Jetu EdosaBiruktawit Dereje2026-08-132026-08-132025-08-01https://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/8861In light of international data protection standards, including the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) of South Africa and the General Data Protection Regulation(GDPR) of the European Union, this paper critically evaluates Ethiopia's Personal Data Protection Proclamation (PDPP). The study evaluates the PDPP's enforcement and corrective measures, finds institutional and legal flaws , and investigates how well it protects the right to digital privacy. Using a doctrinal and comparative legal research technique, the paper compares the GDPR and POPIA and examines pertinent policy documents, academic literature, and legislative legislation. According to the findings, the PDPP has serious flaws even though it incorporates globally accepted data protection principles and gives data subjects substantive rights, making it a historic move in Ethiopia's digital rights landscape. These include ambiguous legal definitions, a lack of institutional autonomy, a lack of ability to enforce the law, and inadequate provisions pertaining to cutting-edge technology like algorithmic profiling, biometric identification, and artificial intelligence. In contrast to the GDPR, the PDPP has a smaller extraterritorial reach, less severe fines, and less supervisory control. It also does not have the independent enforcement framework that POPIA does. These shortcomings run the risk of eroding public confidence, compromising safeguards against data abuse, and restricting Ethiopia's participation in international digital commerce The study comes to the conclusion that strengthening Ethiopia's data protection regime requires focused legislative reform, institutional reorganization, and improved technology safeguards. Establishing an independent supervisory body, defining important legal terms, enforcing harsher penalties, incorporating cutting-edge technological protections, and conforming to regional and global norms like the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention) are some of the recommendationsenEthiopia's digital rights landscapeThesis