Platform Privacy Policy

1. Introduction & Our Role

Welcome to Braai. This Privacy Policy explains how Braai (Pty) LTD and BuzzGrowth (Pty) LTD ("we", "us", "our") collect, use, share, and protect your personal information across the Braai application, website, and services (collectively, the "Services").

We act as the Responsible Party under the South African Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and the Data Controller under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

2. Information We Collect

We only collect information necessary for the functioning of the platform and the safety of our users.

A. Information You Provide

• Identity & Account Data: Name, email address, and date of birth. Date of birth is strictly used for Age Assurance and is not shared publicly.
• Circle Profile Data: Optional details such as gender, heritage, or interests, used specifically for gating and discovery within circles.
• User Content: Messages, posts, images, and videos you share within your circles. Private messages are encrypted and only accessible to participants.
• Transaction Data: For Marketplace users, we collect payment details (processed securely via encrypted gateways) and delivery addresses.

B. Information Collected Automatically

• Safety & Diagnostic Data: Device type, OS version, IP address (masked), and interaction logs to detect abusive behavior, bots, or security threats.
• Contextual Signals: We assess the "Sentiment Vibe" of content through automated filters to maintain a warm community environment.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your data strictly for the following purposes:

• Safety & Verification: To determine if a user is a minor and automatically apply Minor-Safe Default Modes (disabling infinite scroll and evening push notifications).
• Gathering Facilitation: To help you find and "Pull In" to relevant community circles.
• Marketplace Integrity: To process payments and facilitate Warmth-Based Escrow.
• Lifeline Proactivity: If behavioral signals suggest a crisis, we may surface the Braai Lifeline to connect you with professional support (e.g., SADAG or LifeLine SA).

4. Third-Party Data Syncing

We only share data with trusted partners under strict confidentiality agreements:

• Business Integration: Business accounts may opt-in to sync transaction data with bookkeeping software (e.g., QuickBooks).
• Verification Services: Secure SMS/Email gateways for OTP verification.
• Marketplace Handover: Delivery addresses are shared with sellers only once a purchase is confirmed. Sellers are legally bound by our Merchant Agreement to delete your address data once the order is fulfilled.

5. Child Safety & Global Compliance

Braai is a "Safe-by-Design" platform. We align with the UK Children's Code and COPPA (USA):

• Parental Dashboard: Verified parents can monitor activity summaries and set boundaries for minor accounts.
• No Behavioral Tracking: We prohibit the profiling of minors for commercial gain.
• Architectural Gating: Minors and adults are placed in architecturally separated product experiences to prevent inappropriate cross-generational contact.

6. Your Rights & Data Participation

Under POPIA (SA) and GDPR (EU), you have the following rights:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (POPIA Section 23).
• Rectification: Correct any inaccurate or incomplete information.
• The Right to be Forgotten: You can delete your account at any time via App Settings. This triggers an automated Total Wipe of your Personally Identifiable Information (PII) across all production databases and storage.
• Objection: Object to the processing of your data for specific purposes.

7. Data Retention & Security

We retain your data only as long as you have an active account or as required by South African law (e.g., for financial records). All data is Encrypted at Rest (AES-256) and Encrypted in Transit (TLS 1.3).

8. Information Officer & Contact

In accordance with POPIA, we have appointed an Information Officer to oversee our data protection strategy.