Encryption Law by Country
Where strong encryption is a right, restricted, or compelled. National law and policy, mirrored per country.
Source: Global Partners Digital, World Map of Encryption, updated 2026-07-02. Full data at www.gp-digital.org/world-map-of-encryption
Encryption Law by Country (196)
General right to encryption
No known legislation or policies.
Mandatory minimum or maximum encryption strength
No known legislation or policies.
Licensing/registration requirements
No known legislation or policies.
Import/export controls
While there are no import or export controls relating specifically to encryption products, there is a general requirement in Article 41 of Law No. 2000-03 of 05 August 2000 laying down general rules relating to post and telecommunications requires all terminal equipment and radioelectric installation which is intended to be connected to a public communications network, made for the domestic market, offered for sale or distributed for free, to be approved prior to import. This approval must be obtained from the Regulatory Authority of Post and Electronic Communications under the Ministry of Post, Telecommunications, Technologies and Digitalization. The law (in French) can be found here .
Other restrictions
No known legislation or policies.
Obligations on individuals to assist authorities
Article 3 of Law No. 09-04 of 5 August 2009 laying down specific rules relating to the prevention and fight against crimes related to information and communication technologies, allows among other things, for the search and seizures of computer systems, where necessary to protect public order or if necessary as part of ongoing investigations or for judicial information. Article 4 sets out the specific circumstances when this can be done: to prevent terrorist offences and subversive acts and offences against the security of the state; where there is information about a probably attack on a computer system that poses a threat to public order, national defence, state institutions or the national economy; for the purposes of investigations and judicial information where it is difficult to obtain results without electronic surveillance; and in order to execute requests for international mutual legal assistance. Article 4 also states that judicial authorisation is required. Under Article 5, an authority conducting the search and seizure of a computer system is empowered to require any person who knows how to operate the computer system or the measures which have been applied to protect the data on the computer, to assist them and provide them with any information necessary to complete their task. While “measures which have been applied to protect the data” is not defined, this could include encryption of data. Further, under Article 6, the authority is able to use “technical means” to format or reconstitute any data on a computer system to make them workable for the purposes of the investigation provides that this does not alter their contents. This could mean an authority being permitted to bring in external support to decrypt encrypted communications. The law (in French) can be found here .
Obligations on providers to assist authorities
No known legislation or policies.
Assessment Text Area
There are no bans on the use of strong encryption in Algeria, although the law does contain provisions allowing the government to decrypt encrypted data, including through hacking, subject to judicial authorisation. The law also requires that all electronic equipment, which can be interpreted to include encryption products, to be granted approval by the government prior to import.
Murphy's Law