POPIA Compliance
Local Morning Star News is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, No. 4 of 2013 (POPIA), South Africa’s primary data protection law. This page explains how POPIA applies to our website and how you can exercise your rights under the law.
Scope and Applicability
POPIA applies to all responsible parties that process personal information within South Africa. While Local Morning Star News does not collect personal information through user registration or accounts, we may automatically collect limited data such as IP addresses, browser types, device identifiers, and usage patterns through cookies and analytics tools for website functionality and audience insights. This data is processed solely for legitimate journalistic and operational purposes.
Your Rights Under POPIA
Under POPIA, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:
- Right to access your personal information held by us
- Right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information
- Right to request deletion of your personal information where there is no legal obligation to retain it
- Right to object to processing of your personal information for direct marketing purposes
- Right to data portability in structured, commonly used formats where technically feasible
How We Comply
Local Morning Star News complies with POPIA by:
- Minimizing data collection to only what is necessary for website operation
- Using secure, encrypted analytics tools with anonymized data where possible
- Not storing personal information in identifiable databases
- Implementing reasonable technical and organizational security measures
- Providing clear and accessible mechanisms for exercising your rights
Data We Process
The personal information we may process includes:
- IP addresses (anonymized where possible)
- Browser and device information
- Usage data (pages visited, time spent)
- Cookies and similar tracking technologies for site functionality
No names, email addresses, phone numbers, or other directly identifiable information are collected unless voluntarily submitted through our contact form.
Legal Basis for Processing
Our processing of personal information is based on:
- Legitimate interest — to operate and improve our news platform for public benefit
- Public interest — to fulfill our role as a news provider under the South African Constitution
- Consent — where cookies require prior opt-in under POPIA guidelines
How to Exercise Your Rights
To exercise any of your POPIA rights, please contact us via email at [email protected]. Include your full name, contact details, and a clear description of your request. We may ask for additional information to verify your identity and locate your data.
Response Timeframes
We will respond to your request within 20 business days, as required by POPIA. If we need additional time, we will notify you in writing with the reasons and expected response date.
No Discrimination Policy
You will not be denied access to our content, charged different fees, or receive inferior service for exercising your rights under POPIA. We respect your privacy choices and will not retaliate in any way.
Updates and Changes
We may update this POPIA Compliance page periodically to reflect changes in the law or our practices. The most recent version will always be posted here with an updated effective date. You will be notified of material changes via a notice on our website.
Contact Information
If you have any questions about this compliance page, your rights under POPIA, or wish to make a complaint, please contact:
Kieran Botha
9A John Zikhali Rd, Musgrave, Durban, 4001, South Africa
Email: [email protected]
You may also lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa at www.justice.gov.za/inforeg/.