Guidelines for Binding Corporate Rules issued in Argentina

The Argentine Authority of Access to Public Information (Agencia de Acceso a la Información Pública – AAIP) has recently issued its guidelines for Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs) on international data transfer. The Binding Corporate Rules are a mechanism for multinational corporations to legitimize international transfers of personal data within the group. This tool for creating a contractually binding “code of conduct” regarding international data transfers was evolved in the EU and has also been incorporated expressly in Article 47 GDPR. BCRs have been designed as a global solution to comply with the principles of data protection and thus create an adequate level of data protection (cf. Art. 44, 47 GDPR).

Like the GDPR, the Argentine Personal Data Protection Law No. 25, 326 does not permit the cross-border transfer of personal data to countries or international organizations that do not provide an adequate level of data protection. Such transfers would be allowed in accordance with Regulatory Decree No. 1558/2001 when the data subjects expressly gave their consent to the transfer; an appropriate international data transfer agreement is in place; or an adequate protection level arises from self-regulation systems.

According to Regulation 159/2018 published Dec. 7, 2018, the AAIP has now approved guidelines for such BCRs that legitimize international data transfer to countries or international organizations that have not been recognized as providing an adequate level of data protection.

These guidelines provide a framework of principles for a self-regulation mechanism reflecting the requirements and conditions imposed by the Argentine Personal Data Protection Law. The rules of the self-regulation system have to be legally binding upon all members of the corporate group as well as employees, subcontractors and third-party beneficiaries (e.g. data subjects, AAIP). Among other things, those BCRs must consider lawfulness conditions of processing, data subjects’ rights and specific protection concerning sensitive aspects. Furthermore, the subsequent cross-border data transfer to those entities providing a non-adequate level of data protection shall be restricted, data subjects shall be able to place a judicial or administrative complaint and under the BCRs must an appropriate staff data protection training has to take place with regard to data processing activities.

The AAIP shall eventually be entitled to engage in international data transfers originating from an Argentine entity as data exporter and – as third-party beneficiary – in those cases in which personal data of subjects in Argentina is affected.

However, the approval of the AAIP of BCRs that follow the requirements of Regulation No. 159/2018 is not required. In the case a group of companies would rely on BCRs that differ from those conditions though, the relevant documents need to be submitted to the AAIP for approval within the term of 30 calendar days from the date that the transfer took place.

As a valid mechanism to legitimize the international transfer of data within a group of companies, the use of BCRs is been reasonably expected to increase when it comes to in Argentina.