Covid-19 could delay Data Privacy Law

Photo: NeONBRAND

With the goal of assuring judicial guarantees during the public health crisis, the judicial and legislative branches presented a bill suspending specific rules until the end of 2020. If approved, the bill would make evictions illegal until December 31, and would allow for purchases to be returned until October 30. The date for the new Data Protection Law to come into effect would also be postponed by 18 months.

As reported Brenno Grillo showed today, local administrations are exploring the use of citizens’ cell phone data to crack down on public gatherings during the Covid-19 crisis. But this throws up several legal questions.

Drawn up by Supreme Court Chief Justice Dias Toffoli, the bill was presented by the deputy speaker in the Senate, Antônio Anastasia. Law scholars, including Antonio Carlos Ferreira from the Supreme Court of Justice and Otavio Luiz Rodrigues Jr. of the National Council of Prosecution Services, also helped draft the bill.

Mr. Anastasia argued the bill’s goal is “not to change the current laws, given the emergency nature of the crisis generated by the pandemic, but only to create transitional rules.”