Digital Governance and Fundamental Rights: A Critical Analysis of Jordan’s Data Protection Law

This article analyzes Jordan's Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) of 2023 and its enforcement via the compulsory Sanad digital identity system.The PDPL marks Jordan's initial effort to oversee personal data handling in a more digital society, arising from a backdrop of political opposition, public anxieties, and substantial uncertainty regarding the implications of regulation for government authority.This study uncovers considerable disparities between the protections outlined in the law and their actual implementation, based on legal analysis.The study examines the structural autonomy of the Personal Data Protection Council, which, due to its composition under ministerial control, raises issues regarding potential conflicts of interest and political meddling.The analysis reveals that mandatory biometric registration via Sanad establishes a techno-feudal system in which citizens are required to relinquish data rights to obtain vital government services.Although the PDPL includes clear consent clauses, extensive exemptions for public authorities and the coercive effects of digital exclusion weaken the law's ability to safeguard fundamental rights, especially for digitally illiterate groups in rural and tribal areas.