Contents
1 Introduction........................................................................................................................................3
What is Internet Law?........................................................................................................................3
Context..............................................................................................................................................3
Areas of Study....................................................................................................................................3
Electronic Commerce.........................................................................................................................3
Data Protection..................................................................................................................................4
2 Electronic Commerce..........................................................................................................................5
Definition...........................................................................................................................................5
Key Characteristics.............................................................................................................................6
Legal Regulation.................................................................................................................................6
3 Validity of Electronic Contracts...........................................................................................................9
Overview ECTA...................................................................................................................................9
Legal Recognition and Validity of Electronic Contracts....................................................................10
4 Standard Terms and Conditions, and Consumer Protection.............................................................22
Incorporation of Standard Terms and Conditions............................................................................22
Consumer Protection.......................................................................................................................35
5 Automated Transactions...................................................................................................................39
Contract Conclusion.........................................................................................................................39
Automates Transactions and Electronic Agents...............................................................................42
6 Smart Contracts and Blockchain Technology....................................................................................53
General Background and Issues.......................................................................................................53
Definition of Smart Contracts..........................................................................................................54
The Rationale For, Development and Operation of Smart Contracts...............................................56
Advantages and Disadvantages of Smart Contracts.........................................................................58
Are Smart Contracts Really Contracts?............................................................................................59
Legal Regulation of Smart Contracts................................................................................................61
7 Jurisdiction and Applicable Law........................................................................................................65
Jurisdiction.......................................................................................................................................65
Applicable Law.................................................................................................................................67
8 Electronic Payments, Electronic Money and Virtual CUrrencies.......................................................70
Payment Methods in Electronic Commerce.....................................................................................70
General Background on the Legal Regulation of Payment Methods................................................70
Legal Regulation of Credit Cards......................................................................................................71
Legal Regulation of Electronic Funds Transfers (EFTs).....................................................................73
1
, Legal Risks of Internet and Mobile Banking/Payments....................................................................75
Electronic and Mobile Money..........................................................................................................76
Digital, Virtual and Crypto Currencies..............................................................................................78
9 Data Protection: Introduction...........................................................................................................84
Introduction.....................................................................................................................................85
International Regulation..................................................................................................................86
Regulation in SA...............................................................................................................................87
10 POPIA: An Overview........................................................................................................................91
Aim and Purpose of POPIA...............................................................................................................91
Application and Definitions..............................................................................................................92
Interpretation..................................................................................................................................94
Exclusions........................................................................................................................................94
Exemptions......................................................................................................................................95
Prohibition Against Processing Sensitive Personal Information and Personal Information of a Child
.........................................................................................................................................................97
Processing That Requires Prior Authorisation..................................................................................99
Oversight and Enforcement...........................................................................................................100
International Data Flows: Data Transfers to Country of Third Party..............................................101
11 Rights and Duties..........................................................................................................................103
Rights of Data Subject....................................................................................................................103
Conditions for Lawful Processing of Personal Information............................................................104
12 Direct Marketing, Fully Automated Decision Making and Consent...............................................116
Direct Marketing............................................................................................................................116
Fully Automated Decision Making.................................................................................................116
Consent..........................................................................................................................................118
2
,1 INTRODUCTION
What is Internet Law?
- For what purposes is the Internet used?
- What are its benefits and disadvantages?
- Which existing branches/fields of the law will intersect with these issues?
- Is Internet law a separate branch/area/body of the law called which acts in isolation?
Context
- When it comes to legal regulation of everything connected to the Internet what are the main
interests that need protection?
- Is there a need to balance certain interests?
- What would be an optimal form of legal regulation? And of dispute resolution?
Areas of Study
- Electronic commerce
- Privacy and data protection
Electronic Commerce
- Electronic contracts
o General background to ECTA (UNCITRAL Model Laws, functional equivalence, media
neutrality);
o Formation: offer and acceptance (validity); advertisements; when and where is
contract concluded;
o Formalities: writing, signature, non-variation clauses;
o Incorporation of standard terms: (wrap contracts);
o Consumer protection;
o Electronic/automated agents (iot; EDI): mistake/error, artificial intelligence,
capacity;
o Issues of sales law: digitised materials, ownership of data;
o Smart contracts and blockchain;
o Jurisdiction and applicable law; legal regulation v self-regulation; alternative forms
of dispute resolution;
o International regulation.
- Electronic payments, e-money and electronic transferable records
o Legal regulation pertaining to credit cards, electronic fund transfers, e-money and
cryptocurrencies with specific reference to fraud and bona fide mistakes: national
and international dimension;
o Legal regulation of electronic transferable records with special reference to the
carriage of goods.
3
, Data Protection
- Privacy and data protection in a comparative context with specific reference to the legal
position of data subjects, data controllers (responsible parties) and third party service
providers (= capita selecta)
4
1 Introduction........................................................................................................................................3
What is Internet Law?........................................................................................................................3
Context..............................................................................................................................................3
Areas of Study....................................................................................................................................3
Electronic Commerce.........................................................................................................................3
Data Protection..................................................................................................................................4
2 Electronic Commerce..........................................................................................................................5
Definition...........................................................................................................................................5
Key Characteristics.............................................................................................................................6
Legal Regulation.................................................................................................................................6
3 Validity of Electronic Contracts...........................................................................................................9
Overview ECTA...................................................................................................................................9
Legal Recognition and Validity of Electronic Contracts....................................................................10
4 Standard Terms and Conditions, and Consumer Protection.............................................................22
Incorporation of Standard Terms and Conditions............................................................................22
Consumer Protection.......................................................................................................................35
5 Automated Transactions...................................................................................................................39
Contract Conclusion.........................................................................................................................39
Automates Transactions and Electronic Agents...............................................................................42
6 Smart Contracts and Blockchain Technology....................................................................................53
General Background and Issues.......................................................................................................53
Definition of Smart Contracts..........................................................................................................54
The Rationale For, Development and Operation of Smart Contracts...............................................56
Advantages and Disadvantages of Smart Contracts.........................................................................58
Are Smart Contracts Really Contracts?............................................................................................59
Legal Regulation of Smart Contracts................................................................................................61
7 Jurisdiction and Applicable Law........................................................................................................65
Jurisdiction.......................................................................................................................................65
Applicable Law.................................................................................................................................67
8 Electronic Payments, Electronic Money and Virtual CUrrencies.......................................................70
Payment Methods in Electronic Commerce.....................................................................................70
General Background on the Legal Regulation of Payment Methods................................................70
Legal Regulation of Credit Cards......................................................................................................71
Legal Regulation of Electronic Funds Transfers (EFTs).....................................................................73
1
, Legal Risks of Internet and Mobile Banking/Payments....................................................................75
Electronic and Mobile Money..........................................................................................................76
Digital, Virtual and Crypto Currencies..............................................................................................78
9 Data Protection: Introduction...........................................................................................................84
Introduction.....................................................................................................................................85
International Regulation..................................................................................................................86
Regulation in SA...............................................................................................................................87
10 POPIA: An Overview........................................................................................................................91
Aim and Purpose of POPIA...............................................................................................................91
Application and Definitions..............................................................................................................92
Interpretation..................................................................................................................................94
Exclusions........................................................................................................................................94
Exemptions......................................................................................................................................95
Prohibition Against Processing Sensitive Personal Information and Personal Information of a Child
.........................................................................................................................................................97
Processing That Requires Prior Authorisation..................................................................................99
Oversight and Enforcement...........................................................................................................100
International Data Flows: Data Transfers to Country of Third Party..............................................101
11 Rights and Duties..........................................................................................................................103
Rights of Data Subject....................................................................................................................103
Conditions for Lawful Processing of Personal Information............................................................104
12 Direct Marketing, Fully Automated Decision Making and Consent...............................................116
Direct Marketing............................................................................................................................116
Fully Automated Decision Making.................................................................................................116
Consent..........................................................................................................................................118
2
,1 INTRODUCTION
What is Internet Law?
- For what purposes is the Internet used?
- What are its benefits and disadvantages?
- Which existing branches/fields of the law will intersect with these issues?
- Is Internet law a separate branch/area/body of the law called which acts in isolation?
Context
- When it comes to legal regulation of everything connected to the Internet what are the main
interests that need protection?
- Is there a need to balance certain interests?
- What would be an optimal form of legal regulation? And of dispute resolution?
Areas of Study
- Electronic commerce
- Privacy and data protection
Electronic Commerce
- Electronic contracts
o General background to ECTA (UNCITRAL Model Laws, functional equivalence, media
neutrality);
o Formation: offer and acceptance (validity); advertisements; when and where is
contract concluded;
o Formalities: writing, signature, non-variation clauses;
o Incorporation of standard terms: (wrap contracts);
o Consumer protection;
o Electronic/automated agents (iot; EDI): mistake/error, artificial intelligence,
capacity;
o Issues of sales law: digitised materials, ownership of data;
o Smart contracts and blockchain;
o Jurisdiction and applicable law; legal regulation v self-regulation; alternative forms
of dispute resolution;
o International regulation.
- Electronic payments, e-money and electronic transferable records
o Legal regulation pertaining to credit cards, electronic fund transfers, e-money and
cryptocurrencies with specific reference to fraud and bona fide mistakes: national
and international dimension;
o Legal regulation of electronic transferable records with special reference to the
carriage of goods.
3
, Data Protection
- Privacy and data protection in a comparative context with specific reference to the legal
position of data subjects, data controllers (responsible parties) and third party service
providers (= capita selecta)
4
