At the end of May this year, a group of MPs introduced a bill for supplements to the Bulgarian Personal Data Protection Act . It attempts to regulate the information circulating the Internet, both in terms of websites and of publications available in blogs, social networks, etc.
The envisaged supplements affect the online presence of companies and can be divided into two main groups.
1. The first group concerns the requirement for operators of websites, online platforms, blogs and others to include a certain set of information in a visible place. For instance, for legal entities, this includes company name, UIC, address, e-mail, contact person, etc. An obligation will emerge to update the information in a timely manner when transferring (selling, changing the holder) of the website - that is, this should be taken into account, for example, when finalising transactions.
2. The second group, which is also the main focus of the proposed supplements, concerns the fight against fake news.
2.1. A legal definition of "disinformation on the Internet" is introduced, which broadly describes what fake news is.
2.2. A new power is created for the Commission for Personal Data Protection to require the Chairman of the Sofia District Court to order providers of electronic communications services (in other words, Internet providers, but not only) to block access to pages that disseminate such information. Such technique is not new and is already known in Bulgarian legislation - it exists in the Consumer Protection Act, the Gambling Act, etc.
The proposed supplements are still at the bill phase and are yet to be approved and adopted.
Related content: TMT
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