CAAWO Privacy Policy
Effective Date: 01/03/2024
At the Coalition of African Animal Welfare Organisations (CAAWO), accessible at https://caawo.org, we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring your personal information is handled responsibly in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) of South Africa and international privacy laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
1. Who We Are
CAAWO is a South African-registered non-profit organisation working to improve the welfare of animals and communities across Africa. This privacy policy applies to all users, including South African and international visitors, interacting with our website.
2. What Personal Data We Collect
We may collect and process the following categories of personal information:
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Comments and Contact Forms
When you leave comments, submit forms, or contact us, we collect the data you provide (e.g., name, email, comment content) as well as your IP address and browser user agent to assist with spam detection. -
User Accounts
If you register on our website, we store your provided profile information, which you can review and edit at any time (except for your username). -
Media Uploads
If you upload images to the site, please ensure they do not contain embedded location data (EXIF GPS), as visitors can extract this information. -
Cookies
We use cookies to improve user experience, including:-
Remembering your login details.
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Saving comment form data for future use.
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Managing screen display preferences.
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You can control cookie settings in your browser at any time.
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Embedded Content from Third Parties
Articles or pages may include embedded media (e.g., videos, images, articles) from external websites. These sites may collect data about you, use cookies, and track interactions independently.
3. Legal Basis for Processing
We process your data on one or more of the following legal bases:
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Your consent (where applicable).
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To fulfill a contract or service you request.
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To comply with legal obligations.
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For legitimate interests, including improving our services and protecting against misuse.
4. How Long We Retain Your Data
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Comments and related metadata are kept indefinitely to recognize and auto-approve follow-ups.
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Registered user profiles retain personal information until the user deletes or updates it.
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Administrative, legal, or security-related records are kept only as long as required by law.
5. Your Rights Over Your Data
Under POPIA and international laws, you have the right to:
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Request access to the personal data we hold about you.
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Request correction or deletion of your personal information.
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Withdraw your consent at any time (where consent applies).
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Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa) or your local data protection authority.
To exercise your rights, please contact us at info@caawo.org.
6. Where Your Data Is Sent
Visitor comments may be checked through automated spam detection systems. Additionally, when necessary, we may share data with trusted service providers strictly for operational purposes, under confidentiality obligations.
7. International Visitors
If you are accessing our services from outside South Africa, please note your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in South Africa. We ensure appropriate safeguards to protect your data in accordance with international standards.
8. Data Security
We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to secure your personal data and protect it from unauthorized access, alteration, or loss.
9. Updates to This Policy
We may update this policy periodically to reflect changes in legal requirements or our practices. The updated version will be posted on our website with the revised effective date.
10. Contact Us
If you have any questions, requests, or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact:
Coalition of African Animal Welfare Organisations (CAAWO)
Email: info@caawo.org
Website: https://caawo.org