PDPS representatives introduce new law

Georgia: Personal Data Protection Service (PDPS) representatives introduced a crucial new law to government administration employees, emphasizing its significance in the realm of data protection.

Under the guidance of the Personal Data Protection Service, the Head of the Office of the Head of the Service, Nikoloz Popiashvili, the Head of the Legal Department, Lika Kobaladze, and the Deputy Head of the Private Sector Supervision Department, Tengiz Mamulia, presented the changes in detail. These changes, which will come into force on Friday, March 1, 2024, are designed to enhance data protection in Georgia.

The recallers discussed essential issues such as the mandate of the Personal Data Protection Service, the legality of data processing, the rights of the subject and the grounds for restriction, the lawfulness of data processing through video and audio monitoring, the data protection officer, the obligation to report an incident to the service, etc.

The Personal Data Protection Service will actively continue to hold information meetings for public and private institutions to get to know the news provided by the new law.

Personal Data Protection Service (PDPS)

The Personal Data Protection Service (PDPS) is an independent state authority; its activities are: 

• Monitoring lawfulness of personal data processing;
• Monitoring covert investigative actions and activities performed within the central databank of electronic communications identification data is one of the key responsibilities of the Personal Data Protection Service.

The service’s control over the legality of personal data processing in Georgia dates back to 2013. It has Conducted oversight of covert investigative actions since 2015. 

These powers were initially exercised by the Office of the Personal Data Protection Inspector from 2013 to 2019. They were then transferred to his legal successor, the State Inspector’s Service, which held the mandate from 2019 to 2022. Finally, on March 1, 2022, the mandate was given to the current authority, the Personal Data Protection Service.