1. Overview
Paramount Enterprise Solutions (Registration: 2024/611570/07), trading as Gifted Tales ("we," "us," "our"), is committed to protecting your personal information and your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, protect, and share your data in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) of South Africa.
2. Responsible Party
Paramount Enterprise Solutions
Trading as: Gifted Tales
Registration: 2024/611570/07
Country: South Africa
Contact: hello@gifted-tales.com
3. Personal Information We Collect
Account Information:
- Full name
- Email address
- Phone number (for +27 South Africa verification)
- Residential address
- Billing information
Child Information:
- Child's name (used in story generation)
- Child's photograph (for character creation)
- Child's age/grade level (optional)
- Preferences (theme, lesson, art style)
Payment Information:
- Credit/debit card details (processed by Yoco, not stored by us)
- Transaction history
- Referral code usage
Usage Information:
- Pages visited on our site
- Time spent on pages
- Links clicked
- Device type and browser information
- IP address
4. Purpose of Collection (POPIA Requirement)
We collect personal information for:
- Service Delivery: Creating personalized storybooks
- Account Management: Managing your account and purchases
- Payment Processing: Processing payments and issuing refunds
- Communication: Sending order updates, customer support, promotional content (with consent)
- Fraud Prevention: Detecting and preventing misuse
- Legal Compliance: Complying with South African law
- Analytics: Improving our service
5. Legal Basis (POPIA Compliance)
We process your personal information based on:
- Consent: You consenting when creating an account
- Contractual Necessity: Required to fulfill your order
- Legal Obligation: Required by South African law (tax, fraud prevention)
- Legitimate Interest: Improving our service and security
6. Data Sharing & Third Parties
We do NOT sell, rent, or trade your personal information.
We only share data with:
- Yoco (Payment Processor): Your billing details for payment processing (PCI-compliant)
- Anthropic/OpenAI (AI Providers): Story prompts for AI generation (anonymized, not linked to your identity)
- Image Generation Services: Story context for illustration generation (anonymized)
- Service Providers: Cloud hosting, email (all South African-based where possible)
- Legal Authorities: Only if required by South African law
7. Child's Photo Protection (POPIA Section 12)
We take special care protecting your child's photo:
- Photos are encrypted in transit and at rest
- Photos are stored securely on our server
- Photos are used ONLY to generate your personalized book
- Photos are NOT used for any other purpose without your explicit consent
- Photos are NOT shared with third parties
- You can request deletion of photos at any time
- If you opt-in to Bookshelf Showcase, we display the book preview, not the original photo
8. Data Security (POPIA Requirement)
We implement security measures:
- SSL/TLS encryption for data in transit
- AES-256 encryption for data at rest
- Secure password hashing (bcrypt)
- Regular security audits
- Access controls limiting employee access to personal data
- Firewall and intrusion detection
No method is 100% secure. While we use industry-standard protections, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You use the service at your own risk.
9. Data Retention
- Account Data: Retained while your account is active. Deleted upon request or after 2 years of inactivity.
- Payment Records: Retained for 7 years (South African tax compliance)
- Photos: Deleted upon request or when account is closed
- Cookies: Retained as per browser settings (typically 1-2 years)
- Analytics Data: Aggregated and anonymized after 12 months
10. Your Rights Under POPIA
You have the right to:
- Access: Request what personal data we hold about you
- Correction: Update inaccurate or incomplete data
- Deletion: Request deletion of your data (right to be forgotten)
- Portability: Request your data in machine-readable format
- Object: Object to processing for marketing purposes
- Complaint: Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa
To exercise your rights, contact: hello@gifted-tales.com
11. Marketing Communications
We may send you:
- Order confirmations and shipping updates (necessary)
- Product recommendations (if you opt-in)
- Special offers and promotions (if you opt-in)
You can opt-out of marketing emails anytime by clicking the unsubscribe link in our emails.
12. Cookies & Tracking
We use cookies to:
- Remember your login information
- Track website usage (Google Analytics)
- Personalize your experience
You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but some features may not work properly.
13. Third-Party Links
Our site may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Please review their privacy policies before sharing information.
14. International Data Transfers
Some data may be processed by our AI providers (Anthropic, OpenAI) located outside South Africa. These transfers comply with POPIA and use appropriate safeguards (contractual commitments, encryption).
15. Data Breach Notification
If we discover a breach of your personal information, we will notify you and the Information Regulator of South Africa within 60 days as required by POPIA.
16. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy at any time. We will notify you of material changes via email or by updating the "Last Updated" date. Continued use constitutes acceptance.
17. Contact Us
For privacy questions or to exercise your rights:
Paramount Enterprise Solutions
Trading as Gifted Tales
Email: hello@gifted-tales.com
Information Regulator of South Africa (Complaints):
Phone: +27 10 023 5200
Website: www.justice.gov.za/inforeg/