Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Story Books Online (PTY) Ltd ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of our users. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website and services at storybooksonline.co.za and any related platforms.

We comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 (POPIA) of South Africa, as well as other applicable data protection legislation. By using our services, you consent to the collection and use of your personal information as described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal information:

• Account Information: Name, email address, and password when you register an account.
• Recipient Information: Name, contact details (email and/or WhatsApp number), and relationship details of the person whose life story is being captured.
• Story Content: Written answers, photographs, and other content submitted by recipients in response to our guided questions.
• Payment Information: Billing details processed securely through PayFast. We do not store full card numbers on our servers.
• Communication Data: Messages sent via WhatsApp or email as part of the story-gathering process.
• Usage Data: Information about how you interact with our website, including IP address, browser type, pages visited, and time spent on the site.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information we collect to:

• Provide, operate, and improve our story-gathering and book-printing services.
• Send weekly questions to recipients via WhatsApp or email as part of the service.
• Generate and print personalised life story books.
• Process payments and send order confirmations and receipts.
• Respond to customer support enquiries.
• Send service-related notifications and updates.
• Comply with legal obligations under South African law.

4. Sharing of Personal Information

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: Trusted third-party providers who assist in operating our platform (e.g., cloud hosting, email delivery, WhatsApp messaging via Twilio, and payment processing via PayFast). These parties are contractually obligated to keep your information confidential.
• Print Partners: Your book content is shared with our printing partners solely for the purpose of producing your physical book.
• Legal Requirements: Where required by law, court order, or government authority.

5. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information, including SSL/TLS encryption for data in transit, secure password hashing, and access controls. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. We encourage you to use a strong, unique password for your account.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide our services. Story content and book data are retained for a minimum of 12 months after your project is completed, allowing you to reorder books. You may request deletion of your data at any time (see Section 8).

7. Cookies and Tracking

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience, analyse usage patterns, and improve our services. You may disable cookies in your browser settings, but this may affect the functionality of certain features. We use analytics tools to understand how visitors interact with our site; this data is aggregated and anonymised where possible.

8. Your Rights Under POPIA

As a data subject under POPIA, you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements.
• Objection: Object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Complaint: Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa at inforegulator.org.za.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected].

9. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed at children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us immediately and we will take steps to delete it.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. We will notify you of significant changes by email or by posting a prominent notice on our website. Your continued use of our services after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact our Information Officer: