Chile Senate Delays Personal Data Law to 2027

Update October 29, 2026: The Chilean Senate approved the bill and sent it to the Chamber of Deputies for a second round of debate. The text now sets the effective date of Law 21,719 for October 15, 2027 and keeps transitional rules on sanctions and the first makeup of the Personal Data Protection Agency’s board.

The Chilean Senate approved the bill that delays enforcement of Law No. 21,719 on personal data protection and the future Personal Data Protection Agency until October 15, 2027. The measure has moved to the Chamber of Deputies for its second constitutional stage. Until it completes that process and is signed into law and published, the current legal effective date remains in force.

What did the Chilean Senate approve?

The Senate approved the bill amending Law No. 21,719 to push back its start date and adjust the initial operating rules for the new agency. The approved date is October 15, 2027, instead of the December 1, 2027 date originally proposed by the executive branch.

The Committee on Constitution, Legislation, Justice and Regulations had already approved the proposal in detail and sent it to the Finance Committee to review the matters under its jurisdiction before the floor vote. The full Senate then backed the initiative and forwarded it to the Chamber of Deputies for its second constitutional review.

What changes for the future agency?

The approved text keeps changes to the structure of the future Personal Data Protection Agency and adds transitional rules for its first board. Under those rules, two council members would serve six years, two would serve four years, and one would serve two years, according to the version sent by the Senate.

The bill also expands the agency’s governing council from three members to five. Those members would be appointed by the president of the Republic with the approval of two-thirds of the Senate, and the council would be partially renewed every two years.

What happens to sanctions during the rollout?

For the first 12 months, the approved text keeps the option to issue written warnings without monetary fines for smaller companies. That transitional rule is part of the staggered entry-into-force plan Congress discussed to help ease the shift to the new legal framework.

The delay is intended to give companies and public agencies more time to adapt to the new data handling and protection obligations. Based on the reporting cited, the bill is still moving through the legislative process and does not change the schedule on its own until the remaining steps are completed.

The Committee on Constitution, Legislation, Justice and Regulations of the Chilean Senate unanimously approved the idea of legislating on the delay to Law No. 21,719 on personal data protection and on changes to the future Personal Data Protection Agency. The executive branch’s proposal calls for postponing enforcement until December 1, 2027, and the debate is still in its first constitutional stage, so it does not yet have the force of law.

What did the Senate committee approve?

The committee approved, in general, two initiatives aimed at changing when Law No. 21,719 takes effect: one put forward by the executive branch, Bill No. 18.623-07, and another parliamentary motion, Bill No. 18.060-07. After that vote, the executive branch committed to giving the bill immediate urgency so it could continue through a detailed review.

What changes are being discussed for the future agency?

The bill also includes changes to the structure of the future Personal Data Protection Agency. Among them, it proposes increasing the governing council from three to five members, appointed by the president with the approval of two-thirds of the Senate, and partially renewing that council every two years.

During the legislative discussion, an alternative to a full delay was also raised. That design would have kept the substantive rights and obligations in force in December 2026 and postponed the agency’s oversight and sanctioning powers by one year.

What impact are the adaptation deadlines meant to have?

The initiative is meant to give companies and public agencies more time to adapt to the new data protection framework. According to the compliance guidance cited, while the bill has not finished its legislative path, organizations should not assume the adjustment deadline has already been extended to 2027.

That matters because the proposed delay is not yet in force. The postponement to December 2027 is still under parliamentary review and, for now, does not change the obligations tied to when the law takes effect.