Uzbekistan has changed the rules for working with personal data, which directly affects international services. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a law allowing the storage and processing of some user information outside the country. The document came into force immediately after its official publication on March 26.
According to the new rules, only the most sensitive categories are now required to be stored within the country—biometric and genetic data, as well as information from telecom operators' users. Other data may be transferred abroad if a number of conditions are met, including the existence of a sufficient level of protection in the host country or the use of approved processing standards.
The amendments simplify the operation of global payment services such as PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay in the Uzbek market. The law previously passed approval by both houses of parliament and is intended to make the country more open to international digital platforms.