Algeria's data watchdog bars recruiters from demanding religion or political views on CVs
Algeria's data protection authority has ruled that employers may not require job candidates to disclose their religion, political opinions or other sensitive personal details on a CV, and must delete the applications of unsuccessful candidates within one year.
The National Authority for the Protection of Personal Data (ANPDP) set out the rules in Deliberation No. 05, published on Wednesday under Law 18-07, the 2018 statute on the protection of individuals in the processing of personal data. The text covers every stage of handling an application, from receiving the CV to storing it or passing it to third parties. It applies to paper and electronic CVs, including those submitted through recruitment platforms, and to public and private employers alike.
Sensitive data is defined as racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, trade union membership and genetic data. Processing it is prohibited in principle, apart from exceptional cases provided by law and subject to the safeguards of Article 18. The authority stressed that a candidate who volunteers such information does not thereby give the recruiter the right to process it, even if the employer asked for it.
Recruiters must also delete or mask any information not needed for the hiring decision, and guarantee the confidentiality and security of application files. The CVs of rejected candidates may be kept for a maximum of one year from the end of the selection procedure. After that, they must be destroyed securely, unless a legal text sets a different period.
The authority advised candidates to limit their CVs to information that shows their skills and meets the legal requirements of the post. It did not announce specific penalties, but said it supervises compliance and may use the measures provided by the regulations if the rules are breached.
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