Privacy Notice – Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism

Introduction

This is the main Privacy Policy of Bhekisisa Development Media NPC (trade name, Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism). The Privacy Policy describes our policies and procedures on how we collect, use and disclose your information when you use any of our products or services on any of our online Platforms. This includes our website, emails, newsletter, or any other technologies or service which you use to access Bhekisisa products and services.

We understand that your privacy and personal information are important to you. This Privacy Policy explains how we obtain, use and disclose your personal information in terms of the Protection of Personal Information Act 4, of 2013 (POPIA). By using Bhekisisa’s online Platforms, you agree that we can collect and use your information as set out in this Privacy Policy.

Who we are

Bhekisisa Development Media NPC, trading as the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism, is a donor-funded media start-up that specialises in in-depth health journalism with a particular focus on solutions journalism. Bhekisisa also hosts public discussion forums and webinars on health policy issues, that bring together policymakers and specialist audiences, and we host media trainings for civil society and journalists.

Our stories are distributed through News24Daily MaverickMail & Guardian and Financial Mail and reach policymakers, academics, activists and political leaders, often resulting in shifts in policysetting national agendas and defining conversations.

Trained in evidence-based journalism, our reporters and editors use peer-reviewed journal studies and reliable statistics to support the narratives in our stories.

Bhekisisa is isiZulu for “to scrutinise”.

The type of personal information we collect

We currently collect and process the following information:

Personal Data

While using our products and services, we may ask you to provide us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify you. Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to:

  • Email address
  • First name and last name
  • Sector
  • Organisation
  • Designation
  • Phone number
  • Address, State, Province, ZIP/Postal code, City/Country
  • Banking details

Usage Data

Usage data is collected automatically when using our website.

Usage data may include information such as your device’s Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser type, browser version, the pages of our Platforms that you visit, the time and date of your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

When you access our Platforms by or through a mobile device, we may collect certain information automatically, including, but not limited to, the type of mobile device you use, your mobile device unique ID, the IP address of your mobile device, your mobile operating system, the type of mobile Internet browser you use, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

We may also collect information that your browser sends whenever you visit our Platforms or when you access the Platforms by or through a mobile device.

Information from Third-Party Social Media Services

As a public user, you may create an account and log in to use the Platforms through the following third-party social media services:

  • Google
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn

If you decide to register through or otherwise grant us access to a third-party social media service, we may collect personal data that is already associated with your third-party social media service’s account, such as your name, your email address, your activities or your contact list associated with that account.

You may also have the option of sharing additional information with Bhekisisa through your third-party social media service’s account. If you choose to provide such information and personal data, during registration or otherwise, you are giving Bhekisisa permission to use, share, and store it in a manner consistent with this Privacy Policy.

Tracking Technologies and Cookies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track the activity on our Platforms and store certain information. Tracking technologies used may include beacons, tags, and scripts to collect and track information and to improve and analyse our Platforms. The technologies we use may include:

  • Cookies or Browser Cookies. A cookie is a small file placed on your device. 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 parts of our Platforms. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our Platforms may use cookies.
  • Web Beacons. Certain sections of our Platforms and our emails may contain small electronic files known as web beacons (also referred to as clear gifs, pixel tags, and single-pixel gifs) that permit Bhekisisa, for example, to count users who have visited those pages or opened an email and for other related website statistics (for example, recording the popularity of a certain section and verifying system and server integrity).

Cookies can be “persistent” or “session” cookies. Persistent cookies remain on your personal computer or mobile device when you go offline, while session cookies are deleted as soon as you close your web browser.

We use both session and persistent cookies for the purposes set out below:

  • Necessary / Essential Cookies

Type: Session cookies

Administered by: Us

Purpose: These cookies are essential to provide you with services available through the Platforms and to enable you to use some of its features. They help to authenticate users and prevent fraudulent use of user accounts. Without these cookies, the services that you have asked for cannot be provided. We only use these cookies to provide you with those services.

  • Cookies Policy / Notice Acceptance Cookies

Type: Persistent cookies

Administered by: Us

Purpose: These cookies identify if users have accepted the use of cookies on the Platforms.

  • Functionality Cookies

Type: Persistent cookies

Administered by: Us

Purpose: These cookies allow us to remember choices you make when you use the Platforms, such as remembering your login details or language preference. The purpose of these cookies is to provide you with a more personal experience and to avoid you having to re-enter your preferences every time you use the Platforms.

For more information about the cookies we use and your choices regarding cookies, please refer to our Cookies Policy on our Website or the cookies section of our Privacy Policy.

How we get personal information and what we use it for

Most of the personal information we process is provided to us directly by you for one of the following reasons:

  • To provide and maintain our Platforms: including to monitor the usage of our Platforms, make them more user friendly and increase engagement with our products and services in order to grow our business brand.
  • To manage your account: To manage your registration as a user of our Platforms. The personal data you provide can give you access to different functionalities of the Platforms that are available to you as a registered user.
  • To personalise the user experience: To personalise your experience and interactions with our Platforms, to seek your input on how we can improve our products and services to respond to your interests and needs.
  • For the performance of a contract: This may be for the development, compliance and undertaking of the purchase contract for the products, items or services you have purchased or of any other contract with us through our Platforms.
  • To contact you: To contact you by email, telephone calls, SMS, WhatsApp, or other equivalent forms of electronic communication, such as a mobile application’s push notifications regarding updates or informative communications related to the functionalities, products or contracted services, including security updates, when necessary or reasonable for their implementation.
  • To provide you with news and general information: about other goods, services and events which we offer that are similar to those that you have already subscribed to or enquired about unless you have opted not to receive such information.
  • To manage your requests: To attend to and manage your requests to us.
  • To process payments: We may provide your information to banks in order to process a payment for services that you have provided to us at an agreed upon rate.
  • For other purposes: We may use your information for other purposes, such as data analysis, identifying usage trends, determining the effectiveness of our promotional campaigns and to evaluate and improve our Platforms, products, services, marketing and your experience.

We may share your personal information in the following situations:

  • With service providers: We may share your personal information with our service providers who are directly involved in the delivery of products or services to you, and monitoring and analysing the use of our Platforms.
  • For business transfers: We may share or transfer your personal 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.
  • With affiliates: We may share your information with our affiliates, in which case we will require those affiliates to honour this Privacy Policy. Affiliates include our donors, board of directors, funding partners and publishing partners.
  • With other users: When you share personal information or otherwise interact in the public areas with other users, such information may be viewed by all users and may be publicly distributed outside. If you interact with other users or register through a third-party social media service, your contacts on the third-party social media service may see your name, profile, pictures and description of your activity. Similarly, other users will be able to view descriptions of your activity, communicate with you and view your profile.
  • With your consent: We may disclose your personal information for any other purpose with your consent.

We also receive personal information indirectly, from the following sources in the following scenarios:

  • We may receive personal information in relation to the republication of our work by other organisations.
  • We may share your personal information on our Platforms for the purpose of promoting our products, services or events, in which you have agreed to participate.

We use the information that you have given us in order to:

  • Report on the impact of our work, where you send us information about how our products and services have benefitted you.
  • Monitor and track the impact of our work and conduct internal and external reporting on such.

We may share this information with our:

  • Board of Directors
  • Donors
  • Funding partners
  • Publication partners

In such cases, we request that the third party adhere to the provisions contained in this Privacy Policy.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties for any purpose.

Transfer of your personal information

Your information, including personal data, is processed at Bhekisisa’s offices and in any other places where the parties involved in the processing are located. It means that this information may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ than those from your jurisdiction.

Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by your submission of such information represents your agreement to that transfer.

Bhekisisa will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and no transfer of your personal data will take place to an organisation or a country unless there are adequate controls in place including the security of your data and other personal information.

Disclosure of your personal information

We may disclose your personal information in the following instances:

Business Transactions

If Bhekisisa is involved in a merger, acquisition or asset sale, your personal data may be transferred. We will provide notice before your personal data is transferred and becomes subject to a different Privacy Policy.

Law enforcement

Under certain circumstances, Bhekisisa may be required to disclose your personal data if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g. a court or a government agency).

Other legal requirements

Bhekisisa may disclose your personal data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:

  • Comply with a legal obligation
  • Protect and defend the rights or property of the Organisation
  • Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with our Platforms
  • Protect the personal safety of users of our Platforms or the public
  • Protect against legal liability

Security of your personal data

The security of your personal data is important to us. Please be aware, though, 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 data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

When will we process your personal information

In terms of the Protection of Personal Information Act, the justification upon which we base our processing of your personal information consists of the following:

  • The data subject or a competent person where the data subject is a child consents to the processing. Kindly note that you have the right to withdraw your consent;
  • The processing is necessary to carry out actions for the conclusion or performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party;
  • The processing complies with an obligation imposed by law on the business;
  • The processing protects a legitimate interest of the data subject;
  • The processing is necessary for the proper performance of a public law duty by the business;

Or

  • The processing is necessary for pursuing the legitimate interests of the business or of a third party to whom the information is supplied.

How we store your personal information

Your information is securely stored:

  • Electronically on our work laptops which are password protected and which have professional anti-virus software installed.
  • For hard copies, your information is stored in a locked filing cabinet with restricted access.

We keep 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 personal data to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if we are required to retain your data to comply with applicable laws), resolve disputes, and enforce our legal agreements and policies.

We will also retain usage data for internal analysis purposes. Usage data is generally retained for a shorter period of time, except when this data is used to strengthen the security or to improve the functionality of our Platforms, or we are legally obligated to retain this data for longer time periods.

We will dispose of your personal information by means of shredding (for physical documents) and by means of permanent deleting (for electronic information).

Links to other websites

Our platforms may contain links to other websites that are not operated by us. If you click on a third party link, you will be directed to that third party’s site. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of every site you visit.

We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites or services.

Changes to 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.

Your data protection rights

  • You are entitled to access your personal data by sending a written request to Rosaline Daniel (the Information Officer) at [email protected]. We may charge you a fee for this service as set out in terms of Condition 8 of POPIA.
  • You may also request Bhekisisa to correct or supplement any of your personal data which Bhekisisa will undertake as soon as practicable.
  • You may request the destruction of your personal data. The Information Officer (Rosaline Daniel) will consider your request in light of any other laws or regulations prohibiting Bhekisisa from destroying your personal data.

You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.

Please contact us at [email protected] if you wish to make a request.

Contact details

Name: Rosaline Daniel (Information Officer in terms of section 55(2) of the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013)

Address: Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism, Metal Box, 4th Floor, 25 Owl Street, Braamfontein Werf, 2092, Johannesburg, South Africa

Phone Number: +27 87 004 5795

E-mail: [email protected]

How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to us at [email protected], attention Rosaline Daniel (Information Officer.

You can also complain to the Information Regulator if you are unhappy with how we have used your Information.

Their contact details are as follows:

The Information Regulator (South Africa)

33 Hoofd Street
Forum III, 3rd Floor Braampark
P.O Box 31533
Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2017

Complaints email: [email protected]