Chile's Senate votes to delay its new data protection law to October 2027

Chile's Senate approved a bill (Boletín 18.623-07) at first stage on 28 October 2026. It moves the start date of the new personal data protection law, Law 21.719, from 1 December 2026 to 15 October 2027. The government had proposed 1 December 2027, and the Senate brought the date forward. The bill enlarges the board of the new Data Protection Agency from three to five members, with six-year terms, no reappointment and partial renewal every two years. The President proposes the first members as a single slate, which needs the votes of two thirds of senators in office. The government says setting up the new institution needs more time. The bill now goes to the Chamber of Deputies. Until it becomes law, the 1 December 2026 date stands.

The delay follows a failed start. In May the Senate rejected the President's first slate for the agency's board, and the legal deadline for appointments passed in June. With the original date a month away and no regulator in place, Chile shows a demanding data regime running ahead of the capacity to enforce it. The two-thirds rule is meant to protect the regulator's independence. It has already produced one deadlock.