Business

The Protection of Personal Information (PoPI) Act of 2013 is oft cited by individuals frustrated by the thought that digital surveillance is encroaching on every aspect of their lives. Pity the call centre employee who is threatened with it several times a day, or the web user who must fight through disclaimers and cookie notices that are deployed as a cover-my-ass activity rather than an actual, genuine attempt to comply with legislation or, perish the thought, respect their right to privacy.

In South Africa, arguments about the right to privacy cause people to instantly tie themselves into epistemological knots. It’s not uncommon to hear a braai-side conversation deriding the UK or Europe as nanny-states, positioning locals as freedom-loving frontiers-people – and over the next boerie roll praise private security, boom gates and cameras that can engage in automatic number plate and facial recognition.