POPIA Compliance for Marketing Websites
Practical, developer-focused guardrails for managing personal information under South African privacy law.
The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) is not just a legal document; it is a design constraint. As developers and product owners, we are the stewards of user data. Compliance begins with architecture, not just a privacy policy footer link.
The Principle of Minimalism
POPIA emphasizes "minimality." Do not collect data you do not need. If you don't need a user's physical address for a newsletter signup, do not ask for it. Every field in your database is a liability.
Key Insight
"Consent must be voluntary, specific, and informed. Pre-ticked checkboxes are a dark pattern and likely non-compliant."
Technical Implementation
- Cookie Consent: It is not enough to just show a banner. You must actually block non-essential scripts (like Facebook Pixel or Google Ads) until the user clicks "Accept."
- Right to be Forgotten: Build a mechanism (or a manual SOP) to delete a user's record from your database, backups, and third-party tools (e.g., Mailchimp) upon request.
- Data Retention: Automate the deletion of old logs. Do not keep contact form submissions in your CMS forever.
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