Malta: Adopted amendments to the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (PDP Act) including data protection regulation

On 29 August 2024, both houses adopted the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (PDP Act) amendments under the Justice Legislation Amendment (Integrity, Defamation and Other Matters) Bill 2024. The Information Commissioner shall be empowered to resolve privacy complaints informally if it has first conducted a preliminary inquiry and consulted with the relevant parties, and has determined that it is reasonably possible to resolve the matter informally. In the event of a resolution, the outcome must be recorded. Moreover, the Information Commissioner will be empowered to decline a privacy complaint in instances where the complainant has demonstrated a lack of cooperation. The definition of a 'law enforcement agency' under the PDP Act now includes the Victorian Legal Services Board and the Victorian Legal Services Commissioner.