Chile delays Personal Data Law to 2027

Update September 23, 2026: The Chilean government sent the Senate a bill with urgent status to delay the entry into force of Law 21,719 until Dec. 1, 2027. The proposal also changes the structure of the Personal Data Protection Agency, including its council and the appointment of its first member.

The Chilean government has sent the Senate a bill seeking to postpone the start of Law 21,719 on personal data protection and processing until Dec. 1, 2027. The measure is now moving through the Constitution and Finance committees, while debate continues over the launch of the new body that will oversee the rule.

What changes with the delay to Law 21,719?

The bill pushes the law's effective date back by one year. It is currently scheduled to take effect on Dec. 1, 2026, according to id3a and coverage cited by BioBioChile. The official explanation points to delays in setting up the Personal Data Protection Agency, which is not yet fully operational.

Law 21,719 was published on Dec. 13, 2024, and set a delayed effective date for December 2026. The executive branch now wants to move that deadline to Dec. 1, 2027, while the text remains pending a Senate vote.

What institutional changes does the executive branch propose?

The bill does not only change the implementation date. It also introduces adjustments to the Personal Data Protection Agency. According to BioBioChile, the proposal would expand the agency's council from three members to five and move up the appointment of its first member.

La Tercera also reported that the government was speaking with lawmakers so the agency could begin operating by the end of 2026, even if the general effective date of the law is pushed to December 2027. Coverage cited by Compliance Latam and Legal 500 also placed the proposal within a broader package to strengthen the new authority's institutional framework.

What impact would it have on companies and public bodies?

The discussion affects everyone who handles personal data, from building administrators and doormen to multinational companies, according to an analysis by The Clinic. That report also notes that the future rule will apply broadly once it takes effect.

At the same time, the legislative debate is unfolding alongside signs that companies are not ready. BiobíoChile reported that more than half of the companies surveyed said they were not prepared to comply with the law, and the Santiago Chamber of Commerce published a similar study pointing to a low level of readiness.

What is happening with the rest of the digital agenda?

The Chamber of Deputies approved in general a deepfake bill promoted by lawmaker Gael Yeomans of the Broad Front and sent it back to the Committee on Future, Science, Technology and Knowledge Innovation for further review. The proposal regulates content generated with artificial intelligence and sets specific penalties for deepfakes.

The text introduces the concept of digital integrity as a right that protects a person's image, body and voice, even after death. It also sets obligations for individuals, companies and social media platforms, including rules for labeling AI-generated content, removing reported material within 72 hours and requiring a legal representative in Chile for platforms. Private messaging is excluded.

What other changes remained on the agenda?

Lawmaker Diego Schalper formally asked the government to restore urgent status to the bill aimed at strengthening protection for children and adolescents in digital environments. The initiative is still moving through Chile's National Congress.

According to the text referenced by G5Noticias, the bill seeks to impose obligations on platform operators, establish age-based safeguards and apply measures to prevent harmful effects linked to addictive designs, algorithms and recommendation systems. For now, Congress is still handling several pieces of Chile's digital regulatory framework at the same time.