Bolsonaro turns data protection into a military affair

After much delay, Brazil is finally ready to set up its National Data Protection Agency (ANPD), a key element for the functioning of the country’s new regulations on data protections. 

The Senate’s Infrastructure Committee knuckled down to confirm the appointment of the newly-formed agency’s board of directors — but the development was not without controversy. True to form, of the five board members selected by the Jair Bolsonaro administration, three have military backgrounds, sparking fears among society over the handling of their personal data.

As the ANPD is a new agency, the inaugural board of directors will be tasked with laying the foundation for how the 2018 General Data Protection Law will be enforced in Brazil. For the job, President Jair Bolsonaro picked three military officers, and two civilians.

In a legal safeguard against the agency’s directors being changed completely in one fell swoop, each member will have different term limits, ranging between six and two years (with the military directors awarded the longest tenures). In future, all board members will be empowered for four-year terms. 

Who are Brazil’s...