Introduction
The Protection of State Information Bill is a controversial bill passed in early 2010 by the South African government, but was soon called back into analysis. Since then there have been consistent rumours about the bill being passed into law. There are numerous organisations opposed to this bill, and few people who would benefit from it, raising the question of if this bill would signal the end of democracy in South Africa.
Organisations
Right2Know
Right2Know is an activist company founded as an opposition to the Secrecy Bill. It was founded in late August 2010 in Cape Town. It opposes the deterioration of worldwide human rights and portrays themselves as a progressive force which carries the hopes of many. The organisation has assessed the Secrecy Bill according to their seven-point freedom test. There were several concerns regarding the bill, and the key concerns can be seen below.
In their report, Right2Know expresses concern that it is too easy for the minister to extend the number of organisations affected by the bill and that it may extend beyond security of the state, as the government says it would be limited to. They also state that the minister responsible for the extent of the bill may benefit from censorship, allowing the bill to be extended over an unnecessary scale. It also seems, according to this organisation, that information can be classed as “top secret” too readily. They also point out that the bill introduces easy exceptions to the National Archives of South Africa Act 1996, which states that information may not be kept classified for more than twenty years. The panel responsible for granting situations exception has little regulations, effectively canceling out the National Archives of South Af...
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...hits back at SARS. The Witness , 1. Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa: The Witness.
Right2Know. (n.d.). History. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from Right2Know: http://www.r2k.org.za/about/history/
Right2Know. (n.d.). Measuring the Bill against R2K's seven-point freedom test.
National Assembly. (2010). Protection of State Information Bill. 28. Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa: South African Government.
SAHRC. (n.d.). About the SAHRC. Retrieved May 2, 2014, from South African Human Rights Commision: http://www.sahrc.org.za/home/index.php?ipkContentID=1
SAHRC. (2012, February 10). Submission to the D Hoc Committee on Protection of State Information Bill. South Africa: SAHRC.
Turner, T. (2013, December 22). WHAT DOES THE FAX SAY? (North Korean Ylvis The Fox Parody Music Video HD). Retrieved May 4, 2014, from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxDgQJBVJxg
Chamberlain, Kenneth, “History: The Day the Freedom of Information Act Expanded”. Nationaljournal.com 20 Nov. 2012 General OneFile. Web 26 April 2014.
...f South African language and culture, acknowledgement of the racial oppression in South Africa, past and present, that it was wrong and positive action is required to make it right, and finally that all South Africans are legitimate and enjoy full moral equality (“About – DA”). In order for all this to be possible, the state must ensure it does not compromise the freedom of the individual (“About – DA”).
The “need of state security or of criminal investigation” is very broad to the point where the government blocks most western internet newspaper and general news sites. There is no general data protection legislation...
...2009): 8-9. United Nations Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review. Web. 8 Apr. 2014. .
George Orwell’s Famous book 1984 is about a man who struggles to live under the superintendence of Big Brother. Throughout the novel, Winston struggles with constantly being surveilled and the lack of freedom. Similarly, in our world today, there are government agencies that have the power to listen to phone calls, track people's movements, and watch them through cameras. Winston’s world of surveillance and inadequate confidentiality both privately and publicly is in many aspects much the same as in our world today and the people should demand regulations to be set in place to protect their privacy.
It has long been believed that information is power. Thus, people collecting personal information in ...
Journalist or Terrorist Julian Assange, an Australian editor, activist, journalist and publisher, launched the WikiLeaks website in the year 2006. From that moment, the site spiraled rapidly into the limelight all over the world. It then came to be known as the most powerful whistle-blowing and also the most scandalous “media” in the online world. WikiLeaks profans and violates the right of privacy, right of accountability and confidentiality among Information and data sharing also it has a negative impact on governments, private sectors or businesses and also individuals, there is also a big question of accountability. Right of privacy, right of accountability and confidentiality are some of the rights that you acquire being a citizen of the country and when these rights are violated it is an offence.
Constitution, the founding fathers recognized that citizens in a democracy need privacy for their ‘persons, houses, papers, and effects.’ That remains as true as ever, but our privacy laws have not kept up as technology has changed the way we hold information.”
Tomescu, Madalina, and Liliana Trofin. "Identity, Security and Privacy in the Information Society." Contemporary readings in law and social justice 2.2 (2010): 307-12. Print.
Privacy is not just a fundamental right, it is also important to maintain a truly democratic society where all citizens are able to exist with relative comfort. Therefore, “[Monitoring citizens without their knowledge] is a major threat to democracies all around the world.” (William Binney.) This is a logical opinion because without freedom of expression and privacy, every dictatorship in history has implemented some form of surveillance upon its citizens as a method of control.
...the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data. The High Representative shall decide on the implementing rules for the EEAS.”
Introduction: Traditionally speaking, privacy has not been directly protected in English Law but, nonetheless, is a rapidly growing area of English Law due to pressing issues such as the role of the internet in privacy, unlawful interference on behalf of governments, and others that will be analysed further below. Privacy law considers in what instances does an individual have a legal right to informational privacy. Laws of this nature are typically considered as part of criminal law or the law of tort, but that has not been the case with privacy and has only enjoyed limited protection through the doctrine of breach of confidence and champloo of related legislation on topics like data protection and harassment. The Human Rights Act (the "Act")
Smith, Jenna (2001). “Privacy and Private States.” The Private I: Privacy in a Public World.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Human Development Report (2000) Human Rights and Human Development (New York) p.19 [online] Available from: [Accessed 2 March 2011]
Julia S., Children's Rights in Africa: A Legal Perspective. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Ltd. 2013. Print.