Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) 4 of 2013

Dear Client, this is a personal note on the recent Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013.

Your information and personal details are safe with me.

I’ve updated my privacy policy in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), which comes into effect on 1 July 2021.

But first, let’s get some answers on why we need the POPI Act? The following summary was taken from the website (https://www.michalsons.com/focus-areas/privacy-and-data-protection/protection-of-personal-information-act-popia).

Why do we need the Protection of Personal Information Act

Essentially, the purpose of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) is to protect people from harm by protecting their personal information. To stop their money being stolen, to stop their identity being stolen, and generally to protect their privacy, which is a fundamental human right.

To achieve this, the Protection of Personal Information Act sets conditions for when it is lawful for someone to process someone else’s personal information.

Who are the Role Players?

The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) involves three parties (who can be natural or juristic persons):

• The data subject: the person to whom the information relates.
• The responsible party: the person who determines why and how to process. For example, profit companies, non-profit companies, governments, state agencies and people. Called controllers in other jurisdictions
• The operator: a person who processes personal information on behalf of the responsible party. For example, an IT vendor. Called processors in other jurisdictions.

The Protection of Personal Information Act places various obligations on the responsible party, which is the body ultimately responsible for the lawful processing of personal information. Responsible parties should only use operators that can meet the requirements of lawful personal information processing prescribed by the Protection of Personal Information Act.

My clients’ privacy is important to me. Therefore, I can assure you that your personal information is stored and used in a secure manner.

My client information form in Clause 2 also includes specific references to the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) 4 of 2013.

I have also undergone specific training in the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) 4 of 2013, as can be seen below.

If you have any questions regarding why we need some private information from you, you are welcome to contact me.

Kind regards,
Marisa