Chile Proposes Delaying Data Law to 2027

Update September 24, 2026: Chile’s government has proposed delaying the entry into force of Law No. 21,719 until Dec. 1, 2027, one year after the original date. The initiative is still pending in the Senate, so it does not yet change the current legal deadline.

Chile’s government has proposed a 12-month delay in the rollout of Personal Data Protection Law 21,719, moving its effective date to Dec. 1, 2027. The law was published in the Official Gazette on Dec. 13, 2024, and still carries a Dec. 1, 2026 start date under its transitional first article.

Why is the data law being delayed?

The debate centers on the fact that the agency responsible for enforcing the new regime is not yet ready to operate. David Díaz, an academic at the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Chile, warned that the body could take up to a year to become functional after formal creation, due to the time needed to appoint board members, set up teams and issue secondary regulations.

The University of Chile’s own FEN school echoed that view, saying that with only months left before the planned start date, the agency still lacks its three appointed council members and full operating capacity. Arco Legal framed the delay as a sign of structural problems rather than a real fix, saying the extra year does not by itself close gaps in technical capacity or governance.

What does the extension bill say now?

The bill was introduced in the Senate as Bill No. 18.623-07 and remains pending, so the proposed extension does not yet change the legal date in force. According to the analysis cited by Anguita Osorio, the delay would move the effective date to Dec. 1, 2027 if the bill advances, but for now the original deadline still stands.

What do supporters of the delay say?

A column distributed through MSN Chile called the move necessary and responsible, arguing that the Data Protection Agency does not yet exist as an operating body. In that view, forcing compliance under threat of fines without an agency to guide and interpret the rules would create legal uncertainty and raise the risk of arbitrary enforcement for companies and public services.

What is the status of the artificial intelligence law?

The Artificial Intelligence bill remains under legislative review and, according to the doctrinal analysis cited by Lawwwing, could still undergo significant changes during parliamentary debate. The initiative is moving through the Senate and aims to establish risk assessment, traceability and reporting obligations for high-impact AI systems.

That design also applies to operators in Chile using models developed or hosted abroad. In comments published by La Tercera, the bill was described as requiring reports, traceability and bias assessments for those operating such systems in the country, adding compliance and transparency demands for providers and corporate users.

Lawwwing added that this could force companies to review contracts with cloud and foundation model providers, since the obligations are not limited to systems developed locally. The regulatory scope is already starting to strain how technology companies and public agencies manage their AI tools while the legislative debate continues.