Brazil may introduce cloud
computing regulations
By Angelica Mari for Brazil
Tech | June 4, 2013
The lack of a regulatory environment around data
protection could finally be addressed if proposals become law
A Brazilian
politician has put forward a set of proposals which prompt the creation of a
cloud computing framework and the introduction of data protection laws.
The bill
presented by federal representative Ruy Carneiro is intended to address the
current lack of regulations around privacy protection for any data transferred
to Brazil, interoperability and standards for the provision of services. The
proposals also include the creation of agreements with other countries to
regulate international data flows and mechanisms to deal with occurrences of
cybercrime.
"Brazil
should have the ambition of becoming an important player in the cloud computing
space as it has the potential to increase national competitiveness and productivity,"
Carneiro says in his proposal.
"So an
adequate regulatory environment - which doesn't isolate the country, but offers
security to citizens, enterprises and the government - is fundamental to foster
the industry, bring more foreign investment in that field and allow Brazilian
providers to expand internationally," he adds.
It is true
that universally binding privacy laws does not exist and that countries where
such laws have been adopted often struggle with reforms designed to respond to
the advent of a global digital ecosystem. But the current unpreparedness of
Brazil to deal with data-related matters is appalling.
As well as
the inexistent privacy and cybercrime laws, Brazil hasn't signed the WIPO
Copyright Treaty, meaning there are no regulations to protect new technology -
and piracy is rampant here. A report by Cushman and Wakefield and
hurleypalmerflatt published in 2012 also highlighted other concerns, including
high energy prices and scarcity of skilled manpower, resulting in the conclusion
that Brazil is currently one of the riskiest locations in the world in which to
build a datacenter.
The
proposals around cloud computing by the Brazilian politician, which are
currently being analyzed by the Consumer Rights Commission of the government,
are perhaps too wide-ranging, but are certainly the start of a much-needed
debate. However, Mr Carneiro's path will be far from smooth: the congressman
has expressed frustration about the fact his peers in the Chamber of Deputies
have no idea what cloud computing is.
"No one
understands even the most basic concept," the politician told Brazilian
news portal iG.
If approved,
the new measures will mean a huge advance in terms of Brazil's attractiveness
in the global ICT market and also an update of the country's laws, which are
seriously out of step with global standards on cybercrime and privacy. So
hopefully, Mr Carneiro will manage to get his message across - not just for the
local IT industry, but for citizens' sake.