As previously reported through CSO Meter, the government has been planning several steps to improve cybersecurity and data protection. The proposed legislative package was finally approved by the Cabinet on August 14, 2025 and presented to the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia. It includes new laws on Public Information, Cybersecurity, and the Information Systems’ Regulatory Body, along with amendments to related draft laws. The package is designed to strengthen rules on data management by public bodies, regulate access to public information, enhance digital public services, and establish clearer oversight mechanisms for cybersecurity.
Before final approval, the draft package went through several revisions that mainly addressed recommendations from CSOs and experts. Each revision was followed by consultations with civil society, with several discussions taking place between December 2023 and May 2025. The final version ultimately incorporated many of the submitted recommendations. Moreover, the draft Law on Information Systems’ Regulatory Body sets that this body will operate as an independent commission and includes a specific mandate on cooperation with civil society organisations, alongside its other responsibilities.
What improvements do the laws bring to people?
By requiring a single, synchronised data submission, citizens won’t have to hop between different offices: information will flow securely among agencies, speeding up services and cutting frustration for clients.
Moreover, state agencies will be required to proactively publish statistical data, giving media outlets and civil society groups faster access to the numbers they need for reporting and monitoring.
Involving civil society
CSOs consider the approved package to be a significant improvement, as it reflects many of the previously raised concerns. For example, the proposals by the Freedom of Information Center of Armenia, Law Development and Protection Foundation and other CSOs regarding the draft laws, were mostly accepted in the final package. At the same time, some issues remain, mainly linked to gaps in the current legislation and practice, and highlighted in the most recent CSO Meter report. In particular, the concept of ‘official information of limited distribution’ (introduced in the 2023 amendments) allows for discretionary restrictions on access to information. That means certain state datasets remain subject to fees, and challenges persist in state bodies’ understanding of open data principles, and in properly disclosing the required information.
Nevertheless, the government has expressed its willingness to continue cooperating with CSOs during the implementation phase, acknowledging that practical challenges may arise and should be jointly addressed to close any remaining gaps.