These are my slides for my presentation at the Protection of Personal Information Act Readiness Workshop at the OR Tambo Protea Hotel on 16 April 2014. My focus was on understanding data processing constraints; identifying key risk areas and the benefits of better data protection frameworks.
11. “solely for the purpose of journalistic, literary or artistic
expression to the extent that such an exclusion is necessary to
reconcile, as a matter of public interest, the right to privacy
with the right to freedom of expression.”
– Section 7(1), Protection of Personal Information Act
12. Regulatory function delegated to a code of ethics
that will apply to the exclusion of the Act*
* This is provided for elsewhere and forms part
of a distributed enforcement mechanism
16. “… it seems to be a sensible approach to say that the scope of
a person’s privacy extends a fortiori only to those aspects in
regard to which a legitimate expectation of privacy can be
harboured.”
– Bernstein and Others v Bester NO and Others
20. “The processing is necessary for the purposes of legitimate
interests pursued by the data controller or by the third party
or parties to whom the data are disclosed, except where the
processing is unwarranted in any particular case by reason of
prejudice to the rights and freedoms or legitimate interests of
the data subject.”
– Section 6, Schedule 2, UK Data Protection Act
21. Still, the “Lawful processing of personal information
conditions” provide broad parameters and context for
“legitimate interests” arguments …
23. ✤ Children’s personal information!
✤ Religious or philosophical beliefs*!
✤ Race or ethnic origin!
✤ Trade union membership*!
✤ Political persuasion!
✤ Health or sex life!
✤ Criminal behaviour or biometric information
25. ‘‘consent’’ means any voluntary, specific and informed
expression of will in terms of which permission is given for
the processing of personal information
26. “A responsible party must take reasonably practicable steps
to ensure that the personal information is complete, accurate,
not misleading and updated where necessary.”
– Section 16, the Protection of Personal Information Act
27. Do you facilitate meaningful access to
personal information you hold?
29. “Personal information may only be processed if, given the
purpose for which it is processed, it is adequate, relevant
and not excessive.”
– Section 10, the Protection of Personal Information Act
30. Purpose specification
“Personal information must be collected for a specific, explicitly
defined and lawful purpose related to a function or activity of
the responsible party”
Be transparent about the purpose
33. “… records of personal information must not be retained any
longer than is necessary for achieving the purpose for which
the information was collected or subsequently processed …”
– Section 13, Protection of Personal Information Act
34. Don’t lose sight of the bigger data
retention compliance picture
Electronic Communications
and Transactions Act
Protection of Personal
Information Act
Everything else
36. “A responsible party must secure the integrity and
confidentiality of personal information in its possession or
under its control by taking appropriate, reasonable
technical and organisational measures …”
– Section 19, Protection of Personal Information Act
37. “A responsible party must, in terms of a written contract
between the responsible party and the operator, ensure that
the operator which processes personal information for the
responsible party establishes and maintains the security
measures referred to in section 19 …”
– Section 21, Protection of Personal Information Act
39. How do you process personal information?
Helpful questions
Are you the responsible party or the operator?
Is your reputation at risk and what could go wrong?
46. “The way to gain good reputation is to endeavor to be what
you desire to appear”
– Socrates
47. Thank you for your time.
Please feel free to contact me if we can assist you or answer questions.
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Paul Jacobson 083 444 8260