Privacy Policy

Last Updated: May 6, 2025

1. Introduction

At Trending Topics ("we," "our," or "us"), we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website, services, and applications (collectively, the "Service").

We adhere to the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) of South Africa and other applicable data protection laws. By accessing or using the Service, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your information as described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1. Personal Information

We may collect the following types of personal information:

• Identity Information: Name, email address, and other similar contact data.
• Account Information: Username, password, account preferences, and other account-related details.
• Billing Information: Payment details, billing address, and other transaction information when you purchase our services.
• Usage Data: Information about how you use our Service, including search queries, viewed content, and features you access.
• Communication Data: Any information you provide when you contact us for customer support or other inquiries.

2.2. Automatically Collected Information

When you use our Service, we automatically collect certain information, including:

• Device Information: Information about your device, including IP address, browser type, operating system, and device identifiers.
• Log Data: Information about your use of the Service, such as access times, pages viewed, and the routes by which you access our Service.
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: Information collected through cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies. For more information, please see Section 7 of this Privacy Policy.

3. How We Collect Information

We collect information in the following ways:

• Direct Collection: Information you provide when you create an account, subscribe to our Service, fill out forms, or communicate with us.
• Automated Collection: Information collected automatically through cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies when you use our Service.
• Third-Party Sources: We may receive information about you from third-party sources, such as business partners, data providers, and social media platforms, in accordance with their privacy policies.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your information for the following purposes:

• To provide, maintain, and improve our Service
• To process and manage your account, including processing payments and subscriptions
• To personalize your experience with our Service
• To communicate with you, including responding to your inquiries and providing customer support
• To send you technical notices, updates, security alerts, and administrative messages
• To send promotional communications, such as providing information about new features, services, and special offers (with your consent where required by law)
• To monitor and analyze usage patterns and trends to improve our Service
• To protect the security and integrity of our Service
• To enforce our Terms and Conditions and detect, prevent, and address fraud and other illegal activities
• To comply with legal obligations and protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property, and/or that of our users or others

5. Legal Basis for Processing (Under POPIA)

In accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), we process your personal information based on the following legal grounds:

• Consent: Where you have given us specific consent to process your personal information for a specific purpose.
• Contract Performance: Where processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract.
• Legal Obligation: Where processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject.
• Legitimate Interests: Where processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by us or by a third party, except where such interests are overridden by your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms.

6. Disclosure of Your Information

We may share your information with the following categories of recipients:

6.1. Service Providers

We may share your information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as payment processing, data analysis, email delivery, hosting, customer service, and marketing assistance.

6.2. Business Partners

We may share your information with our business partners to offer you certain products, services, or promotions that may be of interest to you.

6.3. Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court or government agency).

6.4. Business Transfers

We may share or transfer your information in connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of our business to another company.

6.5. With Your Consent

We may share your information with other third parties with your consent or direction to do so.

6.6. Aggregated or Anonymized Data

We may share aggregated or anonymized information that cannot reasonably be used to identify you with third parties for various purposes, including data analytics and marketing.

7. Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track activity on our Service and hold certain information. Cookies are files with a small amount of data which may include an anonymous unique identifier.

Types of cookies we use:

• Essential Cookies: Necessary for the operation of our Service.
• Analytical/Performance Cookies: Allow us to recognize and count the number of visitors and see how visitors move around our Service.
• Functionality Cookies: Used to recognize you when you return to our Service.
• Targeting Cookies: Record your visit to our Service, the pages you have visited, and the links you have followed.

You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our Service.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect the security of your personal information. However, please be aware that no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

9. Data Retention

We will retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. We will retain and use your information to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, enforce our agreements, and protect our legal interests.

10. Your Rights Under POPIA

Under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), you have certain rights regarding your personal information, including:

• Right to Access: You have the right to request information about the personal information we hold about you.
• Right to Correction: You have the right to request the correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information we hold about you.
• Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.
• Right to Restriction: You have the right to request the restriction of processing of your personal information under certain circumstances.
• Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive a copy of your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Where we rely on your consent to process your personal information, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 14 of this Privacy Policy.

11. International Data Transfers

We may transfer, store, and process your information in countries other than your own. When we transfer personal information outside of South Africa, we ensure that an adequate level of protection is provided for the information as required by POPIA. This may include implementing Standard Contractual Clauses or ensuring the recipient is subject to adequate data protection laws.

12. Children's Privacy

Our Service is not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from children without verification of parental consent, we will take steps to remove that information from our servers.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this Privacy Policy. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Email: [email protected]

Information Regulator (South Africa)

If you believe we have not addressed your concerns adequately, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant Regulator.