Data Protection Officer "DPO": Chile and Colombia

The Data Protection Officer (DPO) is positioned as a strategic figure within organisations to ensure compliance with data protection regulations and strengthen information governance.

In Chile, their appointment is mainly linked to the adoption of breach prevention models under Law No. 21.719, requiring independence, specialised knowledge and an active role in supervision, advice and internal training.

For its part, in Colombia there is no express legal obligation to appoint a DPO; however, the authority recommends its implementation as a good practice within the framework of Law 1581 of 2012 and Decree 1074 of 2015, highlighting its role in risk management, compliance and relationship with the authority.

In both countries, the incorporation of this figure allows not only to mitigate legal and reputational risks, but also to strengthen the organisational culture in terms of data protection.

This content was prepared by our associate Martín Basualdo, from the Data Protection area of ECIJA Chile, together with partners Stella Vanegas and Alejandro Londoño, from the Data Protection team of ECIJA Colombia.