Data Protection Law Violations Lead to Thousands in Fines

Panamanian authorities are intensifying enforcement of the Data Protection Law, with the National Authority for Transparency and Access to Information (ANTAI) issuing $11,000 in fines so far this year. These sanctions have affected both residential administrations and private citizens for breaches of Law 81.

Notable cases include a $7,000 fine against a residential board for publishing confidential information and unauthorized personal data. Within the same complex, the database custodian received two sanctions totaling $3,000 for violating regulations. ANTAI also fined private individuals for disclosing a person's national ID number during debt collection, a practice strictly prohibited without consent.

“

The boards and the PHs must take into consideration the data protection law necessary for the accesses they are requesting; for example, people's faces must be authorized.

As the law marks its fifth anniversary, ANTAI is urging a review of data collection practices. Director Sheyla Castillo de Arias highlighted concerns about facial recognition systems for access in residential buildings, emphasizing that "the faces of people must be authorized." The authority is also focusing on digital protection for minors, stressing the importance of educating children about their data privacy in the online world.

Civil society groups like Fundación IPANDETEC are collaborating with ANTAI to raise awareness and provide training. Rita Mitre of the foundation noted their annual efforts to educate the public on handling personal information. ANTAI offers guides on its official portal detailing permissible data processing and illegal practices for the banking and business sectors.

“

Children, girls, and adolescents are in the world of cybersecurity, they are on the internet all day. It is important that we instill in our minors what their data protection is.