Protection of Personal Information Bill (PPIB)

Much has been written about the Protection of Information Bill, and the rights of citizens to access information including the records of government. But, what about the right of citizens to privacy?

“South African organisations have for some time inhabited a data protection law haven. Whilst the right to privacy is enshrined in the Constitution of South Africa, legislation that gives practical credence to such a right and a Regulator to govern and administer corresponding data protection and privacy practices has been absent. That’s about to change”, writes Pria Chetty in an article published on themediaonlone website

Noting that this bill will give effect to the constitutional right to privacy in South Africam Chetty says that it will also align South African privacy legislation with that of countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada.

The PPIB will require organisations to well to assess practices associated with the collection, retention, dissemination and use of personal information and to ensure that they are compliant. The PPIB requires that organisations implement

- Measures to ensure that the use of personal information collected by the organisation is restricted to the purpose for which it was collected;

- Measures to ensure that data subjects from whom personal information is collected consent (opt-in) to the processing of their personal information;

- Measures to ensure that the organisation secures the personal information;

- Records Management measures that indicate when the organisation is required to dispose of personal information;

- Due Diligence measures when contracting with third parties to process personal information on the organisation’s behalf or transmitting personal information cross-border.

Organisations will also have to ensure that records procedures allow data subjects to access their personal information, and that personal information is not retained for any longer than necessary for purpose for which it was collected.

Source: themediaonline website

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