Challenges for Uzbek regulation emerge from the comparative analysis of eight jurisdictions: USA, European Union (EU), Switzerland, Uzbekistan, China, Russia, Kazakhstan and Singapore.

China and the USA are following the European GDPR and formulate national interest-driven regulations.

Singapore, as a successful “tiger state”, acts more restrictively than the aforementioned peer group, setting higher standards that find acceptance in international business relations.

Russia’s data protection laws were pioneers in 2011, however, there is now an increased need for adaptation in international comparison.

Swiss data protection law is an independent and more efficient interpretation of the European GDPR.

The authors see increased growth potential for the Uzbek economy in the proper resolution of these regulatory barriers, as well as for its positioning in Central Asian and international competition in (IT and process) outsourcing.

The five Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan should explore the option of a single data protection space characterised by a data protection law and data protection politics.