Challenges Complying with Privacy Law in Jamaica

Jamaica’s data privacy law, Data Protection Act, 2020 (Act), will be enforced on December 1, 2023. However, some government and private organizations are yet to be compliant with the eight standards of the Act. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand the challenges being experienced by Jamaican government organizations in complying with the law and to recommend measures, which may aid in complying with the law. The study involved eight participants from three government organizations in Jamaica. These government organizations collect, store, and process nationals’ and non-nationals’ personal data. Interviews were conducted using open-ended questions. The challenges identified are employee knowledge and lack of resources to comply with the law. With the compliance date fast approaching, the study recommends short term and medium-to-long term initiatives that these organizations can undertake to ensure compliance with the Act.