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UPDATE: The deadline for President Temer to sign the General Data Protection Bill into law was extended to August 14th on a technicality. Take action now to help ensure he approves the law in full.

Here’s the good news: Both houses of Brazil’s National Congress have passed a comprehensive General Data Protection Bill. It would be the first law of its kind in the country, and would represent a major advancement of Brazilians’ fundamental privacy rights. Local civil society groups have been fighting for years to achieve this win, and with just one more step, the data protection bill would come into law.

But here’s the bad news: The bill still must be signed into law by the president, and powerful lobbies against data protection are trying to convince the president to use his veto power to eliminate important protections for privacy and government accountability. President Michel Temer has until August 7th to either approve the bill in its entirety, or to exercise his veto powers.

Take action now to stand with Brazilians for a strong data protection law, supported by civil society, the people, and their elected representatives.

One important provision in the General Data Protection Bill would establish an independent Data Protection Authority to enforce the law, monitor the activities of businesses and government agencies to ensure people’s data is properly protected, and provide individuals with an avenue to address violations of their rights. But reports indicate President Temer is considering removing that provision and instead delegating oversight responsibilities to an agency within the existing government structure. This change, and others like it, would seriously undermine the protections Brazilians have fought so hard for.

As it stands now, the General Data Protection Bill embodies many of the same fundamental principles as the EU’s GDPR, and would be a major milestone in the global movement for data protection. It empowers people to make informed choices about who holds their data and how it is used, and imposes clear requirements for data holders to respect those rights. Other countries must also provide an adequate level of protection for international data transfers involving Brazilians’ information.

Countries across Latin America are debating their own data protection frameworks, and Brazil could provide an excellent example of a people-centered approach for others in the region to follow.

Join us in calling on President Temer to sign the bill as it is and protect the safeguards it contains. The fundamental right to privacy of millions of Brazilians depends on it.

This campaign is a collaboration between Access Now and the Brazilian Coalition of Digital Rights.