The digital landscape continuously evolves, demanding strong and robust frameworks to safeguard personal data. Many countries have put in place laws to protect the privacy and security of individuals and organizations. On April 4, 2024, Ethiopia, which hitherto did not have any comprehensive data protection rules except for those scattered in financial and media laws, took a significant step forward by enacting the Personal Data Protection Proclamation (Proclamation No. 1321/2024) (the Proclamation).

One of the prominent legislations in the realm of private data protection is the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which significantly strengthens privacy rights for individuals in the European Economic Area. Due to its comprehensive nature and its extensive geographical application, the GDPR could serve as a valuable reference standard. In this Insight article, Fitsum Sitotaw, from DABLO Law Firm LLP, gives a general overview of the Ethiopian Proclamation in light of the GDPR.

There have been radical developments in various artificial intelligence (AI) models, with ChatGPT being the most prominent. ChatGPT serves as a language-based AI chatbot that uses a set of techniques referred to as deep learning that has continuous learning capabilities. As a result of these revolutionary AI developments, businesses have acknowledged the valuable insights that AI platforms can provide. It facilitates the generation of contracts, marketing content, CVs, articles, essays, and much more. It does so by gathering and processing data sourced from the internet, encompassing large sets of data derived from books, articles, and other online resources. PR de Wet and Jako Fourie, from VDT Attorneys Inc., examine the impact of POPIA on AI developments, with a specific focus on the processing of data by automated means through AI.

In this Insight article, Magda Cocco, Partner, Inês Antas de Barros, Partner, Isabel Ornelas, Managing Associate, and Maria de Lurdes Gonçalves, Managing Associate, from Vieira de Almeida & Associados, delve into the significance of the Malabo Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (the Malabo Convention), exploring its impact on Africa's data protection and cybersecurity landscape and the challenges and opportunities it presents for member states and businesses.

Since the inception of the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 (POPIA), the Information Regulator has achieved some significant milestones in terms of POPIA and the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2 of 2000 (PAIA). In this Insight Article, PR de Wet and Mishka Cassim, from VDT Attorneys Inc, analyze the milestones accomplished in 2022 and the expectations for 2023.