Protection Of Personal Information Bill, No. 1

This is the first of three articles that deal with the Protection of Personal Information Bill (POPI). POPI is set to become law shortly and, when it does, it will have significant implications, both for the citizens of this country whose information is processed by any number of companies and public bodies, and for the companies and public bodies that are doing the processing.

POPI introduces dedicated data protection legislation to South Africa. Data protection has been around for some time in the developed world, but it's been a long time coming here. The purpose of POPI is very clear: to promote the protection of personal information that's processed by the private and public sectors. The lawmaker has sought to balance the right of privacy that's recognised by the Constitution with various needs and interests, like the need for economic and social progress within the context of the information society, and the interest in a free flow of information, both