Belgium’s new Private Investigation Act (PIA) was published in the Official Gazette on 6 December 2024, with most of its provisions having entered into force on 16 December 2024. The PIA replaces the 1991 Belgian Act on Private Detectives with the aim of modernizing the applicable legal framework in light of new investigation methods and the application of the General Data Protection Regulation. With its broader scope of application – this legislation is now also applicable to internal investigations – and the significant additional requirements it imposes, the PIA will undoubtedly impact many businesses operating in Belgium.
The proposed amendments to the Consumer Protection Act Regulations in South Africa aim to enhance consumer privacy by regulating direct marketing practices. Open for public comment until 15 January 2025, these changes focus on creating an opt-out registry managed by the National Consumer Commission, allowing consumers to block unsolicited electronic communications. Direct marketers will be required to register, renew annually, and cleanse their databases regularly to comply with the new rules. The amendments also introduce enforcement mechanisms for non-compliance and align with the Protection of Personal Information Act, ensuring comprehensive consumer protection against unwanted marketing.
In response to the persistent issue of fraud, the Fraud Crime Hazard Prevention Act (FCHPA) was passed by the Legislative Yuan and came into force on 31 July 2024. The FCHPA requires financial institutions, virtual asset service providers, telecom enterprises, online advertising platform operators, third-party payment service providers, e-commerce and online gaming companies to respectively take certain fraud prevention measures.
In September 2024, the Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) published the criteria of the online advertising platforms that would be subject to the FCHPA, designated four foreign online advertising platform operators that meet the criteria, and asking them to report their legal representative (can be a law firm) in Taiwan by 31 October 2024.
Following the passing of the Personal Data Protection (Amendment) Bill 2024 by the Malaysian Parliament in July 2024, three public consultation papers have been issued in relation to the implementation of the following impending new legal obligations:
- Notifying the Personal Data Protection Commissioner and affected data subjects for personal data breach.
- Appointing data protection officer(s).
- Effecting the data subject’s right to data portability.
The deadline to provide feedback is 6 September 2024 (Friday).