This Privacy Policy explains how Lexfama (“we”, “us”, “our”) collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal information when you visit https://lexfama.co.za (the “Site”), interact with our content, view advertisements, or contact us. This Policy is intended to align with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”) and other applicable South African laws. By using the Site, you acknowledge the practices described in this Policy.
1. Scope and responsible party
This Policy applies to personal information processed through the Site, including information collected automatically (such as device and usage data), information you provide voluntarily (such as when you comment, subscribe, or email us), and information processed in connection with advertising displayed on the Site. For POPIA purposes, Lexfama is the “responsible party” in respect of personal information processed via the Site, unless stated otherwise for specific third-party services. The author/publisher of Lexfama serves as the Information Officer for purposes of POPIA.
2. What personal information we collect
We may collect information you provide directly, such as your name (or chosen display name), email address, the content of messages you send to us, and any information you include in a comment or contact form submission. If the Site enables newsletter subscriptions or similar updates, we may collect your email address and preferences relating to communications. If you interact with us through social media or other platforms linked from the Site, those platforms may share limited information with us depending on your privacy settings and their policies.
We may also collect information automatically when you browse the Site. This can include your IP address, approximate location derived from IP address, browser type and version, device information and identifiers, operating system, referring URLs, pages viewed, time spent on pages, and interactions with the Site. This information may be collected through server logs and through cookies or similar technologies (including pixel tags, local storage, SDKs, or comparable tools) depending on the Site’s configuration and the third-party services enabled.
3. Cookies and similar technologies (cookie notice and your choices)
We use cookies and similar technologies to ensure smooth navigation, enable essential site functions, improve your experience, deliver personalised content, analyse traffic, remember your preferences, and deliver relevant content and ads.
Cookies are small text files stored on your device. Some cookies are necessary for the Site to function properly and help with matters such as security, basic features, and remembering settings. We also use non-essential cookies (including third-party cookies) for analytics, functional features, and advertising (including ad personalisation where enabled). Where required or appropriate, we aim to enable non-essential cookies only where you have provided consent through our cookie consent tool.
When you visit the Site, you can choose which cookies to allow by clicking View Preferences. You can click Accept to consent to non-essential cookies, or Deny to decline non-essential cookies. You can also change your cookie preferences later using the cookie settings control where available. Please note that turning off some cookie types may affect your browsing experience and certain Site features.
You may also manage cookies through your browser settings, including blocking or deleting cookies. If you block cookies, some parts of the Site may not function as intended.
4. Advertising on the Site (Google AdSense and advertising cookies)
We may display advertising on the Site using third-party advertising services, including Google AdSense. Also read: How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services – Privacy & Terms – Google
Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user’s prior visits to this website and/or other websites. Google’s use of advertising cookies enables Google and its partners to serve ads to users based on their visit to this Site and/or other sites on the Internet. This disclosure (and the opt-out information below) is required for sites that show Google ads through AdSense. Source: https://support.google.com/adsense/answer/1348695?hl=en
Opt-out choices. Users may opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google’s Ads Settings at https://www.google.com/settings/ads. Users may also opt out of some third-party vendors’ uses of cookies for personalised advertising by visiting https://www.aboutads.info/choices/.
Cookie preferences on our Site. Our cookie consent tool allows you to accept or reject non-essential cookies (including advertisement cookies). Where you choose Deny or disable advertisement cookies via View Preferences, we will seek to limit non-essential advertising-related cookies on the Site, subject to the technical operation of third-party services, your browser/device settings, and the way advertising is delivered. You may still see ads, but they may be less relevant.
Other advertising partners. Depending on how ads are served, other third-party vendors and ad networks may also use cookies or similar technologies to measure ad performance, limit frequency, help combat fraud, and report on ad delivery. Where applicable, users may visit those vendors’ websites to learn more about their practices and to opt out of personalised advertising if the vendor offers that capability, and users may also consult https://www.aboutads.info/choices/ for opt-out options offered by participating providers.
5. How we use personal information
We process personal information for purposes consistent with operating and improving a legal information blog and associated website. This includes operating, maintaining, and securing the Site; responding to enquiries and correspondence; moderating comments and preventing abuse; sending updates where you have requested or consented to receive them; understanding audience engagement; improving content and user experience; diagnosing technical issues; managing cookie preferences where applicable; and complying with legal obligations.
6. Lawful bases for processing (POPIA-aligned)
We process personal information only where there is a lawful justification under POPIA and other applicable law. Depending on the circumstances, this may include your consent, the performance of a service you request (such as responding to an email), our legitimate interests in operating, securing, improving, and funding the Site (including through advertising), and compliance with legal obligations. We aim to process personal information in a manner that is adequate, relevant, and not excessive for the stated purpose, and we take reasonable steps to ensure information is accurate and updated where appropriate.
7. Sharing of personal information and third parties
We do not sell personal information.
We may share limited personal information with service providers and partners that help us operate, secure, analyse, and monetise the Site. This can include website hosting providers, content delivery networks, email service providers (if used), analytics providers, security and anti-spam tools, site administration tools/plugins, and advertising technology providers (including Google and its partners when Google AdSense is used). These third parties may process information on our behalf and, in some cases, may process information as independent responsible parties/controllers under their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review relevant third-party privacy policies where appropriate.
If the Site embeds third-party content (for example, videos, documents, fonts, maps, or social media embeds), those third parties may collect information about your interaction with the embedded content, potentially including through cookies or similar technologies, in accordance with their own privacy policies.
We may also disclose information if required by law, court order, or regulatory request, or where disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect our rights, users, or the public, including to investigate suspected unlawful activity, security incidents, or violations of our terms.
8. International transfers
Some service providers we use may store or process data outside South Africa (for example, global hosting, analytics, or advertising providers). Where personal information is transferred across borders, we take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate protections are in place consistent with POPIA requirements, such as using reputable providers and contractual safeguards where suitable. Due to the nature of internet communications and globally distributed service providers, cross-border processing may occur.
9. Data retention
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. For example, we may retain correspondence for a reasonable period to manage relationships and maintain records, and we may retain security logs for a period necessary to detect and investigate abuse. Where information is no longer needed, we take reasonable steps to delete it, de-identify it, or securely destroy it, subject to technical and legal constraints.
10. Security measures
We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure hosting practices, software updates, malware and spam protection, and limited administrative access. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we aim to respond appropriately to security incidents where they occur.
11. Your rights (South Africa / POPIA)
Subject to POPIA and other applicable laws, you may request access to personal information we hold about you, request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information, object to certain processing in appropriate circumstances, and request deletion of information where lawful and applicable. Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw consent, noting that withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing before the withdrawal. You may also lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa) if you believe your personal information has been processed unlawfully. The Information Regulator can be reached via https://inforegulator.org.za/.
To exercise your rights, contact us using the details in the “Contact” section below. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests, and we may refuse requests where permitted by law, including where complying would unreasonably affect the privacy of others or conflict with legal obligations.
12. Children’s privacy
The Site is intended for a general audience and is not designed to solicit personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can consider appropriate steps, such as deletion, subject to legal and operational constraints.
13. External links
The Site may contain links to external websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of third-party sites. Your use of third-party sites is governed by their terms and privacy policies.
14. Updates to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, the Site, advertising partners (including Google AdSense), or legal requirements. The updated version will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Your continued use of the Site after updates are posted indicates your acceptance of the revised Policy.
15. Contact
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, want to exercise your POPIA-related rights, or want to contact the Information Officer, contact Lexfama via [email protected].