Guatemala, Costa Rica advance data laws

Guatemala’s Congressional National Security Affairs Commission issued a new favorable opinion, with changes, on Initiative 6347, while in Costa Rica lawmaker Sigrid Segura introduced bill 25.826 to amend Law 8968 and penalize the storage of personal data without encryption. At the same time, Chile is debating a possible delay to its personal data law, and several initiatives in Argentina remain in committee.

What did Guatemala approve in Initiative 6347?

The legislative commission gave a favorable opinion to Initiative 6347, known as the Cybersecurity Law, with changes to the earlier version. The proposal would create a National Cybersecurity Council chaired by the president, as well as an administrative sanctions regime and a legal framework for criminal and procedural matters related to cybersecurity.

Coverage from La Hora also says the National Cybersecurity Directorate would fall under the Ministry of the Interior, while the Ministry of National Defense would keep its cyberdefense powers. According to that report, Congress sent the initiative back to committee in April 2026 after questions over the duties assigned to Defense.

Prensa Libre adds that Initiative 6347 was introduced in March 2024 and is still under review in the Economy Commission. La Hora, however, says the new opinion was not issued jointly with that commission, leaving the legislative process still open.

What does Costa Rica propose with bill 25.826?

The Costa Rican bill would fine public institutions and private companies that store personal data without encryption. The initiative seeks to amend Law 8968 and sets specific adjustment deadlines for the public sector and for companies handling sensitive or credit data.

According to Diario Extra, the public administration would have 18 months to update its systems, while private companies that handle sensitive or credit data would have two years to carry out an update plan. The bill introduced by Sigrid Segura still has to continue through the Legislative Assembly.

How is the debate moving in Chile?

In Chile, lawmakers added alternatives to the one-year delay requested by the executive branch for the Personal Data Protection Law. According to Pauta, senators proposed limiting the extension to six months or rolling out the law in stages.

That debate comes amid pressure from the business sector. G5 Noticias cited a survey saying 72% of the companies consulted in Chile admit they are not ready for the new law, although the available excerpt does not identify the methodology or the survey population. That figure provides context, but it does not on its own show the full scope of the problem.

What is happening in Argentina?

In Argentina, the source material only says that the personal data and artificial intelligence regulation initiatives are still in committee. No further details are provided about their content, or about deadlines, opinions, or votes.

That leaves Argentina at an earlier stage than Guatemala, where a favorable opinion is already in hand, and different from the debates in Chile and Costa Rica, which are focused on implementation deadlines, delays, or specific penalties.