As you may be aware, the new Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) comes into full effect from Thursday, 1 July 2021.
Well, here is something you might not know – South Africa’s POPIA rules have been updated ahead of the July deadline and have now been delayed to February 2022. Some of you might be breathing a sigh of relief right now, and if that is the case, let’s get your POPIA privacy policy up and at ’em, ready to go BEFORE the deadline next year.
If you are a little unsure exactly what needs to happen and what the POPI Act is, let us explain it briefly, POPIA is intended to protect the consumer and their personal information, it details how businesses collect, use, save and share an individual’s personal data.
At cannect – relationships, transparency and confidentiality are all qualities we hold in high regard. Our Privacy Policy is available for you to peruse on our website and outlines how we intend to use the information you have chosen to share with us, go check it out.
As you are now aware, for those of you who had not yet to comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) 2021 – you have been given a lifeline (now is the time to phone a friend, that would be US) Businesses that fail to comply with POPIA before 1 February 2022, be it intentional or accidental, can face fines of up to R10 million and or Jail time, scary right!!?? .
Well, it doesn’t have to be. Let us arm you with knowledge because knowledge is power.
POPIA Compliance explained.
POPIA details the conditions for processing individuals’ personal information lawfully. It was established to keep the personal information of the consumer, protected by providing conditions for how public and private entities may collect, process, manage and store this personal information. As well as ensuring no unauthorised sharing of third-party data, protecting consumers against breaches of private information.
Personal information can include anything that identifies an individual, like your name, address, images or photos, videos, voice recordings, biometric data, education and employment information, religious and political views, criminal records, private correspondence and the list goes on.
If you are a business and website owner, POPIA affects how you may use cookies, gathering online data and tracking of online visitors to your website. A quick, easy way to ensure you are POPIA compliant is to do a review and then update your website’s Privacy Policy, with complete transparency as to how you intend to use the personal information you have collected. These T & C’s should be made easily accessible on your website via a popup of sorts. If you break any of the clauses in your privacy policy, you break the POPI Act – FACT.
POPIA compliance is not an expensive or completely overwhelming experience, we promise. In fact, we have already successfully updated our own as well as our clients’ Privacy Policies.
If you are a little stuck, breathe, pick up the phone, and dial
