It was reported that in 2022, for the sixth consecutive year, the Algerian government restricted access to social media platforms—including Facebook and X—from 12 to 16 June during nationwide high school examinations. In 2023, similar measures were taken between 11 and 15 June, with internet service providers instructed to block various websites, including social media and messaging platforms. Once again, Facebook and X were among the affected services. Reports from 2024 indicate that the government repeated these actions from 9 to 13 June, ordering the blocking of social media and messaging sites during the exam period.

Reports indicate that, over the past eight years, Algerian authorities have imposed nationwide internet shutdowns to "prevent cheating" during national baccalaureate exams. Most recently, in June 2024, the government reportedly cut off internet access across the entire country for four days during the high school examination period. In addition, the indicator "7.2.4 - 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 2 in Algeria for the year 2024. This corresponds to "The government shut down domestic access to the Internet several times this year."

According to Arts. 7-8 of Law No. 18-05, any e-commerce activity, which is defined as electronic commerce of goods and services, is subject to registration in the commercial register or in the register of arts and crafts, and to the publication of a website hosted in Algeria with extension ".com.dz". In addition, Art. 9 requires that the exercise of the e-commerce activity be subject to the registration of the domain name with the services of the National Center of the Commercial Register. This requirement applies to both domestic and foreign e-providers, as stated in Art. 2 of the law, stipulating that the legislation applies to e-commerce transactions when one of the parties to the e-commerce contract is of Algerian nationality, is legally resident in Algeria, is a legal person under Algerian law, or if the contract is concluded or performed in Algeria.

Art. 10 of Decision No. 48/SP/PC/ARPT/17 stipulates that in the course of carrying out the activity covered by its authorisation to establish and operate hosting and storage services for computerised content, the service provider is obliged to establish its infrastructure on national territory and guarantee that it is set up using equipment incorporating the most recent and proven technologies. In addition, the service provider is required to provide services via infrastructures specifically declared for this authorisation. The term "service provider" is defined as any natural or legal person who has been granted authorisation to establish and operate hosting and storage services for computerised content for the benefit of remote users as part of cloud computing services, in compliance with the requirements set out in the legislation and regulations in force.

Art. 6 of Decision No. 48/SP/PC/ARPT/17 provides that any natural or legal person wishing to establish and/or operate a service for the hosting and storage of computerised content for the benefit of remote users, within the framework of so-called cloud computing services, shall submit an application to the Regulatory Authority. Any legal entity wishing to establish and/or operate such a service must be incorporated under Algerian law and have its registered office in Algeria.

Art. 44 of Law No. 18-07 provides that the data controller may only transfer personal data to another foreign state upon authorisation of the data protection authority and if that state ensures an adequate level of protection of the privacy and fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals with regard to the processing to which such data are or may be subject. Art. 45, however, provides that, by way of derogation to Art. 44, the data controller may transfer personal data to a foreign State subject to certain conditions, including: if the data subject has expressly consented to their transfer; if the transfer is made pursuant to a bilateral or multilateral agreement to which Algeria is a party; with the authorisation of the national authority; if the transfer is necessary: (a) to safeguard that person's life; (b) the preservation of the public interest; (c) for compliance with obligations to ensure the recognition, exercise or defence of a legal right; (d) for the performance of a contract between the controller processing and the data subject, or measures pre-contractual agreements taken at the latter's request; (e) for the conclusion or performance of a contract concluded or to conclude, in the interest of the data subject, between the controller and a third party; (f) for the execution of a mutual legal assistance measure international; or (g) for prevention, diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions.

Algeria has not joined any agreement with binding commitments to open transfers of data across borders.

Law 18-07 provides a comprehensive regime of data protection in Algeria. It establishes general personal data protection requirements such as express consent, data processing notifications, data subject rights, and restrictions on direct marketing and data transfers.

Art. 11 of Law No. 09-04 requires communication service providers to store, for a period of one year after the registration, data allowing the identification of users of their services and data enabling the recipient(s) of the communication to be identified as well as the addresses of the sites visited. This requirement covers all service providers, defined in Art. 2 to include any public or private entity which offers users the possibility of communicating by means of a computer system and/or a telecommunications system; and any other entity processing or storing computer data for communication services or their users.

According to Art. 3 of Law No. 09-04, subject to the legal provisions guaranteeing the secrecy of correspondence and communications, implementation of technical devices carrying out operations of surveillance of electronic communications, collection and recording in real time of their content as well as searches and seizures in a computer system may be carried out for purposes of protection of public order, for investigations or after judicial request. Art. 4 lists instances when such surveillance may be carried out, including:
- to prevent offences qualified as terrorist or subversive acts and offences against State security;
- when there is information on a probable attack on a computer system representing a threat to public order, national defence, State institutions or the national economy;
- for the purposes of investigations and judicial information when it is difficult to arrive at results relevant to the research in progress without resorting to electronic surveillance;
- in connection with the execution of requests for international legal assistance.

Algeria is home to three mobile phone and data network operators, namely Djezzy, Algérie Télécom Mobile, and Wataniya Telecom Algérie. The largest of these by subscriptions is Optimum Télécom Algérie, which operates under the brand name of Djezzy, which became fully state-owned in August 2022 after Veon sold its 45.5% stake in Djezzy to the government-controlled Algerian National Investment Fund (Fonds National d'Investissement, FNI). The fixed incumbent, Algérie Télécom Mobile, is also fully state-owned.

It is reported that the State of Algeria has not established functional separation for the operator with significant market power. Yet, Art. 110 and 123 of Law No. 18-04 (Loi No. 18-04 du 24 Chaâbane 1439 correspondant au 10 mai 2018 fixant les règles générales relatives à la poste et aux communications électroniques) provide for accounting separation for operators with significant market power.

It is reported that, prior to 2018, the State-owned operator Algérie Télécom (AT) was the sole player in the fixed-line segment. It held a monopoly over the country’s fixed-line and fibre optic networks and was responsible for developing Algeria’s telecommunication sector. In 2018, Law No. 18-04 required the incumbent operator to respond to requests for unbundling of its local loop made by the service operators of electronic communications holding general authorisations in consideration of compensation (Arts. 102 and 126). However, pursuant to Art. 126, international traffic originating in or destined for electronic communications networks open to the public other than satellite must be transported in full through the international infrastructure established or operated by AT. The telecom licensing requirements are stipulated in Arts. 123 and 124 of Law No. 18-04.

Algeria has not appended the World Trade Organization (WTO) Telecom Reference Paper to its schedule of commitments as it is not a member of the WTO.

It is reported that the Regulatory Authority of Post and Electronic Communications (ARPCE), the executive authority for the supervision and administration of services in the telecommunications sector, is independent from the government in the decision-making process.