Privacy Policy

This document outlines the privacy practices for both the DataFlow website (thedataflow.co.za) and the DataFlow mobile application ("App"). Please review the relevant section below.

Website Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 27 June 2025

This section explains how we handle information when you visit our website, thedataflow.co.za.

1. Information We Process

To operate our website securely and understand how it is used, we process a limited amount of information, primarily through third-party services.

  • Analytics Data (via Google Analytics): We use Google Analytics to understand website traffic and improve user experience. This service collects information such as your IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, and a unique, anonymous identifier (Client ID). This data is primarily used in an aggregated form.
  • Log and Security Data (via Cloudflare & Firebase Hosting): Our service providers, Cloudflare and Firebase, automatically process your IP address and other request details to provide security, improve performance, and maintain server logs. This is necessary for the secure and reliable operation of our website.
2. Use of Cookies

Our website uses cookies. These are small files stored on your device that are essential for the functioning of our third-party services.

  • Google Analytics cookies are used to distinguish users and analyze website usage.
  • Cloudflare cookies may be used for security and performance purposes.

You can control or block cookies through your browser settings, but this may affect the functionality of the site.

3. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to operate our website. They act as "Operators" on our behalf and have their own privacy policies which we encourage you to review:

4. Your Rights

As we do not directly collect or store identifiable information beyond what is processed by our service providers, we recommend managing your privacy preferences directly through those services (e.g., Google's privacy controls and your browser's cookie settings).

5. Contact Us

If you have any questions about our website's privacy practices, please contact us at legal.dataflow@gmail.com.

DataFlow App Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 27 June 2025

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy describes how DataFlow ("we," "our," or "us") collects, uses, and protects your information when you use our Android application (the "App"). Our commitment is to provide you with powerful tools to manage your data usage while respecting your privacy in compliance with South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).

By using the App, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this policy.

2. Who We Are (The Responsible Party)

DataFlow is the Responsible Party for your information. If you have any questions or wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us:

3. Information We Collect and How We Use It

To deliver our services, we process certain information. We are committed to collecting only what is necessary for the App's functionality and improvement.

3.1. Information Processed on Your Device for Core Features

The following information is collected and stored locally on your device to power the main features of the App. It is not uploaded to our servers.

  • List of Installed Apps: We access a list of applications installed on your device to show you which apps are using your data and to allow you to configure the firewall.
  • Data Usage History: We collect historical data usage statistics for both Wi-Fi and Cellular networks on a per-app basis. This allows us to display your usage in charts and reports within the App.
  • Firewall & App Settings: We store your firewall rules (which apps are blocked), saved profiles, and other app preferences locally on your device.
  • Manually Entered Data Plans: If you use the data plan tracking feature, the information you enter is stored on your device to help you monitor your balance.
3.2. Technical Information for Service Improvement

To fix bugs, understand how the App is used, and improve its performance, we use standard third-party services from Google Firebase. This data is linked to a pseudonymous identifier and does not directly identify you to us.

  • Anonymous Account & Identifier: To enable you to securely access certain App features and to protect our services from abuse, the App creates an anonymous account for you using Firebase. This account is assigned a random, pseudonymous identifier. This identifier also helps us associate crash reports and usage analytics with a specific device session, allowing us to fix bugs and improve the App without requiring you to create a traditional account with an email or password. This identifier is not linked to your real-world identity by us and is automatically scheduled for deletion by Firebase after a period of inactivity (typically 30 days).
  • Crash Reports (Firebase Crashlytics): If the App crashes, we automatically collect technical information about the crash (such as device model, OS version, and the state of the app) to help us diagnose and fix the problem.
  • App Usage Analytics (Firebase Analytics): We collect information on how you interact with our App, such as which features are used most frequently. This aggregated data helps us understand user needs and improve the App. For the beta version of our in-app Shop, we log anonymised "purchase attempts" to gauge interest in certain products.
3.3. Information You Voluntarily Provide
  • Support & Feedback: If you contact us by reporting an issue, we collect the message you send to address your query. This is transmitted to our support system via a Discord webhook.

4. The DataFlow Firewall

Our firewall feature gives you control over which apps can access the internet. It is important to understand how this works:

  • The firewall uses a standard Android feature to create a secure, local tunnel on your device only.
  • Your internet traffic is routed through this local tunnel so the App can enforce the block/allow rules you have set.
  • Your data is NOT sent to our servers or any third party. All filtering happens on your phone.
  • We DO NOT inspect, log, or store the content of your internet traffic (e.g., websites you visit or messages you send). We only check which app the traffic belongs to in order to apply your rules.

5. Data Sharing with Third Parties (Operators)

We do not sell your personal information. We only share data with the following third-party service providers ("Operators") who assist us in operating our App:

  • Google (Firebase): Provides anonymous authentication, crash reporting, and analytics services. Data processed by Google is subject to Google's Privacy Policy.
  • Discord: If you use the "Report Issue" feature, your message is processed by Discord. This is subject to Discord's Privacy Policy.

These service providers are obligated to protect your information and are not permitted to use it for any other purpose.

6. Data Security

We value your trust and strive to use commercially acceptable and reasonable technical measures to protect your information. Data created and used by the core features of the App is stored locally on your device. Any data transmitted to our third-party services is encrypted in transit (using HTTPS).

However, please remember that no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

7. Data Retention

  • On-Device Data: Information stored on your device (usage history, app settings, data plans) is retained until you uninstall the App or clear the App's data through your device settings.
  • Third-Party Data: Data collected by Firebase is retained according to Google's data retention policies.

8. Your Rights & Data Control (POPIA)

You have rights concerning your personal information. In our App, you can exercise them as follows:

  • Right of Access: You can access most of your data (like usage history and saved plans) directly within the App.
  • Right to Correction: You can edit or correct any information you have manually entered, such as your data plans, within the App.
  • Right to Deletion: The easiest way to delete all your data is to use the "Reset" button in the App's settings. This will clear all locally stored data. Alternatively, uninstalling the App will also remove all data stored on your device.
  • Right to Object: You may object to the processing of your data by ceasing to use the App.
  • Right to Withdraw Consent: Where we rely on your consent, you may withdraw it at any time. For example, you can disable notifications in the App's settings.

9. Lodging a Complaint

If you believe we are not processing your personal information lawfully, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.

  • Website: https://inforegulator.org.za/
  • Address: Woodmead North Office Park, 54 Maxwell Drive Woodmead, Johannesburg, 2191
  • Email for Complaints: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za
  • General Enquiries: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za

10. Children's Privacy

Our services are not aimed at children under the age of 18, and we do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from them.

11. 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 policy within the App. You are advised to review this policy periodically for any changes. Changes are effective immediately after they are posted.