Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Streetwise Legal ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your privacy and personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our legal roadblock assistance services, mobile application, and website.

We are a Responsible Party as defined by POPIA and are registered with the Information Regulator of South Africa.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information

When you register for our Services, we collect:

• Identity Information: Full name, ID number, date of birth
• Contact Information: Email address, phone number, physical address
• Driver Information: Driver's license number, vehicle registration details
• Payment Information: Billing details (processed securely by our payment providers)
• Account Credentials: Username, password (encrypted)

2.2 Usage Information

We automatically collect information about how you use our Services:

• Device Information: Device type, operating system, unique device identifiers
• Log Data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, time and date of visits
• Location Data: GPS coordinates when you use our emergency services or incident reporting (with your permission)
• Call Records: Date, time, and duration of calls to our emergency hotline

2.3 Incident Information

When you report a roadblock incident, we collect:

• Date, time, and location of the incident
• Description of the incident
• Photos or documents you upload
• Names of law enforcement officers involved (if provided)
• Details of any citations or charges

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

3.1 Service Delivery

• To provide emergency legal assistance during roadblock incidents
• To generate and maintain your digital membership card
• To process and manage your subscription payments
• To communicate with you about your membership
• To respond to your inquiries and support requests

3.2 Service Improvement

• To analyze usage patterns and improve our Services
• To develop new features and functionality
• To ensure the security and integrity of our Services
• To troubleshoot technical issues

3.3 Legal and Compliance

• To comply with legal obligations
• To enforce our Terms and Conditions
• To protect our rights and the rights of our users
• To respond to lawful requests from authorities

3.4 Marketing (With Consent)

• To send you updates about our Services
• To inform you about new features or special offers
• To send educational content about roadblock rights

You can opt out of marketing communications at any time through your account settings or by clicking "unsubscribe" in our emails.

4. Legal Basis for Processing (POPIA)

Under POPIA, we process your personal information based on the following lawful grounds:

• Consent: You have given us explicit consent to process your information for specific purposes
• Contractual Necessity: Processing is necessary to fulfill our membership agreement with you
• Legal Obligation: We must process your information to comply with South African law
• Legitimate Interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights are protected

5. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information with:

5.1 Service Providers

We engage third-party companies to perform services on our behalf:

• Payment Processors: PayFast and Ozow (to process payments securely)
• Email Service: TurboSMTP (to send membership and service emails)
• Cloud Hosting: Infrastructure providers (to host our application and database)
• Analytics: Service usage analytics (anonymized where possible)

All service providers are contractually bound to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

5.2 Legal Professionals

When you request assistance, we may share relevant incident details with attorneys in our network who can provide you with legal representation if required.

5.3 Law Enforcement and Legal Authorities

We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to:

• Valid legal process (subpoenas, court orders)
• Requests from law enforcement or government agencies
• To protect our legal rights or the safety of our users
• To investigate fraud or security incidents

5.4 Business Transfers

If Streetwise Legal is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify you of any such change and the choices you may have.

6. Data Security

6.1 Technical Safeguards

• Encryption: Data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using SSL/TLS
• Password Protection: Passwords are hashed using bcrypt encryption
• Secure Storage: Personal data is stored in secure, access-controlled databases
• Regular Backups: Data is regularly backed up to prevent loss

6.2 Organizational Safeguards

• Access to personal information is restricted to authorized employees only
• Staff are trained on data protection and privacy principles
• We conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Incident response procedures are in place for data breaches

6.3 Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that compromises your personal information, we will notify you and the Information Regulator within 72 hours, as required by POPIA, and take immediate steps to mitigate any harm.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

7.1 Active Membership

While your membership is active, we retain all personal information to provide Services to you.

7.2 After Cancellation

• Account Data: Retained for 12 months after cancellation (to facilitate reactivation)
• Financial Records: Retained for 5 years (as required by tax law)
• Incident Reports: Retained for 3 years (for potential legal proceedings)
• Marketing Data: Deleted upon opt-out or after 12 months of inactivity

7.3 Deletion Requests

You may request deletion of your personal information at any time (subject to legal retention requirements). See Section 9 for details on exercising this right.

8. Your Rights Under POPIA

Under the Protection of Personal Information Act, you have the following rights:

9. How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of your POPIA rights, please contact us using the details below. We will respond to your request within 30 days as required by law.

We may request proof of identity before processing your request to ensure the security of your personal information.

10. Children's Privacy

Our Services are not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child without parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information immediately. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us at privacy@streetwise-legal.co.za.

11. International Data Transfers

Your personal information is primarily stored and processed within South Africa. In some cases, we may transfer information to service providers located outside South Africa.

When we transfer personal information internationally, we ensure adequate safeguards are in place as required by POPIA, including:

• Standard contractual clauses approved by the Information Regulator
• Transfers to countries with adequate data protection laws
• Your explicit consent for the transfer

12. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience and analyze usage of our Services.

12.1 Types of Cookies

• Essential Cookies: Required for the Services to function (authentication, security)
• Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences and settings
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how you use our Services
• Marketing Cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertisements (with your consent)

12.2 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our Services.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of material changes by:

• Email to your registered email address (at least 30 days before changes take effect)
• Prominent notice in our mobile application
• Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page

Your continued use of our Services after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

14. Information Regulator Contact

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal information and are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Information Regulator:

15. Contact Information

For questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact: