1. Introduction
Hush respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal data when you visit our website or use our services. We comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) of South Africa.
2. Information We Collect
We may collect the following personal information when you interact with us:
- Identity information: Name, surname, and date of birth.
- Contact information: Email address, phone number, and delivery address.
- Medical information: Health-related information provided during consultations, collected with your explicit consent.
- Browsing data: IP address, browser type, device information, and website usage patterns collected via cookies and similar technologies.
3. How We Use Your Information
We process your personal information for the following purposes:
- To facilitate medical consultations and patient onboarding.
- To process and fulfil your orders, including payment processing and delivery.
- To communicate with you about your account, orders, and inquiries.
- To send marketing communications where you have given consent.
- To comply with legal and regulatory obligations, including SAHPRA requirements.
4. Legal Basis for Processing
We process your personal information on the following lawful grounds under POPIA:
- Consent: Where you have freely given your consent (e.g., newsletter subscription, medical information processing).
- Contractual necessity: To fulfil our obligations under your patient agreement or product order.
- Legal obligation: To comply with applicable laws, including SAHPRA regulations.
- Legitimate interests: For improving our services, fraud prevention, and direct marketing where permitted by law.
5. Information Sharing
We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We may share your data with trusted partners only where necessary:
- With healthcare practitioners and doctors for consultations and prescriptions.
- With SAHPRA and regulatory authorities as required by law.
- With service providers such as payment processors, couriers, and IT providers who are contractually bound to protect your data.
6. Data Retention
We retain your personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy, or as required by law. Medical and order records are retained for the period required by applicable regulations. Marketing data is retained until you withdraw consent or unsubscribe.
7. Your Rights
Under POPIA, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:
- Right to access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to correction: Request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Right to deletion: Request that we delete your personal data, subject to legal retention requirements.
- Right to object: Object to the processing of your data for direct marketing purposes.
- Right to data portability: Request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
- Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw your consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.
To exercise any of these rights, email us at hello@hush-healing.com. We will respond within 30 days as required by POPIA.
8. Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against loss, theft, unauthorised access, disclosure, or modification. This includes SSL encryption, secure servers, access controls, and regular security reviews.
9. Cookies
Our website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience, analyse site traffic, and support our marketing efforts. You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.
We use the following types of cookies:
- Essential cookies: Required for the website to function properly.
- Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our site.
- Marketing cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertisements and measure campaign effectiveness.
10. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact us:
Email: hello@hush-healing.com
11. Complaints
If you believe we have processed your personal information in a way that contravenes POPIA, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa:
Website: https://inforegulator.org.za/
Email: complaints.IR@inforegulator.org.za