Privacy Policy

1. Scope of this policy

This policy applies to the WildTrack-SA website, mobile app, user accounts, maps, sightings, routes, galleries, accommodation tools, memberships, support services and other connected features.

By creating an account, submitting information, purchasing membership or using the service, you acknowledge that personal information will be processed as described in this policy.

2. Privacy contact

WildTrack-SA processes limited personal information required to operate the platform, manage user accounts, provide features and protect users, wildlife and the service.

3. POPIA collection notice

Required account information

A name, surname and email address are required to create and secure an account and to link membership access to the correct user.

Optional or feature-dependent information

Telephone number, city, profile details, social-media handles, biography, photographs, comments, votes, sightings and other community information are optional unless a particular feature clearly states otherwise.

Consequences of not providing information

A user may be unable to register, sign in, recover an account, activate membership or use a feature that depends on information or permission that has not been provided.

Sources of information

Information may be collected directly from the user, the user’s device, the app or website, the membership and payment process, support correspondence, or another user who lawfully interacts with public content.

4. Personal information we may process

Account and profile information

• Name, surname, display name and email address.
• Optional telephone number, city, biography, social handles and preferences.
• Account status, membership tier and acceptance records.

User content and community activity

• Sightings, photographs, videos, gallery items, captions and reports.
• Comments, likes, votes, checklists and route-completion activity.
• Moderation reports and account-enforcement history.

Location and trip-related information

• Device GPS may be used locally to display position, calculate route progress and operate map or speed-safety features when permission is enabled.
• WildTrack-SA does not provide staff or other users with continuous live tracking of a user’s exact device location.
• If a sustained-speeding safety alert is triggered, authorised roles may receive the event time, recorded speed and an approximate area pin.
• A location deliberately submitted with a sighting or report becomes part of that content and is not continuous live tracking.

Technical and security information

• Device type, operating system, app version and technical identifiers.
• Internet protocol information, error logs, diagnostics and security events.
• Authentication, session and account-protection information.

Membership and transaction information

• Membership product, access tier, activation date and expiry date.
• Order or transaction reference and payment-verification status.
• Complete card or banking credentials are generally processed by the payment provider and are not intentionally stored by WildTrack-SA.

5. Why information is processed

Personal information may be used to:

• Create, authenticate, secure and manage accounts.
• Provide maps, sightings, routes, galleries, statistics and community features.
• Link memberships and paid access to the correct account and email address.
• Respond to support, privacy, account and payment-related requests.
• Send important account, security, legal, safety and membership notices.
• Moderate content, prevent fraud and investigate misuse or wildlife risks.
• Diagnose faults, maintain backups and improve the platform.
• Comply with legal obligations and lawful requests.

WildTrack-SA does not sell personal information and does not use precise device-location information for third-party targeted advertising.

6. Device permissions

• Location: used locally for map position, route progress, pin placement and safety functionality when enabled.
• Camera and photographs: used when a user chooses to capture or upload media.
• Notifications: used for account, membership, safety or community messages where enabled.

Permissions may be withdrawn through device settings, but the related feature may stop working or become less accurate.

7. Children’s personal information

WildTrack-SA is intended to be suitable for families and wildlife enthusiasts, but children require additional privacy and safety protection.

• A user under 18 must use the service with appropriate parent or legal-guardian involvement and permission where required.
• A child must not publish a private telephone number, email address, home address, school, exact live location or information that may place the child at risk.
• A parent or guardian may request access, correction, restriction or deletion of a child’s information.
• WildTrack-SA may restrict visibility or remove identifying content where reasonably necessary to protect a child.

8. Service providers and information sharing

Information is shared only where reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, where the user directs the sharing, or where disclosure is permitted or required by law.

• Supabase may provide authentication, database, storage and backend services.
• Google and Google Play may process app-store, device, permission, distribution and notification information.
• WordPress, WooCommerce and PayFast may process membership orders, payment confirmations and connected transaction information.
• Hosting, email, mapping, security, analytics and technical providers may process limited information required to perform their services.
• A court, lawful authority, emergency service or conservation body may receive relevant information where required by law or reasonably necessary to address serious danger, suspected poaching, wildlife crime, fraud or abuse.

Public content is visible according to the feature and privacy setting selected by the user.

9. Cross-border processing and security

Some service providers may store or process information outside South Africa. WildTrack-SA will take reasonable steps to use providers and arrangements that offer appropriate protection for personal information.

Reasonable safeguards may include secure transmission, authentication, access controls, restricted administrative access, backups and security monitoring. No internet-connected service can guarantee absolute security.

Where there are reasonable grounds to believe personal information has been accessed or acquired by an unauthorised person, WildTrack-SA will follow applicable investigation and notification requirements.

10. Retention, deletion and account closure

Personal information is retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, legal obligations, security, dispute handling and protection of the service.

• Account and membership information may be retained while an account is active.
• User content may remain until deleted or removed under the platform rules.
• A verified account-deletion request should remove or de-identify active account information within a reasonable period, ordinarily within 30 days, unless lawful retention is required.
• Residual copies may remain temporarily in backups until overwritten through the normal backup cycle.
• Transaction, fraud, moderation, security and legal records may be retained longer where reasonably necessary and lawful.

Account deletion may be requested through the app, the account-deletion page, or by emailing support@wildtrack-sa.co.za.

11. Your POPIA rights

Subject to applicable procedures and lawful exceptions, a user may:

• Ask whether WildTrack-SA holds personal information about the user.
• Request access to personal information.
• Request correction, updating, destruction or deletion.
• Object to processing where POPIA provides a right to object.
• Withdraw consent where processing depends on consent.
• Lodge a complaint with the South African Information Regulator.

Requests may be sent to support@wildtrack-sa.co.za. Reasonable identity verification may be required.

12. Communications and direct marketing

• WildTrack-SA may send essential account, security, legal, membership and service communications.
• Promotional electronic messages will be sent only where there is an appropriate lawful basis, including consent where required.
• Promotional messages will provide a reasonable method to opt out.
• Opting out of marketing does not prevent essential account, transaction, security or legal notices.

13. Policy changes

WildTrack-SA may update this policy when features, providers, risks, laws or operational requirements change. Material changes may be communicated in the app, by email or through another reasonable electronic notice.

Users may be asked to accept a revised policy before continuing to use certain features.