In a statement on Tuesday, the regulator said the department's actions were not in line with the provisions of the Protection of Personal Information Act Popia.
"The department of basic education was issued with an enforcement notice on 4 November following the Information Regulator's own-initiative assessment into the compliance with Popia by the department," the regulator said.
"The Information Regulator found that the department was not compliant with section 11 of Popia and was in breach of the conditions for the lawful processing of personal information by failing to obtain consent for the publication of matric results from the learners - that sat for the 2023 National Senior Certificate examinations."
It said no legal justification exists for the department to continue with the publication of matric results in newspapers. Instead of being published, results must be given to students individually to ensure their privacy is maintained, including obtaining the results directly from the school or receiving them via SMS.
