Under the Protection of Personal Information Act of 2013 (“the Act”), non-compliance carries severe penalties, including fines and imprisonment. For minor offences, a guilty party may face a fine or imprisonment for up to 12 months, while for serious offences, the imprisonment term can be as long as 10 years. Companies can also face administrative fines of up to R10 million.
Recently, the Information Regulator, the statutory body responsible for ensuring compliance with the Act, fined the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development R5 million for failing to comply with an enforcement notice.
If your company or legal entity is not compliant with the Act, it could face a fine of a similar magnitude. At Tuckers Attorneys, we have developed a POPIA compliance product that can assist you in becoming compliant with the Act.
If you would like to discuss this further or have any questions regarding your business, please feel free to contact us at 011 897 1900, 076 777 1920 (after hours), or info@tuckers.co.za.