The regulatory body responsible for Jamaica’s national data protection regime has said it will require another two years before it is in a position to fully enforce the Data Protection Act (DPA), which was passed by Parliament in 2020.

Established under the DPA, the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) is responsible for overseeing the use of personal data and addressing breaches as outlined in the law.

During a meeting of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) this week, Information Commissioner Celia Barclay, who fielded questions from committee members, said that, based on a number of challenges, the OIC would not be in a position to fully enforce the DPA until 2028.