Privacy Policy

Linkus (Pty) Ltd ("we", "us", "our", or "Linkus") is committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your personal information when you use the Linkus platform, website, and services (collectively, the "Platform").

As a responsible operator under POPIA, we act as the "Responsible Party" in respect of personal information processed through our Platform. We have appointed an Information Officer responsible for overseeing our data protection compliance.

2.1 Account Information. When you register, we collect your name, email address, profile picture, and authentication credentials.

2.2 Usage Data. We automatically collect information about how you interact with the Platform, including pages visited, features used, posts created, and scheduling activity.

2.3 Content Data. We store the posts, captions, images, videos, and other content you create or upload through the Platform.

2.4 Payment Information. Payment details are processed by our third-party payment providers (PayFast, Peach Payments, Stripe). We do not store full card numbers or banking credentials.

2.5 Technical Data. We collect IP addresses, browser type, device information, and cookies for security and performance purposes.

2.6 Communications. If you contact us, we retain records of your communications for support and legal compliance purposes.

We process your personal information for the following lawful purposes:

• Providing, operating, and improving the Platform and its features;
• Processing payments and managing your subscription;
• Sending service-related communications (account confirmations, billing alerts, feature updates);
• Providing customer support and responding to enquiries;
• Detecting, preventing, and investigating fraud, security breaches, and abuse;
• Complying with legal obligations and enforcing our Terms of Service;
• Conducting analytics to understand usage patterns and improve the Platform;
• Sending marketing communications where you have provided consent (you may opt out at any time).

We process your personal information on the following lawful grounds:

• Contract performance: Processing necessary to provide the services you have subscribed to;
• Legitimate interests: Security monitoring, fraud prevention, and Platform improvement;
• Legal obligation: Compliance with POPIA, tax laws, and other applicable legislation;
• Consent: Marketing communications and optional analytics features.

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

• Service providers: Cloud hosting, payment processors, email delivery, and analytics providers who are contractually bound to protect your data;
• Social media platforms: When you connect your accounts, we interact with those platforms' APIs on your behalf;
• Legal authorities: Where required by law, court order, or to protect our legal rights;
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, with appropriate protections for your data.

We implement industry-standard technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include encryption in transit (TLS/HTTPS), encryption at rest, access controls, regular security assessments, and secure cloud infrastructure.

In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you and the Information Regulator of South Africa as required by POPIA within the prescribed timeframes.

As a data subject under POPIA, you have the following rights:

• Right of access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you;
• Right to correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information;
• Right to deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements);
• Right to object: Object to the processing of your personal information for direct marketing;
• Right to lodge a complaint: Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa at www.justice.gov.za/inforeg/.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. Upon account deletion, we will delete or anonymise your personal information within 90 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal, tax, or compliance purposes (typically up to 5 years for financial records).

We use essential cookies to operate the Platform (session management, security). We use analytics cookies to understand usage patterns. You may control cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may impair Platform functionality.

Your data may be processed in countries outside South Africa where our cloud infrastructure providers operate. We ensure that all cross-border transfers comply with POPIA's requirements for transborder information flows, including ensuring that the recipient country provides an adequate level of protection or that appropriate safeguards are in place.

The Platform is not directed at children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe a minor has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately and we will take steps to delete such information.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by updating the "Last Updated" date and, where required by law, by sending direct notification. Your continued use of the Platform after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.