Somalia
East Africa
Somalia has an in-force comprehensive data protection law. The Data Protection Act (Law No. 005 of 2023) was signed on 21 March 2023 and took effect on 23 March 2023, making Somalia one of the earliest fragile or post-conflict states in the region to adopt a dedicated regime. It regulates the collection, storage, processing, and transfer of personal data and is now recorded in ATLPF's Instruments database (AI-draft). The Act establishes the Somalia Data Protection Authority as an independent oversight body, now recorded in ATLPF's Regulators database, launched in February 2024, with implementing regulations and guidance since issued. That the regime has moved into operational supervision is notable given Somalia's broader institutional context. With the Act and an operational named regulator now documented, Somalia is scored in line with comparable single-instrument jurisdictions. The records are AI-drafted from a June 2026 verification search; detailed provisions and the practical reach of enforcement across Somalia's federal member states await confirmation.
| Topic | Instruments | Cases | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Protection | 2 | 0 | ◐ |
| AI Governance | 0 | 0 | ○ |
| Fintech | 1 | 0 | ◐ |
| Cybercrime | 2 | 0 | ◐ |
| Digital Rights | 1 | 0 | ◐ |
| Platform Liability | 0 | 0 | ○ |
| Telecoms | 0 | 0 | ○ |
● Covered ◐ Partially covered ○ Not yet covered
Provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia, 2012, Article 19 (Freedom of expression including electronic media) and the right to privacy
Enacted 1 Aug 2012
Somalia Cybersecurity Law (2026)
Somalia Cybercrime Bill (2025)
Central Bank (Mobile Money) Regulations, 2019 (Somalia)
Data Protection Act, 2023 (Law No. 005 of 2023) (Somalia)
Enacted 21 Mar 2023
The Instrument and Regulator records are AI-drafted; detailed provisions (rights, transfers, penalties) and the reach of enforcement across Somalia's federal member states await confirmation against the official text and on-the-ground assessment.