Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Website Design Office (Pty) Ltd respects the privacy of customers, website visitors, domain registrants and other persons whose personal information we process.

We process personal information in accordance with applicable South African data-protection legislation, including the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 (POPIA).

2. Who This Policy Applies To

This policy applies to personal information processed through our website, customer communications and the digital services provided or managed by Website Design Office.

This includes information relating to:

• website visitors;
• prospective customers;
• existing customers;
• domain registrants;
• domain administrative or technical contacts;
• website and hosting users;
• email users;
• suppliers and business contacts; and
• persons submitting complaints, enquiries or abuse reports.

3. Personal Information We May Collect

Depending on the service requested, Website Design Office may collect information including:

• full name;
• company or organisation name;
• email address;
• telephone or cellphone number;
• physical or postal address;
• domain names;
• domain registrant and contact information;
• billing and transaction information;
• service and support correspondence;
• website enquiry information;
• transfer-authorisation information;
• technical information relating to domain or hosting services;
• IP address;
• browser or device information; and
• system, security and audit records.

4. CIPC Domain Transfer Information

When a person uses our CIPC Domain Transfer service, Website Design Office may collect:

• the domain name being transferred;
• the selected domain extension;
• the requester's name;
• email address;
• cellphone number;
• confirmation that the requester is authorised to request the transfer;
• the date and time of the request;
• IP address and browser information; and
• registry and transfer-status records.

This information is used to process, authenticate, administer, monitor and record the requested registrar transfer.

5. Domain Registration Information

Domain-name registration and management requires certain registrant and contact information to be supplied to the applicable domain registry.

The exact information required may depend on the domain namespace and applicable registry rules.

Website Design Office may therefore process and transmit registrant information where necessary to register, renew, transfer, update or otherwise administer a domain name.

6. Why We Process Personal Information

Website Design Office may process personal information for purposes including:

• responding to enquiries;
• preparing quotations;
• providing requested services;
• registering and managing domain names;
• processing registrar transfers;
• providing hosting and email services;
• developing and maintaining websites and applications;
• administering customer accounts;
• issuing invoices, receipts and renewal notices;
• providing technical support;
• maintaining security and audit records;
• investigating abuse or security incidents;
• complying with registry requirements;
• complying with legal or regulatory obligations; and
• protecting Website Design Office, its customers and its systems.

7. Grounds for Processing

Personal information may be processed where necessary to perform a service requested by a customer, comply with a legal or regulatory obligation, pursue a legitimate business purpose, protect legitimate interests, or where the data subject has provided appropriate consent.

The applicable basis will depend on the nature and circumstances of the particular processing activity.

8. Sharing Information With Domain Registries

Where Website Design Office provides domain registration or registrar services, information may need to be submitted to the relevant domain registry.

For supported ZA domain namespaces, this may include the ZA Registry Consortium (ZARC) and other relevant domain authorities involved in administration of the namespace.

Registry operators may process information according to their own applicable policies, registry agreements and legal obligations.

9. Other Service Providers

Website Design Office may use trusted service providers where necessary to provide or support our services.

These may include:

• website and server hosting providers;
• domain registry and registrar infrastructure providers;
• email-service providers;
• backup and security providers;
• payment or banking service providers;
• technical-support providers; and
• professional advisers where reasonably necessary.

Information supplied to a service provider should be limited to what is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.

10. Disclosure Required by Law

Website Design Office may disclose personal information where required by law, a court order, a valid regulatory requirement or another legally enforceable process.

We may also disclose information where reasonably necessary to investigate fraud, abuse, cybercrime or a serious security incident.

11. Information We Do Not Publicly Disclose Without Reason

Website Design Office does not make customer contact information publicly available merely because a customer uses our services.

Domain registration information may, however, be processed or disclosed where required by applicable registry policy, a lawful information request or another legal obligation.

12. Cookies and Website Technology

Our website may use cookies or similar technologies that are necessary for website functionality, security, session management, forms or performance.

Additional analytics or third-party technologies may be used where enabled on the website.

Visitors can generally control cookies through their browser settings, although disabling necessary cookies may affect certain website functions.

13. Server Logs and Security Information

Website Design Office systems may automatically record technical information including IP addresses, browser details, request times, login activity, registry commands and other security or audit information.

These records may be used to:

• protect systems and accounts;
• detect attempted abuse;
• investigate security incidents;
• troubleshoot technical problems;
• confirm transactions or domain operations; and
• maintain appropriate audit records.

14. Email Communications

Customers may receive operational communications necessary for the services they use.

These may include:

• domain transfer notifications;
• domain renewal notices;
• hosting renewal notices;
• service notifications;
• security notices;
• support correspondence;
• invoices and receipts; and
• other service-related communications.

Operational communications are separate from optional marketing communications.

15. Accuracy of Information

Customers should provide accurate and current information and should notify Website Design Office when important information changes.

Accurate contact information is particularly important for domain management because registry transfer, renewal and administrative notifications may depend on the information associated with a domain.

16. Information Security

Website Design Office uses reasonable administrative, organisational and technical measures intended to protect personal information against loss, unauthorised access, misuse, disclosure or alteration.

Measures may include access controls, authentication, restricted administrative access, secure hosting, logging, backups and other appropriate safeguards.

No internet-connected system can be guaranteed to be completely free from security risk.

17. Retention of Personal Information

Website Design Office retains personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected or where retention is required for legitimate administrative, contractual, accounting, security, registry, dispute-resolution or legal purposes.

Different categories of information may therefore have different retention periods.

Domain transaction and audit records may need to be retained after a particular domain service has ended where required for registry, security, compliance or dispute purposes.

18. International Processing

Some technology or service providers may process or store information outside South Africa.

Where cross-border processing occurs, Website Design Office will take reasonable steps to ensure that the processing is handled consistently with applicable data-protection requirements.

19. Access to Personal Information

A person may request confirmation of whether Website Design Office holds personal information relating to them and may request access to that information in accordance with applicable law.

Website Design Office may need to verify the identity and authority of the person making the request before releasing personal information.

20. Correction of Personal Information

A person may request correction or updating of personal information that is inaccurate, incomplete or outdated.

Certain domain information may also be subject to registry procedures before it can be changed.

21. Deletion, Restriction and Objection

Where permitted by applicable law, a data subject may request deletion or restriction of certain personal information or may object to particular processing.

Website Design Office may not be able to delete information that must be retained for legal, contractual, accounting, registry, security or dispute-resolution purposes.

22. Privacy Requests

Requests relating to personal information should be submitted to:

Please provide sufficient information for us to identify the relevant record and verify that the requester is entitled to access or amend the information.

23. Complaints About Personal Information

Privacy concerns should first be submitted to Website Design Office using the contact details below so that we can review and respond to the matter.

A data subject also has the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa where appropriate.

24. Children's Personal Information

Website Design Office services are primarily intended for businesses and persons capable of entering into commercial arrangements.

We do not intentionally request children's personal information through our ordinary domain, hosting or website-service forms.

25. Links to Other Websites

Our website may contain links to external websites or services. Website Design Office is not responsible for the privacy practices of independent third-party websites.

26. Relationship With Other Policies

This Privacy Policy should be read together with:

• Terms & Conditions
• Domain Registration & Transfer Policy
• Acceptable Use & Abuse Policy
• Complaints & Takedown Procedure

27. Changes to This Privacy Policy

Website Design Office may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our services, technology, registry requirements or applicable legislation.

The current version published on our website will apply.

28. Contact Information

For privacy, personal-information or data-protection enquiries, contact: