Community App

1. Introduction

Your privacy is important to us. This application is designed to support community safety, communication, and participation. We are committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) of South Africa.

By using this app, you agree to the terms outlined in this Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

2. Information We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to operate the community platform effectively. This may include:

Name
Phone number
Email address
Address (for verification and community membership purposes)
Activity within the app (e.g., patrol participation, contributions, community points)
Billing and payment information relating to subscriptions, donations, adverts and community projects
Limited system and security logs related to account access and app usage

We do not collect unnecessary personal data such as family details or sensitive personal information unless explicitly required and consented to.

3. Purpose of Data Collection

We process personal information only where reasonably necessary for community safety, operational administration, communication between members, legal compliance, or where consent has been provided.

Your personal information is used strictly for community-related purposes, including:

Verifying that you are a resident or authorized member of the community
Enabling member communication
Supporting security reporting and coordination
Managing community patrols and activities
Administering community contributions and rewards (points)

Because the app includes chat and communication features, limited personal identification (name and phone number) is required to:

Promote responsible and respectful communication
Ensure accountability among members
Prevent misuse of the platform, including anonymous harassment, false reporting, or harmful behavior

This approach helps maintain a trusted environment where members can communicate openly while knowing that all participants are verified community members.

Because the platform is designed for verified community safety participation, certain identifying information may need to be retained for safety, moderation, fraud prevention, or accountability purposes even after account closure or suspension.

Your information will not be used for marketing purposes without your explicit additional consent.

We do however make use trusted third-party service providers to assist with hosting, messaging, payment processing, email delivery, backups, technical support, or security-related services. These providers may process limited personal information only as necessary to provide those services on our behalf and are required to protect your information appropriately.

4. Visibility of Member Information

With your consent, your name and phone number may be visible to other verified members within the app for:

Community communication
Safety coordination
Reporting incidents
Participation in community chat features

This visibility supports transparent and accountable interaction between members. Your address will not be publicly displayed within the app unless you provide separate, explicit consent.

Administrative Access to Information

Regardless of your visibility preferences, certain personal information (including name, phone number, and address) will remain accessible to authorized administrators. This is strictly limited and required to:

Verify membership and residency
Maintain the safety and integrity of the platform
Investigate incidents, complaints, or misuse
Enforce community rules and policies

Administrators are obligated to handle all personal information confidentially and in accordance with POPIA.

Withdrawal of consent for member visibility does not prevent administrators from retaining or accessing information reasonably necessary for safety, operational, moderation, verification, or legal purposes.

5. Consent (Opt-In)

We require your explicit, informed, and voluntary consent before displaying your personal information within the app. During registration, you will be asked to opt in. You may withdraw this consent at any time.

Opt-in Example Text for App Registration:

[ ] I consent to my name and phone number being visible to other verified members within the app for the purpose of community communication, safety coordination, and incident reporting.
I understand my information will not be used for marketing, may be accessed by administrators for safety, and I can withdraw consent at any time.

6. Data Minimisation

We follow a strict data minimisation approach:

Only essential information is collected and displayed
Your address is used primarily for verification and is not publicly shared without consent
If you choose not to display your details to other members, your information will still be securely stored and accessible only to authorized administrators for safety and compliance purposes
No additional personal data is shared without explicit consent
Your data is never used beyond its stated purpose

7. Right to Opt-Out and Data Removal

You have the right to:

Opt out of having your details displayed
Leave the platform at any time
Request deletion of your personal data

Upon request, we will delete or anonymise your personal information within a reasonable timeframe, except where retention is required for legitimate community safety, operational, legal, accounting, fraud prevention, moderation, or security purposes.

a) Data Retention and Deletion

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to operate the platform, maintain community safety, comply with legal obligations, and resolve disputes or misuse of the service.

Retention Schedule

Data Type	Typical Retention
Active member profile	While account active
Deleted account profile data	Removed/anonymised within 30–90 days
Chat history	Retained in anonymised form
Patrol/activity logs	Up to 3 years
Moderation and ban records	Up to 5 years
Financial/accounting records	As required by law
Security logs	Up to 12 months

If you request deletion of your account:

Your profile information, including your name, phone number, email address, address, profile image, and authentication details, will be removed or anonymised or de-identified so that it can no longer reasonably be linked to you personally, within a reasonable period.
Community chat messages, reports, patrol participation records, alerts, and other operational activity may be retained in anonymised form where necessary to preserve community history, maintain operational records, investigate incidents, or ensure platform integrity.
Financial records, invoices, payment histories, donations, and accounting records may be retained for legally required retention periods.
Moderation records, suspension history, reports of abuse, and safety-related incidents may be retained where reasonably necessary to enforce community rules, prevent misuse, protect community members, or comply with legal obligations.

Where possible, retained records will be de-identified so they can no longer reasonably be linked to you personally.

Deleted or anonymised information may remain in secure system backups for a limited period until backup rotation or deletion occurs.

Messages, reports, comments, and other content submitted by users may remain visible within the platform after account deletion where necessary to preserve conversation continuity, operational history, moderation records, or community safety information. In such cases, identifying account information will be removed or anonymised where reasonably possible.

We may also retain limited technical or security information for fraud prevention, system security, dispute resolution, or legal compliance purposes.

The platform may retain records relating to moderation actions, suspensions, bans, reports, investigations, and policy violations where reasonably necessary to maintain community safety, enforce platform rules, prevent repeated abuse, or comply with legal obligations.

Subject to applicable law, users may request access to their personal information, request correction of inaccurate information, object to certain processing activities, or request deletion/anonymisation of personal information.

8. Security of Your Information

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including:

Secure data storage
Restricted access to authorized users only
Monitoring of system access and usage

Limited technical logs, including login activity, device information, and system access records, may be collected and retained for security, fraud prevention, troubleshooting, and operational purposes.

While we take reasonable steps to protect personal information, no electronic system or method of transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

9. Updating Consent

If your information was previously collected without explicit consent, we will request your permission before continuing to use or display it.

10. Community Code of Conduct

To maintain a safe and respectful environment, all members agree to:

Respectful Communication

Communicate constructively
Avoid offensive, abusive, or threatening language

No Misuse of the Platform

Do not spread false information
Do not harass or intimidate members
Do not impersonate others

Responsible Use for Safety

Use the platform for legitimate community safety and communication purposes
Report incidents truthfully and responsibly

Privacy of Others

Do not share other members’ personal information outside the app
Respect the confidentiality of information shared within the community

Enforcement

Violations may result in warnings, suspension, or permanent removal
Serious violations may be reported to relevant authorities

Administrators reserve the right to suspend, restrict, or terminate access to the platform where reasonably necessary to protect community safety, enforce platform rules, investigate misuse, or maintain operational integrity.

11. User-Generated Content & Liability Disclaimer

Users are solely responsible for content they create (messages, reports, comments)
Administrators do not endorse or verify user-generated content
Administrators are not liable for any loss, damage, or harm from user content

Monitoring and Moderation

Activity may be monitored
Reported content may be reviewed or removed
Users who breach rules may be suspended or removed

13. Eligibility

The platform is intended for adult residents or authorized community members. If minors use the platform, they should do so only with the involvement or consent of a parent, guardian, or responsible adult where required.

12. Transparency and Accountability

To ensure a safe and trusted environment:

The platform does not allow full anonymity
Administrators retain access to essential identifying information to maintain accountability, prevent misuse, and respond to incidents
This ensures all users are accountable while respecting individual privacy choices

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Users will be notified of significant changes.

14. Contact

For questions or requests regarding your personal data, please contact the app administrators via the platform.

Privacy Policy & Terms