Information Regulator

Insights, news or developments related to the Information Regulator in South Africa, including updates on webinars or events held by them.

Information Regulator in South Africa

The Information Regulator was created by the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI Act). POPI gives the Information Regulator teeth - it has extensive powers to investigate and fine responsible parties. Data subjects can complain to the Information Regulator, [...]

Minister of Basic Education v Information Regulator | Appealing an enforcement notice

In Minister of Basic Education v Information Regulator, the High Court set aside the regulator’s enforcement notice issued to the DBE. The notice tried to stop the Department from publishing the matric results using examination numbers. The judgment provides guidance [...]

Webinar | The Information Regulator’s priorities for 2026

Responsible parties in South Africa need to cooperate with the Information Regulator. To facilitate this, Michalsons has arranged a public webinar and invited the regulator to attend and share their priorities for 2026. Join us to find answers to your [...]

Department of Basic Education enforcement action | Consent

The Information Regulator argues that it is unlawful for the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to publish matric results in newspapers using a learner's exam number without consent. The regulator issued an enforcement notice to the DBE and then fined […]

Lessons to learn from the Information Regulator priotities

Understanding the Information Regulator's priorities is no longer just good practice; it's essential to avoid enforcement action. Having attended the Regulator's recent stakeholder breakfast, we can distil the key lessons and confirmed changes that will shape the compliance landscape in […]

Information Regulator stakeholder engagement in Cape Town

The Information Regulator stakeholder engagement revealed the regulator's thinking on how to comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA). More importantly, the regulator confirmed expected amendments to the POPIA [...]

Webinar | Doing a Regulator-Ready Gap Analysis

If you want to assure regulators, stakeholders, or customers that you comply with POPIA and PAIA, what better way than to prove that you comply with the Information Regulator's own checklist (46 for POPIA and 23 for PAIA)? If you [...]

Ask the Regulators: Support for PAIA compliance, e-Services and BizPortal

Today, the South African information regulator held a webinar called "Ask the Regulator". The purpose of the webinar was to allow participants to ask the regulator questions and for the regulator to encourage and support them in complying with POPIA […]

The POPIA Amendment Regulations 2025 commence

The POPIA Amendment Regulations commenced with immediate effect on 17 April 2025. These amended regulations cover new proposed rules of procedure, administrative fines, and expand the data subject's rights to their personal information.  In this post, we summarise the regulations, [...]

Notification of security compromise to the Information Regulator | Guideline and support

The information regulator published a Guideline on notification of security compromises to the information regulator in July 2020. The guideline explains the procedure responsible parties or information officers should follow to notify the regulator of a security compromise or data [...]

Information regulator annual performance plan for 2025 to 2026 APP

The information regulator has presented its draft annual performance plan (regulator APP) for 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. It has presented them in different formats to different audiences. For example, the regulator held a stakeholder engagement on 5 [...]

Swartkops Sea Salt enforcement action | Review of PAIA enforcement notice

The Swartkops Sea Salt enforcement action regarding PAIA is now before the courts after Swartkops took the regulator’s enforcement notice on review. This action is a reminder that refusing a PAIA request can lead to regulatory enforcement and costly litigation. […]