Privacy Policy
How CluedUp handles data: no accounts, no forms, standard server logs, privacy-respecting analytics, and your rights under POPIA. We never collect your ID or banking details.
Our approach to your privacy
CluedUp (staycluedup.com) is built to collect as little personal information as possible. We are an editorial site that publishes guides. We do not run accounts, logins, or application forms, and we never collect the sensitive information the government services we write about would use, such as your ID number, SASSA PIN, banking details, one-time PINs (OTPs), or passwords. This policy explains what limited data is involved in simply visiting the site and your rights under South African law.
No accounts, no forms
You do not need to register or log in to read CluedUp. We do not operate user accounts, and we do not host forms that ask for personal or financial details. If you email us at [email protected], we receive the information you choose to put in that email and use it only to respond to you.
Server logs
Like almost all websites, our hosting infrastructure automatically records standard technical information when a page is requested. This can include your IP address, browser type, device and operating system, the page requested, and the date and time. These logs are used for security, to diagnose technical problems, and to keep the site running. They are not used to build personal profiles of readers.
Cookies and analytics
We aim to use privacy-respecting analytics to understand which guides are useful and how the site performs, in aggregate. Where analytics or other functions set cookies or similar technologies, they are used to measure traffic and improve content, not to identify you personally. You can control or block cookies through your browser settings; the core content of the site works without them.
Advertising cookies
CluedUp is funded by advertising, and advertising partners may use cookies or similar technologies to display and measure ads. These third parties operate under their own privacy policies, which we do not control. Depending on your browser and region, you may be able to opt out of personalised advertising through your device or browser settings and through the advertising providers’ own controls. Advertising never influences our editorial guidance.
Children
CluedUp is intended for a general adult audience seeking information about public services. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
Data retention
We keep server logs only for as long as needed for security and troubleshooting, after which they are rotated or deleted in the ordinary course. Emails you send us are kept only as long as needed to handle your query and any follow-up, and are then deleted.
Third-party official links
Our guides link to official government portals such as srd.sassa.gov.za, sassa.gov.za, nsfas.org.za, sars.gov.za, dha.gov.za and education.gov.za, as well as to other third-party sites. Once you follow a link, you are on that site and subject to its privacy practices, not ours. Always confirm you are on the genuine official portal before entering any personal information.
Your rights under POPIA
South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) gives you rights over your personal information, including the right to know what we hold, to ask us to correct or delete it, and to object to certain processing. Because we collect so little, in most cases we hold nothing more than technical logs and any email you have sent us. To exercise your rights, email [email protected]. If you are not satisfied with how we handle a request, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa), which oversees POPIA and can be contacted through its official website.
Security
We take reasonable technical measures to protect the limited information involved in running the site, including serving the site over a secure connection. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but because we do not collect sensitive personal or financial data, the risk to you is deliberately kept low.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the site or the law changes. When we do, we will revise the date on this page. Significant changes will be reflected here, so it is worth checking back.
Contact
For any privacy question or request, email [email protected]. You can learn more about who we are on our About page.