In Brazil, the growing concern for personal data protection has been highlighted by numerous incidents of data breaches and identity theft. Retired public servant Celio Vikas from São Paulo shared a near-miss experience with a scammer, exemplifying the rising threats to personal data security in the country. As per a 2022 study by the Regional Center of Studies for the Development of the Information Society, around 42% of Brazilians express significant concern about data security during online transactions.
This year marks the fifth anniversary of Brazil’s General Data Protection Law (LGPD), under which the National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) was established in 2020. Despite its efforts, including handling 29 oversight processes and over 630 security incident reports, the ANPD faces challenges due to its limited resources. With a budget of 36 million reais ($7.4m) for 2023 and a team of 150 staff, the authority is under pressure to manage data protection for over 200 million citizens.
ANPD’s current focus includes raising awareness about data protection, standardizing services and products, and collaborating with public sector bodies. The authority has also initiated a public consultation on international data transfer standards.
Despite these efforts, Brazil has witnessed significant data leaks, the most notable being the exposure of personal data of 243 million Brazilians in 2020 due to a security lapse on the Ministry of Health’s website. ANPD Director-President Waldemar Gonçalves emphasized the need for more resources and staff, citing the United Kingdom’s data protection authority’s significantly larger workforce.
Businesses and public entities in Brazil are increasingly recognizing the importance of data privacy, influenced by competition, reputation risks, and the severe consequences of negligence. Cybersecurity and data privacy are intertwined, with massive databases often shared with multiple enterprises, highlighting the need for robust information security.
According to Marcos Oliveira, Brazil’s country manager at cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks, the enforcement of LGPD is driving more companies to invest in cybersecurity. Brazil’s cybersecurity investments are projected to reach 8.3 billion reais ($1.7bn) in 2023, with potential growth to 10.8 billion reais ($2.2bn) by 2026.
Challenges remain, particularly in identifying the sources of data leaks and tackling the illegal data-selling industry. ANPD’s Rabelo stressed the importance of collaboration among government bodies and the recognition of data protection as a national strategy.
As Brazil progresses in its data protection journey, the transformation of ANPD into a special autarchy and the constitutional recognition of data protection as a fundamental right are significant milestones. However, more actions, including a presidential decree, are needed to enhance ANPD’s effectiveness and connect it more closely with the general public.
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