Uzbekistan will revise its Personal data law, announced President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at a meeting with US companies in Washington Thursday. According to him, Uzbekistan has adopted programs for AI development and digitalization.

The president said that major US technology corporations, including Google, Meta, and Nvidia, had already expressed interest in this sector of Uzbkeistan.

The parties in the meeting also focused on personal data storage and regulation of digital platforms.

“We are abot to complete the work to amend the said legislation with our American partners. This will definitely facilitate new technological partnerships, including the possible entry of global payment systems Apple Pay and Google Pay to Uzbek market, and for setting up of a network of digital academies and startup hubs, Shavkat Mirziyoyev stressed.

In 2021, amendments were made to the Personal data law in Uzbekistan, with Article 27-1 amended to require to locate servers processing personal data of Uzbeks within the country.

“The problem when transnational companies try to enter our market – and I'm primarily talking about Google Pay and Apple Pay – arose simply because the law is written in the language that our laws are usually written in. That is, if the is a strong will, any law can be construed in any way convenient for the interpreting party. And it's unclear who to ask for clarification from,” he said.

The deputy chief of the Financial Technologies, Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmatilla Ubaydullaev also indicated that this provision causes concern among businesses due to the ambiguity in its interpretation.

In July, at a discussion on legal risks created by the Article 27-1 of the Personal data law, participants suggested revising the approach to data localization to avoid excessive regulation. The World Bank had previously also suggested easing requirements regarding the localization of personal data in order to develop the services sector.