Gauteng e-Panic Button faces scrutiny over data security

Gauteng’s e-Panic Button is facing mounting scrutiny over the security of highly sensitive personal information submitted by users on the platform.

The e-Panic Button allows Gauteng residents to request assistance during criminal incidents, medical emergencies, gender-based violence incidents and fires.

But with residents relying on the platform during some of their most vulnerable moments, concerns are mounting over whether the sensitive information they provided has been adequately protected.

The Gauteng Department of e-Government says an attempted breach was detected and resolved, insisting that no residents’ personal information was compromised.

MEC for e-Government, Bonginkosi Dhlamini, says the incident involved what he described as a “highly specialised organisation” with advanced cybersecurity capabilities.

However, those assurances are being challenged by Stellenbosch University cybersecurity student, Joel Cedras, who says he discovered vulnerabilities while analysing the app’s code.

Cedras told the public broadcaster the database was insufficiently protected and could potentially be accessed without authentication by anyone with the necessary technical knowledge.

He says the information he was able to view included users’ location histories, crime reports, addresses and contact details, as well as, in some cases, identity numbers and medical aid information.

“What I found in the database is extremely shocking: location history for every single user that had location turned on in the app, things like the crime report, so you were able to see exactly what crimes are reported by who and the address at which that person reported it, as well as their contact information and, in some cases, their ID number and even medical aid information,” said Cedras.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has threatened to report the matter to the Information Regulator over a possible violation of the Protection of Personal Information Act.

The party is also demanding that the department appear before the Gauteng Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on e-Government.

It wants clarity on how long the information may have been exposed, whether it was accessed by unauthorised individuals and whether the system’s access logs have been independently examined.

Meanwhile, Dhlamini maintains that cybersecurity “is not a once-off exercise”, saying the system will continue to be tested and strengthened.

The controversy comes as the platform has grown to more than 288,307 active users.

According to the provincial government, more than 114,000 emergency call-outs have been recorded through the system, with about 27,900 people assisted.

The DA says residents deserve a full account of what happened, whether any personal information was accessed and who will be held accountable if security failures are confirmed.

Gauteng e-Panic Button: A Lifeline for Township Communities, Built on Trust, Privacy and Safety #Gautengegov #GrowingGautengTogether pic.twitter.com/fc4OO3S30V

— Gauteng e-Government (@GautengeGov) September 29, 2026