IN CONVERSATION MICHAEL WATERS
Loading player...
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has announced that it will report the Gauteng government's e-Panic Button data breach to the Information Regulator of South Africa, citing concerns that the incident may constitute a violation of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). According to the DA, sensitive information belonging to Gauteng residents who used the provincial government's crime-reporting application may have been exposed, raising serious questions about cybersecurity, accountability and the protection of vulnerable citizens.
The concerns emerged after a report by GroundUp revealed that the e-Panic Button system allegedly exposed highly sensitive information, including users' names, contact details, crime reports, photographs, GPS coordinates and location histories. The report further alleged that reports relating to domestic violence, assault and other crimes could be accessed without sophisticated hacking techniques. Even one-time PINs used to register and log into the application were reportedly exposed. The data is alleged to date back to the launch of the platform in 2024, raising concerns about how long personal information may have been vulnerable.
The concerns emerged after a report by GroundUp revealed that the e-Panic Button system allegedly exposed highly sensitive information, including users' names, contact details, crime reports, photographs, GPS coordinates and location histories. The report further alleged that reports relating to domestic violence, assault and other crimes could be accessed without sophisticated hacking techniques. Even one-time PINs used to register and log into the application were reportedly exposed. The data is alleged to date back to the launch of the platform in 2024, raising concerns about how long personal information may have been vulnerable.
