This week, the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC) took part in the Annual Communications Policy and Regulation Week, organized by the International Institute of Communications (IIC) in Bogotá. During the week, several major events were held, including the Annual Regulators Forum Conference, the Small Nations Regulators Forum, and the 56th IIC Annual Conference. Together, these make up one of the most important global spaces for dialogue among authorities and experts on competition, telecommunications, and personal data protection.

The SIC delegation was composed of Diego Solano, Advisor to the Superintendent; Juan Carlos Upegui Mejía, Deputy Superintendent for the Protection of Personal Data; and Daniel Ospina Celis, Advisor to the Delegation for the Protection of Personal Data.

During the panel “Artificial Intelligence: How Is Regulatory Oversight and Enforcement Evolving?”, Daniel Ospina Celis presented the main findings of the Delegation’s study on how to adapt Colombia’s legal framework to the challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI). In his remarks, he highlighted the need to clarify the scope of Law 1581 of 2012 to include data controllers and processors not domiciled in Colombia, to strengthen the regulation of sensitive data such as biometric information, and to define uses of AI that may present unacceptable risks to human rights. He also emphasized the role of the SIC as the authority responsible for guaranteeing the right to personal data protection in the digital age.

For his part, Diego Solano, Advisor to the Superintendent, participated in the 56th International Regulators Forum Annual Conference, in the session “Digital Markets and Competition Regulation to Ensure Better Outcomes for Industry and Consumers”, alongside the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC). In his intervention, he highlighted the progress made by the Colombian competition authority in identifying behaviors that affect digital markets and consumer welfare, and underscored the need to strengthen cooperation among regulatory authorities to ensure the effective enforcement of competition rules. He also addressed the challenges of digital markets in promoting environments that guarantee efficient, innovative, and high-quality services for consumers.

Finally, Juan Carlos Upegui Mejía, Deputy Superintendent for the Protection of Personal Data, participated in the panel “Data Governance: Directions in Data Residency, Sovereignty, Localisation, and Personal Data Protection.” In his presentation, he

stressed the importance of promoting sovereignty and sound governance in the processing of personal data belonging to residents of Colombia. Specifically, he reaffirmed that the law must clearly establish that data controllers and processors—regardless of where they are domiciled—must comply with Colombian data protection legislation. In this regard, he referred to Bill No. 274 of 2025 (House), currently under discussion in the Congress of the Republic, promoted by the National Government, which proposes to amend Article 2 of Law 1581 of 2012 to clearly define the scope of application of the data protection regime. This amendment would effectively allow Colombia to exercise sovereignty over the personal data of its residents.

Through its participation in this international forum, the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce reaffirms its commitment to promoting fair and competitive markets, protecting consumer rights, and safeguarding the right to personal data protection in the face of the technological challenges of the digital economy.