09 Apr 2018

How to respect privacy and free expression as a tech SME in South Africa

This guide is designed to help small and medium tech enterprises ensure that they are respecting privacy and free expression in their products and services.

It covers:

  • The business case for respecting privacy and free expression as a tech SME;
  • What these rights mean in legal terms, and the specific obligations placed on businesses (both internationally and in South Africa);
  • Practical ways businesses can start respecting these rights;
  • What businesses can do in specific scenarios (for example, if asked by a government to provide data on their users);
  • Useful resources and further reading.

Although this guide is tailored to the local legal context in South Africa, it’s applicable globally, and can be used by tech SMEs in any country.

Human rights defenders will find it useful, too – as a tool to initiate conversations with businesses about human rights; or simply a ‘cheat sheet’ or reference point when issues around business and human rights arise.