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Data Oversight Commission of the Portuguese Republic Intelligence System (PRIS)

According to article 26 of the Framework Law on the Portuguese Republic Intelligence System (Law No. 30/84 of 5 September 1984), the monitoring of the intelligence services data centers’ activities — Strategic Intelligence Service for the Defense (SISD) and Security Intelligence Service (SIS) — is exclusively incumbent on the Data Oversight Commission of the Portuguese Republic Intelligence System. This Commission operates at the Prosecutor General’s Office and is composed of three public prosecutors, who are nominated by and take office from the Prosecutor General of the Republic.

Monitoring is attained both through periodical checking involving programs, data and information samples made available without nominative reference and through the access to data and information with nominative reference (namely if the Commission believes to be handling a motivated complaint or suspicion over illicit or unmotivated gathering thereof).

The Data Oversight Commission must order the deletion or correction of any gathered data involving violation of rights, liberties and guaranties enshrined in the Constitution and in the law and, where appropriate, take the necessary legal action.