Purpose

  • The purpose of POPI is to regulate and formalize how companies collect, store, protect, access and distribute personal information and to protect the ongoing integrity and sensitivity of that private information.
  • The Act offers many safeguards regarding using an individuals' personal data, and primarily protects individuals from unsolicited emails & SMS's for services that they never applied for, as well as against any security breaches that could result in identity theft, when personal information is stolen or offered too freely by a third party.
  • It also seeks to empower South African laws on how to manage and ensure that collected personal data in line with international data protection laws.