Our personal devices – such as mobile phones, laptops and tablets – are increasingly used to access movies, download Apps, store music or stream content from platforms like Netflix or Showmax. And they are often shared among family members, such as children who regularly use their parents’ devices to enjoy online content. But, with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) finally coming into effect on 30 June this year, which aims to enforce protection of personal information by creating the lawful conditions for how this information must be managed, are employees – and the businesses that hire them – violating its rules? Potentially yes, says Sián Fields, intellectual property and technology law consultant from Reynolds Attorneys, a boutique law firm in Cape Town.