The Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act of 2014 requires that all businesses take measures to ensure the protection of privacy of their customers. This is done by taking different measures to insure the data privacy. The POPI act makes it mandatory for businesses to be compliant with the information technology Act that regulates data processing activities and personal information of individuals and businesses.

Being a South African business, you need to know everything about the POPI act. It will lead you know how to stay POPI compliant with VOIP solutions. So, let’s get to know everything about the POPI act.

What is the POPI ACT?

The government of South Africa made an act in 2014 that states that small and big businesses protect the personal information of their customers, dealers, distributors, and other businesses in order to protect themselves from data breaches and information theft.

We can also assume that the POPI Act is a piece of legislation that helps protect the personal information of people who have to give their personal information to businesses. It was passed in response to the recent wave of scandals involving companies and government agencies that failed to protect customers’ personal information.

The law requires businesses to ensure that their personal information security policies are followed by employees and contractors who handle that information. It also requires businesses to provide notice about breaches of their policies and how they will respond when such breaches occur.

As mentioned above, the POPI Act was first introduced in 2014 but it was implemented on July 1st, 2020 when the government had given a deadline of 12 months to the businesses to make a proper system according to the instructions of the POPI Act. 

After the deadline, which was on July 1st, 2021, the government started giving penalties and fines to businesses that haven’t been compliant yet. 

Why the POPI act is important for Business?

The POPI Act is important because it doesn’t just protect citizens from data leaks but it also protects businesses from data theft, data loss, and illegal handling of data. That is why it is important to stay POPI compliment; this will be ultimately in the favor of big businesses because they will be able to save themselves from fines and government punishment.

This also means that if you are a business, it’s important to be compliant with the law so that you can avoid these consequences.

It also encourages businesses to be more transparent about the collection and handling of personal information, which will help them to comply with the law.

Besides, the POPI act ensures that businesses have a legal obligation to secure personal information properly. This means having up-to-date policies and procedures in place, as well as regular reviews of your systems to ensure that they are working properly and securely.

Why do businesses have to be compliant?

All South African businesses are required to comply with the Privacy-Protected Personal Information Act (POPI) in order to maintain the privacy of their customers, employees, and other businesses’ personal data. This would help everyone in preventing potential digital frauds, scams, and damage.

As already mentioned, the POPI Act was introduced in order to prevent digital frauds, scams, and harm from occurring. It also helps businesses to protect their customers’ and their own personal information by ensuring that they use their personal information safely and responsibly.

This is why businesses are required to follow strict laws when handling sensitive data such as Name, Email, Address, etc. This helps ensure that your information remains safe at all times.

Businesses should also take steps to ensure that they have a proper security policy in place which includes provisions for physical access control systems and technical controls for monitoring activity on networks within their premises as well as online activity via network devices such as firewalls or routers etc.

Because it is also illegal for any business to share someone’s personal information with anyone else without their consent unless they can show that it would be in their best interests.

So, the main purpose of POPI is to prevent identity theft as well as fraud against businesses by ensuring that companies do not share client information intentionally or unintentionally.

What could happen if you aren’t compliant with the POPI act?

If you are not compliant with the POPI Act, you will find yourself in the worst scenarios. First, you will be fined by the government to pay a certain amount of money or you could face time in jail.  Besides that, if a data breach happened on your side and your client or employees’ information got leaked, they may sue you in court and that will cost you millions.

Whether you are a small business or a big corporate business, there is no way for you to avoid the POPI Act. Every company is subject to this law and it is mandatory for them to implement it in their operations. You can only opt out of this act if your company is not handling the data collected by the clients, employees, etc.

This means that if you provide an app or website to the businesses that collect personal information from their clients, then the POPI Act will be applied to them, not you.

How Netlayer can help you stay compliant with VOIP Services?

Netlayer makes it easy to stay POPI compliant with VOIP Services. With Netlayer, you can enjoy the benefits of VOIP services without having to worry about being in violation of any rules or regulations of POPI. Netlayer provides its clients with a suite of tools that allow them to manage all aspects of VOIP services, including:

Final Words

So, that’s why it is important to be compliant with the POPI Act in the year 2022. It’s not just in the favor of the government or your clients, but it also helps you protect your company’s privacy and prevent you from being fined or imprisoned. If you are searching for a reliable VOIP solution to get compliant with the POPI Act, look no further than Netlayer.

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