Contravention of the Protection of Personal Information Act

In August 2021 I received text messages form Discovery despite the fact that I am not a Discovery client. I sent an email to Discovery in terms of the Protection Of Personal Information (POPI) Act requesting Discovery provide details on how my personal information was obtained, from whom or where it was obtained and with whom or which organisations it had subsequently been shared. I also asked why I had not been informed that Discovery had obtained my personal information without my permission as is required in terms of the POPI Act.

I received reply that Discovery was investigating this. A week went by and there had still been no response from Discovery as required in terms of the POPI Act. Another message was received from Discovery during this time despite my complaint to them. I once again emailed Discovery and the response was that they needed my telephone number in order to perform their investigation. While I was under the impression that Discovery was investigating this breach of the POPI Act they were simply ignoring my complaint. If they had taken it seriously they would have contacted me to ask for my telephone number if they needed it, despite the fact that they had already *******ly obtained this information. I provided my telephone number to Discovery and two months later there has been no word on their investigation. I have sent another email to Discovery that has also been ignored.

Despite my complaints it appears that Discovery has no intention of complying with the POPI Act or my requests for information to which I am entitled in terms of the POPI Act. Two months after my initial complaint Discovery continues to contravene the POPI Act and no action has been taken against them.