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Companies can assess the amount of preparation needed to ready
themselves for the implementation of the Protection of Personal
Information Bill ("POPI") by considering the following
minimum requirements:
1
Audit the processes used to
collect, record, store, disseminate and destroy personal
information: in particular, companies must ensure the integrity and
safekeeping of personal information in their possession or under
their control. They must take steps to prevent the information
being lost or damaged, or unlawfully accessed.
✓
2
Define the purpose of the information
gathering and processing: personal information must be collected
for a specific, explicitly defined and lawful purpose that is
related to a function or activity of the company concerned.
✓
3
Limit the processing parameters: the
processing must be lawful and personal information may only be
processed if it is adequate, relevant and not excessive given the
purpose for which it is processed.
✓
4
Take steps to notify the 'data
subject': the individual whose information is being processed
has the right to know this is being done and why. The data subject
must be told the name and address of the company processing their
information. In addition, he or she must be informed as to whether
the provision of the information is voluntary or mandatory.
✓
5
Check the rationale for any further
processing: if information is received via a third party for
further processing, this further processing must be compatible with
the purpose for which the data was initially collected.
✓
6
Ensure information quality: the company
processing the information must make sure the information is
complete, accurate, up to date and not misleading.
✓
7
Notify the information Protection
Regulator: when the POPI is enacted and a Regulator established,
organisations processing personal information will have to notify
the Regulator about their actions.
✓
8
Accommodate data subject requests: the
POPI allows data subjects to make certain requests, free of charge,
to organisations holding their personal information. For instance,
the data subject has the right to know the identity of all third
parties that have had access to their information. A data subject
can also ask for a record of the information concerned.
✓
9
Retain records for required periods:
personal information must be destroyed, deleted or
'de-identified' as soon as the purpose for collecting the
information has been achieved. However, a record of the information
must be retained if an organisation has used it to make a decision
about the data subject. The record must be kept for a period long
enough for the data subject to request access to it.
✓
10
Cross border data transfer: there are
restrictions on the sending of personal information out of South
Africa as well as on the transfer of personal information back into
South Africa. The applicable restrictions will depend on the laws
of the country to whom the data is transferred or from where the
data is returned, as the case may be.
✓
Originally published May 2012
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guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought
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