Privacy Policy | Preserv

Preserv ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal information when you use our recipe preservation service.

This policy complies with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) of South Africa.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

Account information: Email address when you sign up
Recipe content: Recipes, stories, and memories you create
Media files: Photos, audio recordings, and video messages you upload
Payment information: Processed securely by PayFast; we do not store card details

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

Usage data: Pages visited, features used, time spent
Device information: Browser type, operating system, screen size
Cookies: Session management and preferences

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to:

Provide and maintain the Preserv service
Process your subscription payments
Send you service-related communications
Improve our product and user experience
Comply with legal obligations

We will never:

Sell your personal information to third parties
Share your recipes publicly without your consent
Use your content for training AI models without explicit permission

3. Legal Basis for Processing (POPIA)

Under POPIA, we process your personal information based on:

Consent: You agree to this policy when creating an account
Contract: Processing necessary to provide services you requested
Legal obligation: Compliance with applicable laws
Legitimate interest: Improving our services while respecting your rights

4. Data Sharing

We share your information only with:

Supabase: Database hosting (account & content data)
Vercel: Website hosting (usage logs)
PayFast: Payment processing (email & payment details)
OpenAI: AI recipe polish, optional (recipe text only)

All service providers are contractually bound to protect your data.

5. Data Retention

Active accounts: We retain your data as long as your account is active
Deleted accounts: We delete your data within 30 days of account deletion
Backups: May persist for up to 90 days for disaster recovery

You can request immediate deletion by emailing privacy@preserv.co.za.

6. Your Rights Under POPIA

You have the right to:

Access: Request a copy of your personal information
Correction: Update inaccurate or incomplete data
Deletion: Request erasure of your data
Object: Opt out of certain processing activities
Portability: Export your recipes in a standard format
Withdraw consent: At any time, though this may affect service availability

To exercise these rights, email privacy@preserv.co.za.

7. Cookies

We use essential cookies for:

Keeping you logged in
Remembering your preferences
Ensuring security

We do not use advertising or tracking cookies.

8. Data Security

We protect your data using:

Encryption in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
Encryption at rest (database encryption)
Row-level security (RLS) in our database
Regular security audits

No system is 100% secure. We will notify you of any data breach affecting your information within 72 hours as required by POPIA.

9. Children's Privacy

Preserv is not intended for children under 18. We do not knowingly collect information from minors. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

10. International Transfers

Your data is stored on servers that may be located outside South Africa (e.g., in the United States via our hosting providers). We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place as required by POPIA Section 72.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes via email or in-app notification. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

12. Contact Us

Information Officer: Preserv Information Officer
Email: privacy@preserv.co.za
Address: Johannesburg, South Africa

For complaints, you may also contact the Information Regulator:
Website: https://www.justice.gov.za/inforeg/
Email: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za