstract_id=...

Graham Greenleaf @grahamgreenleaf.bsky.social · Aug 12

This map is just ignorant concerning the many African and Latin American countries with data privacy laws, and under-estimates the influence of the GDPR elsewhere. 172 countries have such laws. Dave Banisar's map - see Post following - is much more accurate on the extent of countries with laws.

Joanna Bryson @j2bryson.bsky.social · Aug 11

I don't buy that everyone who protects their citizens' data only does that because of the GDPR – among other things, many OECD countries had data protection laws since 1968. But this map is noteworthy for the countries featuring no GDPR "influence." cepa.org/comprehensiv...

Mapping the Brussels Effect: The GDPR Goes Global
The EU has been open about setting standards as the world's "digital regulator." No regulation showcases Brussels' reach as well as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), passed in 2018, as the golden standard for data privacy. This map breaks down the spread of the GDPR beyond the 27
EU member states.
Subject to the GDPR by law
Full adoption of GDPR
GDPR-influenced regulation
Some regulation on both consent mechanisms and
personal data processing
Some regulation on consent mechanisms
Some regulation on personal data processing
Map: Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) • Source: Compiled by authors • Get the data • Embed • Download image

none at all is USA, north of South America, most of Africa, Saudi and the Stans (but not Egypt.) IL, IN, CN JP have relatively strong laws as do AU CA Brazil and Argentina

Norman @noaasm.bsky.social · Aug 11

Same goes for GCC jurisidtions, such as the UAE (including that of DIFC, ADGM), KSA, Qatar, Oman etc

Joanna Bryson @j2bryson.bsky.social · Aug 11

I don't buy that everyone who protects their citizens' data only does that because of the GDPR – among other things, many OECD countries had data protection laws since 1968. But this map is noteworthy for the countries featuring no GDPR "influence." cepa.org/comprehensiv...

3 1 8

Graham Greenleaf @grahamgreenleaf.bsky.social · Aug 11

Apology: correct URL is papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

1

Graham Greenleaf @grahamgreenleaf.bsky.social · Aug 10

My article 'Global data privacy 2025: International agreements stall' at download.ssrn.com/2025/8/10/53... surveys 2023-24's hi-spots: EU adequacy slo-mo; 108+ non-ratification; Malabo Convention stuck at 16/55 AU; ECOWAS withdrawals; CBPRs as dead parrot; CPTPP with added Brexit; RCEP uber FTAs.

download.ssrn.com

Graham Greenleaf @grahamgreenleaf.bsky.social · Aug 10

AustLII (www.austlii.edu.au) will host the 22nd Law Via Internet Conference (Nov 13-14, Sydney) lvi2025.org. 24 presenters are listed on a new Conference Program page lvi2025.org/program/. Further submissions of abstracts are open until 31 August lvi2025.org/callforpapers/. Registration is open.

2

David Banisar @dbanisar.bsky.social · Jul 30

BSA now supports comprehensive privacy laws, and is horrified by states adopting new (outrageous) laws that actually gives consumers some rights. So not really a good or even comprehensive law, or probably a law at all really. I’m feeling a certain sense of deja vu all over again.

TIME CHANGE: Protecting the Virtual You: Safeguarding Americans' Online Data | United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary

EPIC @epic.org · Jul 30

This afternoon, EPIC Executive Director Alan Butler (@alanindc.bsky.social) will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on the importance of strong federal data regulations to protect the privacy of American consumers.

➡️ Tune in at 2:30 pm ET: www.judiciary.senate.gov/committee-ac...

United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary

www.judiciary.senate.gov

5 7

michael veale @michae.lv · Apr 23

German legal closed-access publisher Beck raises huge amounts of money to train proprietary German LLM and calls it ‘sovereign’. This isn’t ‘Eurostack’, this is a new step in the enclosure of access to legal knowledge. techcrunch.com/2025/04/22/n...

Noxtua raises $92M for its sovereign AI tuned for the German legal system | TechCrunch

A startup called Noxtua has raised a $92 million Series B for its sovereign AI tailored for the German legal system.

techcrunch.com

2 11 23

James Steel @jamessteel2008.bsky.social · May 6

www.theguardian.com/politics/202... How about Labour fix this, get rid of ID and allow 16-17 year olds the vote.

Britain has one of most difficult voter registration processes, report finds

UK system makes it a ‘real outlier’ among liberal democracies, according to study examining 62 countries

www.theguardian.com

15 46

The Digital Transparency Lab @globalprivacy.bsky.social · May 12

Conv 108+ Ratification - Looking forward to the June update. Reading the latest minutes: 46 signatures
out of which, 33 ratifications. Greece 5 March 2025
and Monaco on 6 March 2025 Amending Protocol CETS No. 223 @grahamgreenleaf.bsky.social will it happen?
rm.coe.int/abrrep-63nd-... @coe.int

rm.coe.int

Pat Walshe - Privacy Matters @privacymatters.bsky.social · May 21

“Large language models do not distinguish between fact and fiction. … They are not, strictly speaking, designed to tell the truth. Yet they are implemented in many sectors where truth and detail matter”

www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

AI is more persuasive than a human in a debate, study finds

When provided basic demographic information on their opponents, AI chatbots adapted their arguments and became more persuasive than humans in online debates.

www.washingtonpost.com

2 7 15

Graham Greenleaf @grahamgreenleaf.bsky.social · Jul 25

The LvI 2025 Conference to be hosted by AustLII has extended the date for abstract submissions to 31/08/25 lvi2025.org/callforpapers/ and halved the registration fee secure.austlii.edu.au/cgi-egate/re... . Both will make the conference bigger and better. Please join us in Sydney in November, 12-14.

Pat Walshe - Privacy Matters @privacymatters.bsky.social · Jun 25

Data flows and digital repression: Civil society urges EU to reassess Israel’s adequacy status

edri.org/our-work/dat...

Civil society urges EU to reassess Israel’s adequacy status - European Digital Rights (EDRi)

The letter urges the European Commission to reassess Israel’s data protection adequacy status under the GDPR.

edri.org

9 17

Graham Greenleaf @grahamgreenleaf.bsky.social · Jun 7

172 countries have now enacted data privacy laws by, 12 new in 2023/24 (+ Brunei in 2025). At the current growth rate of 5.2 p/a, they could be universal in 8 years, but some (N.Korea?) will resist. GDPR influence still dominates. My paper analysing the changes is at papers.ssrn.com/abstract_id=...

Global Data Privacy Laws 2025: 172 Countries, Twelve New in 2023/24

This biennial global assessment is the 9th in this publication since 2011. Each assessment has been accompanied by detailed tables listing key features of all t

Free Access to Law and Digital Court Decisions in Australia: Reflections and Future Directions

Graham Greenleaf @grahamgreenleaf.bsky.social · Jun 5

AustLII is hosting the 2025 Law via Internet Conference (LVI 2025 lvi2025.org), 'Empowering a just society through legal information, policy, technology, & practice', in Sydney in November. The Call for Papers closes on 21 July & registration is now open. It will be beach weather - bring your togs!

lvi2025.org

1 1 4

Graham Greenleaf @grahamgreenleaf.bsky.social · Jun 5

'Free Access to Law and Digital Court Decisions in Australia: Reflections and Future Directions', mainly about AustLII's contributions, is by Andrew Mowbray, Philip Chung and me, at papers.ssrn.com/abstract_id=...

Digital copies of court decisions have become such an essential and assumed part of Australia's legal system that it is worth reflecting on how the present aros

AI is more persuasive than a human in a debate, study finds

2 1

Graham Greenleaf @grahamgreenleaf.bsky.social · May 21

This is so fundamental: they are designed to tell you what they surmise you would expect to hear next. Not what is true. The two often coincide, but that is not a good place to start.

Pat Walshe - Privacy Matters @privacymatters.bsky.social · May 21

“Large language models do not distinguish between fact and fiction. … They are not, strictly speaking, designed to tell the truth. Yet they are implemented in many sectors where truth and detail matter”

www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

When provided basic demographic information on their opponents, AI chatbots adapted their arguments and became more persuasive than humans in online debates.

www.washingtonpost.com

4 10 24

Graham Greenleaf @grahamgreenleaf.bsky.social · May 13

5 more ratifications of 108+ required for it to come into force. Maybe this year.

The Digital Transparency Lab @globalprivacy.bsky.social · May 12

Conv 108+ Ratification - Looking forward to the June update. Reading the latest minutes: 46 signatures
out of which, 33 ratifications. Greece 5 March 2025
and Monaco on 6 March 2025 Amending Protocol CETS No. 223 @grahamgreenleaf.bsky.social will it happen?
rm.coe.int/abrrep-63nd-... @coe.int

rm.coe.int

Privacy Laws & Business @privacylaws.com · May 12

It's 50+ years since the first national data protection law in Sweden
@grahamgreenleaf.bsky.social traces the impact over this period and identifies the current significance of data privacy laws in an increasingly digital world

Full programme: www.events.privacylaws.com#/agenda?day=...
#plb2025