Exploring cloud computing's legal and privacy issues in South Africa

Cloud computing is a new venture in computing technologies and is currently being widely accepted and used globally for its many benefits. Legal issues that apply to cloud computing refers to the areas of law that govern acceptable use of cloud computing. Privacy applies to user’s information when storing personally identifiable information in cloud computing data centres and how that data remains visible to only the owner of that information. There are numerous laws which govern acceptable use of cloud computing on the Internet, however, due to the nature of cloud computing and the fact that it is a growing technology, it brings about inherent legal and privacy issues. Users of cloud computing in South Africa have been found not to fully understand the legal framework that surrounds cloud computing and how to go about making sure that their data remains secure. A qualitative approach was undertaken to explore and pinpoint legal and privacy issues that users are unaware of and should take into consideration when going about using cloud computing, specifically when the cloud computing servers are hosted internationally. A major finding of the study was that there are certain areas in the world which provide better conditions for the privacy of information with regards to the legal paradigms in place to protect that information. The research also shows that companies and users in South Africa are unaware of the legal frameworks that are in place. This research aims to gain a clearer understanding of the legal side to cloud computing and how users in South Africa can choose a cloud computing provider that best matches their needs with regards to legal and privacy issues. The outcome of this research focuses on adding theoretical contributions to the body of knowledge as laws regarding cloud computing are constantly changing. The research also provides a theoretical model and manifesto for companies in South Africa to consider when adopting cloud computing.