Ouagadougou: The People's Legislative Assembly (ALP) adopted on Monday the draft organic law establishing the Authority for the Regulation of Communication and the Processing of Personal Data (ARCOD), an institution created from the merger of the High Council of Communication (CSC) and the Commission for Information Technology and Freedoms (CIL), in order to better respond to the challenges of digital transformation and the protection of personal data.
According to Burkina Information Agency, during a plenary session, the 71 deputies present unanimously voted for the draft organic law establishing the name, powers, composition, organization, and operation of this new independent administrative authority. ARCOD takes over the powers previously exercised by the High Council for Communication and the Commission for Information Technology and Freedoms, in accordance with the provisions of the revised Constitution of January 20, 2026, which provides for the establishment of a single authority responsible for the regulation of communication and the protection of personal data.
According to the Minister of Justice, Human Rights, in charge of Relations with Institutions, Keeper of the Seals, Edasso Rodrigue Bayala, the adoption of this organic law constitutes a major step in the implementation of the institutional reform undertaken as a result of the constitutional revision. He indicated that this reform responds to the need to adapt the national institutional framework to the profound changes brought about by the development of information and communication technologies as well as by the increasing importance of issues related to the collection, processing, and protection of personal data.
Through the creation of ARCOD, the government intends to have a more coherent institutional framework, capable of ensuring effective regulation of media and new digital spaces, while guaranteeing respect for citizens' rights regarding the protection of their personal data. This new authority will therefore have to reconcile the imperatives of freedom of communication with the growing demands of digital security, data governance, and privacy protection in a context marked by the acceleration of digital transformation.
The adoption of this organic law is part of the process of bringing national institutions into compliance with the new provisions of the revised Constitution and reflects the will of the authorities to strengthen the governance of the communication sector as well as the national system for the protection of personal data.