Privacy Statement

The Geek Factory respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Statement explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information when you visit our website, contact us, purchase services, use our client portals, request support, or interact with any of our digital products and services.

This Privacy Statement is designed to support compliance with applicable privacy and data protection laws, including but not limited to South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act, the EU GDPR, the UK GDPR, applicable United States privacy laws including the California Consumer Privacy Act / California Privacy Rights Act, Canada’s PIPEDA, Australia’s Privacy Act and Australian Privacy Principles, New Zealand’s Privacy Act, Brazil’s LGPD, and other similar privacy laws where applicable.

Where local law gives you stronger privacy rights than those described here, we will respect those rights.

1. Who We Are

The Geek Factory provides technology services, including but not limited to:

• Website design and development
• WordPress support and maintenance
• Hosting-related services
• Domain-related services
• Managed online store services
• IT support
• Software, plugin, and digital product development
• Client portals, billing systems, automation systems, and support platforms

For privacy purposes, The Geek Factory may act as a responsible party, controller, business, or equivalent legal role depending on the country and law that applies.

Where we process personal information on behalf of a client, we may act as an operator, processor, service provider, or equivalent role.

2. Personal Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of personal information:

2.1 Identity and Contact Information

This may include your name, business name, email address, phone number, billing address, delivery address, and contact preferences.

2.2 Account and Client Information

This may include usernames, account details, client portal records, service history, project notes, support tickets, service requests, and communication history.

2.3 Billing and Transaction Information

This may include invoice details, payment status, billing records, subscription details, tax information, and transaction references.

We do not intentionally store full card numbers. Card payments are normally handled by third-party payment processors.

2.4 Technical and Device Information

This may include IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, referring pages, pages visited, session information, error logs, security logs, and diagnostic data.

2.5 Hosting, Domain, and Website Service Information

Where we provide hosting, domain, email, website, or technical services, we may process technical information necessary to deliver those services. This may include domain records, DNS information, hosting account information, website files, database access, logs, email configuration records, and related technical data.

2.6 Support and Communication Data

When you contact us, we may collect the content of your message, attachments, screenshots, project requirements, support history, and related correspondence.

2.7 Marketing and Analytics Data

This may include newsletter preferences, campaign interactions, website analytics, cookies, tracking preferences, and engagement information.

2.8 Sensitive Personal Information

We do not intentionally request or collect sensitive personal information unless it is necessary for a specific service, required by law, or voluntarily provided by you.

Sensitive information may include information relating to health, biometrics, race, religion, political views, financial hardship, children, or other protected categories depending on local law.

Please do not send sensitive personal information unless it is necessary for the service requested.

3. How We Collect Personal Information

We may collect personal information:

• Directly from you when you complete a form, contact us, request a quote, open a support ticket, create an account, or purchase a service.
• Automatically through our website, cookies, analytics tools, security tools, and server logs.
• From third-party providers where necessary to provide services, such as payment processors, hosting providers, domain registrars, email platforms, analytics providers, and security services.
• From publicly available sources where reasonably necessary for business, fraud prevention, security, or lead generation.
• From clients where we are engaged to work on websites, systems, databases, or digital infrastructure.

4. Why We Use Personal Information

We use personal information for the following purposes:

• To provide our services
• To create and manage client accounts
• To respond to enquiries
• To prepare quotes and proposals
• To process orders and payments
• To issue invoices and manage billing
• To provide hosting, domain, website, email, and IT support
• To maintain security and prevent abuse, fraud, spam, malware, or unauthorised access
• To improve our website, services, and systems
• To send service notices, account updates, and important operational messages
• To send marketing communications where permitted by law or with consent where required
• To comply with legal, tax, accounting, regulatory, and contractual obligations
• To enforce our terms, agreements, and policies
• To protect our rights, clients, systems, business, and users

5. Legal Bases for Processing

Depending on the applicable law, we process personal information on one or more of the following legal bases:

• Contract: where processing is necessary to provide services you requested.
• Consent: where you have given clear permission, such as for certain marketing or cookie usage.
• Legal obligation: where we must keep records or comply with applicable laws.
• Legitimate interests: where processing is necessary for business operations, security, service improvement, fraud prevention, or client support, provided your rights do not override those interests.
• Vital or public interest: only where applicable and legally permitted.

You may withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website may use cookies, pixels, analytics scripts, and similar technologies.

These may be used to:

• Keep the website functional
• Remember preferences
• Improve performance
• Analyse website traffic
• Protect against spam, abuse, and security threats
• Support advertising or remarketing, where enabled

Where required by law, we will request your consent before using non-essential cookies.

You can usually manage cookies through your browser settings. Blocking cookies may affect website functionality.

7. Marketing Communications

We may send marketing messages about services, offers, updates, or relevant technology solutions.

You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by using the unsubscribe link where available or by contacting us.

Even if you opt out of marketing, we may still send important service, billing, security, or legal notices.

8. Sharing Personal Information

We do not sell personal information in the ordinary sense of selling customer lists for money.

We may share personal information with:

• Hosting providers
• Cloud service providers
• Domain registrars
• Payment processors
• Email delivery providers
• Accounting and invoicing systems
• Security and fraud prevention providers
• Analytics providers
• Professional advisers such as accountants, attorneys, or auditors
• Government, law enforcement, regulators, or courts where legally required
• Contractors or service providers who assist us in delivering services
• Business transfer parties if we sell, restructure, merge, or transfer part of the business

Where required, we use contracts, safeguards, or data processing terms to protect personal information shared with service providers.

9. International Transfers

Because The Geek Factory may serve clients internationally and use global technology providers, your personal information may be processed in countries outside your own.

Where required by law, we will use appropriate safeguards for international transfers, such as contractual protections, adequacy mechanisms, data processing agreements, or equivalent lawful transfer methods.

10. Data Retention

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose it was collected, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Retention periods may depend on:

• The type of service provided
• Legal, tax, and accounting requirements
• Contractual obligations
• Security and fraud prevention needs
• Dispute resolution requirements
• Backup and disaster recovery cycles

When personal information is no longer needed, we will delete, anonymise, archive, or securely restrict it where appropriate.

11. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction.

Security measures may include:

• Access controls
• Password protection
• Encryption where appropriate
• Secure hosting environments
• Firewalls and malware protection
• Backups
• Logging and monitoring
• Staff and contractor access limitations
• Security reviews and updates

No system is 100% secure. You are responsible for keeping your own passwords, devices, accounts, and access credentials secure.

12. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your country or region, you may have the right to:

• Access your personal information
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• Request deletion of your information
• Object to certain processing
• Restrict processing
• Request data portability
• Withdraw consent
• Opt out of certain marketing
• Opt out of sale, sharing, or targeted advertising where applicable
• Ask how your personal information is used
• Lodge a complaint with a privacy regulator

We may need to verify your identity before processing a privacy request.

To exercise your rights, contact us at:

support@the-geek-factory.co.za

Please use the subject line:

Privacy Request

13. South African Privacy Rights

If South Africa’s POPIA applies, you may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information. You may also object to certain processing or lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.

The Geek Factory will take reasonable steps to process personal information lawfully, minimally, securely, and for specific legitimate purposes.

14. EU and UK Privacy Rights

If the EU GDPR or UK GDPR applies to you, you may have rights including access, rectification, erasure, restriction, objection, portability, and withdrawal of consent.

You may also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, you may object to processing based on your specific situation.

15. United States Privacy Rights

Depending on your state, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Virginia, and other applicable jurisdictions, you may have rights relating to:

• Knowing what personal information we collect
• Accessing personal information
• Correcting personal information
• Deleting personal information
• Opting out of certain data sharing, sale, profiling, or targeted advertising
• Limiting use of sensitive personal information where applicable
• Non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights

We do not intentionally sell personal information for money. If any future activity is considered a “sale” or “sharing” under applicable law, we will provide the required notices and opt-out mechanisms.

16. Canadian Privacy Rights

If Canadian privacy law applies, we aim to process personal information according to fair information principles, including accountability, identifying purposes, consent, limiting collection, limiting use and disclosure, accuracy, safeguards, openness, individual access, and complaint handling.

17. Australian and New Zealand Privacy Rights

If Australian or New Zealand privacy law applies, you may have the right to access and correct your personal information and to complain about how your information is handled.

We aim to handle personal information transparently, securely, and only for legitimate purposes.

18. Children’s Privacy

Our services are not directed at children.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without appropriate consent from a parent or guardian where required by law.

If you believe a child has provided personal information to us, please contact us so we can review and delete it where appropriate.

19. Third-Party Websites and Services

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, plugins, payment platforms, social media platforms, hosting systems, or external tools.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties. You should review their privacy policies before providing personal information to them.

20. Client Websites and Third-Party Data

Where The Geek Factory works on a client website, system, hosting account, database, email account, or online store, we may process personal information stored in that environment only as required to provide the requested service.

Clients are responsible for ensuring that their own websites, customer databases, cookie banners, terms, privacy policies, and data collection practices comply with applicable law.

21. Data Breaches

If we become aware of a data breach that affects personal information, we will investigate and take appropriate action.

Where required by law, we will notify affected individuals, clients, regulators, or other relevant parties.

22. Automated Decision-Making

We do not currently use personal information for fully automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects without human involvement.

If this changes, we will update this Privacy Statement and provide any required notices or choices.

23. Changes to This Privacy Statement

We may update this Privacy Statement from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, technology, or business operations.

The updated version will be posted on this page with a new effective date.

Continued use of our website or services after updates means you accept the updated Privacy Statement where legally permitted.

24. Contact Us

For privacy questions, requests, or complaints, contact:

The Geek Factory PTY LTD
Website: The-Geek-Factory.com
Email: support@the-geek-factory.co.za
Subject Line: Privacy Request