JOHANNESBURG - The Gauteng e-panic button data breach matter will soon be escalated to the Premier's office.
A security flaw that exposes sensitive personal information has caused panic among users.
It seems the app has exposed victims' reports, names, and locations.
The Gauteng Legislature e‑Government Committee said the app is not safe to use.
Committee chairperson Mbali Hlophe said the breach was serious.
“It's very alarming and I must indicate that for us, we are more sensitive because of all the stuff that's taking place on the string of women that have been lost and killed and so forth. So, I mean, you can imagine what this then means, because it means the victims and the perpetrators of them would have access to this.
“We want to have a report on the access logs, so they must be able to indicate from 2024 when this was first launched to date. Two years later, how many people have had access to this? Are there any foreign people that have had access to it? If this student was able to log in, who else could have?
“There could be criminal syndicates who have been viewing all this information throughout. We just need that surety. And it's certainly what society would also want. But in addition to that, because this information has now been exposed, they do need to report it to the information regulator and also to inform the individuals that have utilized this app, especially those whose information has been compromised in line with the POPIA Act, they do need to inform them.