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Regulations › Rest of world › Colombia

Law 1581

Statutory Law 1581 of 2012 on General Provisions for the Protection of Personal Data

In force privacy
WhenIn effect since 18 October 2012
Who enforces itSuperintendencia de Industria y Comercio (SIC), Delegatura para la Protección de Datos Personales
Who it applies toProcessing of personal data in Colombia, and by foreign controllers where Colombian law applies.
Tell the regulatorReport security incidents to SIC through the RNBD within 15 business days of detection DPO requiredEvery controller and processor must designate a person or area to assume the data protection f… RegistrationCompanies and non-profits above an asset threshold (and public entities) must register databas… Transfers abroadTransfers to countries without adequate protection are prohibited unless an exception applies… Request deadlineQueries within 10 business days (plus 5) Maximum fineUp to 2,000 monthly minimum wages (roughly USD 0.7m), plus suspension or closure of operations

Every use of personal data needs prior, express, informed authorization that the controller can prove, and every controller must name a data protection person or area. The SIC actively enforces, larger firms register databases in the RNBD, and breaches go to the SIC within 15 business days.

62% coveredif you already meet GDPR. 8 requirements to work on.See the gap → 6 of 21requirements scored most demanding, each cited to the law.See all 21 → 30 sectionsindexed by topic, each linked to the official text.Read section by section →

The Association's practitioner brief for this law is on the way; the priority laws come first.

Read the official text

Recent developments

Nothing reported yet. Regulatory Watch lists new rules, enforcement and court decisions as they arrive.

Sources

  • Regulator Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio (SIC), Delegatura para la Protección de Datos Personales · Official text or regulator
  • Text of the law Spanish (official); no official English · Official text or regulator

Dates and status checked against these sources on 18 October 2026. This page explains the law for practitioners; it is not legal advice.

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