The implications of changes to SA’s data protection laws is the focus of this edition of Business Day Spotlight.
Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Mercia Fynn, partner at law firm Adams & Adams. The discussion focuses on what the latest developments around the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) mean for South African businesses.
POPIA came into effect on July 1 2020. The law, which was promulgated in 2013, seeks to address and ensure greater security of data and privacy in an increasingly digitalised world.
The act aims to regulate the processing and use of personal information by private and public institutions, which will need consent from consumers before using any of their data.
Fynn, a specialist in areas such as intellectual property, corporate and commercial law, highlights some of the changes to the law such as the information regulator launching an e-services portal for mandatory reporting of data breaches.
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According to the lawyer, the information regulator initially adopted a measured approach, focusing primarily on education, awareness, and co-operative engagement with responsible parties.
This approach has shifted, with the watchdog now increasingly asserting its authority and taking a more proactive approach to its enforcement of the act.
Through the discussion, Fynn highlights changes to the POPI Act and what they mean for businesses; the attitude of the information regulator; developments around data privacy in SA; and advice for organisations in this area.
Fynn also discusses efforts to regulate the fast changing use of artificial intelligence.
• Business Day Spotlight is a MultimediaLIVE Production.
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