Moroccan Lawmakers Push to Enhance Property Protection for Expats

The Mouvement Populaire group in the House of Representatives has presented a proposal to amend the law on the protection of personal data in Morocco, in order to include financial accounts and real estate. Supported by the signature of its president and six of its members, this proposal aims to modify articles 1 and 43 of law no. 09.08, with the aim of improving the protection of the privacy of Moroccans residing abroad (MREs). The proposal includes the expansion of the definition of personal data in the first article of the law to include any information concerning a specific person, including real estate. This amendment also provides for the modification of article 43 so that the transfer of personal data to other countries is conditional on the recipient country’s commitment to respect the protection of individuals’ privacy, in order to guarantee the security and protection of MREs’ data in their countries of residence, it is specified.

According to the Haraki group, the inclusion of accounts and real estate in personal data will provide MREs with increased guarantees against the exploitation of their sensitive data. According to the presentation note accompanying its proposal, there is a defect in the automatic exchange of information agreement signed by Morocco in 2019. Explanation: this agreement did not take into account the sufficient legal protection of the personal data of MREs not prosecuted by the justice system. This category needs legal protection to protect them from the repercussions of the exchange of information concerning their property and their financial accounts, the group believes.