Database

Browse Database

GUINEA

Since April 2015

Pillar Intermediary liability  |  Sub-pillar User identity requirement
Law No. 2015/018/AN of 13 April 2015 on Telecommunications and Information Technologies in the Republic of Guinea (Loi No. 2015/018/AN du 13 Avril 2015 Relative aux Télécommunications et aux Technologies de l'Information en République de Guinée)
Art. 36 of the Telecommunications Act requires the identification of all telecommunication service subscribers. It also requires operators to transmit the identification data to the “competent authorities” upon request from the public prosecutor's office.
Coverage Telecommunications sector

GUINEA

Since December 2020

Pillar Intermediary liability  |  Sub-pillar User identity requirement
Decision D/001/ARTP/CNRPT/2021 of 31 December 2020 on Subscriber Identification (Décision D/001/ARTP/CNRPT/2021 du 31 décembre 2020 portant sur l'identification des abonnés)
According to Art. 2 of the Decision D/001/ARTP/CNRPT/2021, SIM card or internet services activation is only authorised after the identification of the subscribers. The latest must provide their ID card, electoral card or passport (Art. 3).
Coverage Telecommunications sector

GUINEA

Reported in 2023

Pillar Content access  |  Sub-pillar Blocking or filtering of commercial web content
Blocking of commercial web content
It has been reported that Guinean authorities have implemented restrictions on Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms in May 2023.
Coverage Social media

GUINEA

Reported in 2024

Pillar Content access  |  Sub-pillar Presence of Internet shutdowns
Presence of Internet shutdowns
The indicator "6.2.4 - Government Internet shut down in practice" of the V-Dem Dataset, which measures whether the government has the technical capacity to actively make internet service cease, thus interrupting domestic access to the internet or whether the government has decided to do so, has a score of 1 in Guinea for the year 2023. This corresponds to "The government shut down domestic access to the Internet numerous times this year."
In addition, it is reported that the military junta has maintained a permanent internet shutdown since assuming power in 2022, primarily targeting periods of planned protests. Before the junta's rule, authorities also implemented a complete internet shutdown during the 2020 elections' voting period.
Coverage Horizontal

GUINEA

N/A

Pillar Telecom infrastructure & competition  |  Sub-pillar Signature of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Telecom Reference Paper
Lack of appendment of WTO Telecom Reference Paper to schedule of commitments
Guinea has not appended the World Trade Organization (WTO) Telecom Reference Paper to its schedule of commitments.
Coverage Telecommunications sector

GUINEA

Since April 2015

Pillar Telecom infrastructure & competition  |  Sub-pillar Presence of an independent telecom authority
Law No. 2015/018/AN of 13 April 2015 on Telecommunications and Information Technologies in the Republic of Guinea (Loi No. 2015/018/AN du 13 Avril 2015 Relative aux Télécommunications et aux Technologies de l'Information en République de Guinée)
According to Arts. 8 and 9 of the Law No. 2015/018/AN, the regulatory body for the postal and telecommunications sector is called the "Regulatory Authority for Posts and Telecommunications", abbreviated as ARPT. This body carries out its regulatory functions in an independent, neutral, professional, impartial, and transparent manner and has legal personality and administrative and financial autonomy.
Coverage Telecommunications sector

GUINEA

Since July 2016

Pillar Cross-border data policies  |  Sub-pillar Ban to transfer and local processing requirement
Law L/2016/037/AN of 28 July 2016 on Cybersecurity and Personal Data Protection in the Republic of Guinea (Loi L/2016/037/AN du 28 juillet 2016 Relative à la Cyber-Sécurité et à la Protection des Données à Caractère Personnel en République de Guinée)
According to Art. 28 of Part II of the Law L/2016/037/AN, the transfer of personal data is subject to prior authorisation from the personal data protection authority. Any transfer of such data is subject to strict and regular control by the authorities with regard to their purposes. The authorisation is always needed, though other conditions must also be fulfilled. A controller of personal data may only transfer such data to a third country if the state ensures a higher or equivalent level of protection of privacy, fundamental freedoms and rights of individuals with regard to the processing to which such data may be subject.
Coverage Horizontal

GUINEA

N/A

Pillar Cross-border data policies  |  Sub-pillar Participation in trade agreements committing to open cross-border data flows
Lack of participation in agreements with binding commitments on data flows
Guinea has not joined any agreement with binding commitments to open transfers of data across borders.
Coverage Horizontal

GUINEA

Since July 2016

Pillar Domestic data policies  |  Sub-pillar Framework for data protection
Law L/2016/037/AN of 28 July 2016 on Cybersecurity and Personal Data Protection in the Republic of Guinea (Loi L/2016/037/AN du 28 juillet 2016 Relative à la Cyber-Sécurité et à la Protection des Données à Caractère Personnel en République de Guinée)
Law L/2016/037/AN provides a comprehensive regime of data protection in Guinea. Art. 2 of Part II stipulates that "the purpose of this law is to guarantee the protection of personal data in the Republic of Guinea by defining, in particular, the rules, mechanisms, and tools for the protection and management of such data, as well as the sanctions for violations of these rules, in addition to the sanctions provided for by the law on cybercrime".
Coverage Horizontal

GUINEA

Since July 2016

Pillar Domestic data policies  |  Sub-pillar Minimum period for data retention
Law L/2016/035/AN of 28 July 2016 on Electronic Transactions in the Republic of Guinea (Loi L/2016/035/AN du 28 juillet 2016 Relative aux Transactions Électroniques en République de Guinée)
Art. 37 of the Law L/2016/035/AN sets a minimum retention period for documents relating to electronic transactions. These documents must be kept for at least 10 years. During this period, the information must be accessible and retrievable, kept in its original format, and traceable to its origin and destination.
Coverage Horizontal

GUINEA

Since July 2016

Pillar Domestic data policies  |  Sub-pillar Requirement to allow the government to access personal data collected
Law L/2016/037/AN of 28 July 2016 on Cybersecurity and Personal Data Protection in the Republic of Guinea (Loi L/2016/037/AN du 28 juillet 2016 Relative à la Cyber-Sécurité et à la Protection des Données à Caractère Personnel en République de Guinée)
Under Arts. 96 to 105, Law No. 2016-037 permits a "competent authority" to require legal or natural persons who offer internet access to carry out surveillance on their subscribers’ activities without specifying the role of the judicial authority in triggering the surveillance procedure.
Moreover, according to Arts. 48 and 49 of Part II of the Law, an authorised cryptographic service provider or the person responsible for processing personal data may not oppose professional secrecy to the Personal Data Protection Authority and may be required to provide all data if requested.
Coverage Internet access service providers

GUINEA

Since September 2022

Pillar Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in sectors relevant to digital trade  |  Sub-pillar Screening of investment and acquisitions
Law L/2022/0010/CNT of 22 September 2022 on Local Content of the Republic of Guinea (Loi L/2022/0010/CNT du 22 septembre 2022 Portant Contenu Local de la République de Guinée)
Art. 18 of Law L/2022/0010/CNT provides that before commencing their activities, operators shall draw up an overall local content plan, including, among other information and documents, the percentage of turnover that will be devoted to community, social and educational projects for the populations in the basin concerned by the project. This plan is subject to approval by the Autorité de Régulation et de Contrôle du Contenu Local (ARCCL) under conditions determined by decree. Yet, the implementing decrees are not yet available. Therefore, Art. 18 is not yet applicable.
Operator refers to both the company in charge of carrying out public projects and investors in private sector projects covered by the investment code or companies working on their behalf, regardless of the sector.
Art. 17 further specifies that the ARCCL issues a certificate of compliance to operators who meet the local content local content requirements. The certificate of compliance referred to in this article is taken into account in the assessment of the performance of operators. However, this article cannot be applicable without the implementing decrees.
Coverage Horizontal

GUINEA

Since February 1999, entry into force in February 2002, last amended in December 2015
Since December 2019, entry into force in March 2020

Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)  |  Sub-pillar Practical or legal restrictions related to the application process for patents
Bangui Agreement Relating to the Creation of an African Intellectual Property Organization, Constituting a Revision of the Agreement Relating to the Creation of an African and Malagasy Office of Industrial Property (Bangui (Central African Republic), 2 March 1977) (Accord de Bangui relatif à la création d'une organization Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle, constituant révision de l'Accord relatif à la création d'un Office Africain et Malgache de la Propriété Industrielle (Bangui (République centrafricaine), le 2 mars 1977)

Regulations on the profession of Authorised Agent before the African Intellectual Property Organization (Règlement sur la profession de Mandataire agréé auprès de l'organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle)
According to the Bangui Agreement, ratified by 17 French-speaking States, including Guinea, applicants resident outside the territory of the Member States must file through an agent selected in one of those Member States (Section III, Art. 8). The professional status of agent accredited to the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) is governed by the Regulations on the Profession of Authorised Agent before the OAPI.
Coverage Horizontal

GUINEA

Since May 1991

Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)  |  Sub-pillar Participation in the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
Guinea is a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
Coverage Horizontal

GUINEA

Since June 2019
Since March 1977, as amended in December 2015, entry into force in November 2020

Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)  |  Sub-pillar Copyright law with clear exceptions
Law L/2019/0028/AN of 7 June 2019 on the Protection of Literary and Artistic Property in Guinea (Loi L/2019/0028/AN du 7 juin 2019, Portant Protection de la Propriété Littéraire et Artistique)

Bangui Agreement Relating to the Creation of an African Intellectual Property Organization, Constituting a Revision of the Agreement Relating to the Creation of an African and Malagasy Office of Industrial Property (Bangui (Central African Republic), 2 March 1977) (Accord de Bangui relatif à la création d'une organization Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle, constituant révision de l'Accord relatif à la création d'un Office Africain et Malgache de la Propriété Industrielle (Bangui (République centrafricaine), le 2 mars 1977)
Guinea has a copyright regime under the Law L/2019/0028/AN. However, the exceptions do not follow the fair use or fair dealing model, therefore limiting the lawful use of copyrighted work by others. Arts. 22-28 list the exceptions, which include the analysis and short quotations justified by the critical, polemical, educational, scientific or informational nature of the work; the use within the authorisation of the author and without payment of separate remuneration, private use and reproduction, the use for a blind person, a person with a visual impairment of any kind or any person who, because of a disability, has reading difficulties; ephemeral recording by a broadcasting organisation's own means and for its own broadcasts of a work that it has the right to broadcast; reproduction, broadcasting or communication of a work permanently located in a place open to the public, unless the image of the work is the main subject of such reproduction or communication and it is used for commercial purposes.
In addition, the Revised Bangui Agreement, which is a regional intellectual property law that is not only a regional convention applicable in all member states but also serves as a national intellectual property law in Guinea and each of the other member states, contains provisions on copyright in Annex VII: Chapter IV (Limitations to Economic Rights) and establishes a regime of copyright exceptions. Nevertheless, these exceptions similarly do not conform to the fair use or fair dealing models.
Coverage Horizontal

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