PRIVACY POLICY
Latest update: 09 October 2023
MHM Attorneys
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. This policy (together with our terms and conditions of Service as set out at www.mhmattorneys.co.za (“Website”) applies when you use the Website.
1.2. This policy sets out the basis on which any personal data and/or personal information (which terms are used interchangeably in this policy) we collect from you, or that you provide to us, will be processed by us. The Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPI) is aimed at protecting your personal information and prescribes what we may and may not do with it. POPI created an Information Regulator that checks that companies like MHM Attorneys manage personal information in a responsible manner that respects your privacy.
1.3. Please read the following carefully to understand our views and practices regarding your personal data and how we will treat it.
1.4. We may collect and process the following information about you:
1.4.1. The information you give us may include your company name, company registration number, name and surname, birth date, gender, country of residence, closest city, address, email address, phone number, age, photograph, username, password, and other registration information, as well as credit/debit card information.
1.5. Information we collect about you and your device – Each time you visit the Website we may automatically collect the following information:
1.5.1. Technical information, including the Internet protocol (IP) address used to connect your computer to the Internet, your login information, browser type and version, time zone setting, browser plug‐in types and versions, operating system and platform, non-personal browsing habits and click patterns;
1.5.2. Information about your visit, including the full Uniform Resource Locators (URL) clickstream to, through and from the Website (including date and time); products you viewed, purchased, or searched for; page response times, download errors, length of visits to certain pages, page interaction information (such as scrolling, clicks, and mouse‐overs), and methods used to browse away from the page and any phone number used to contact us.
1.6. Information we collect about you via advertising – From time to time, we may place ads on third-party sites. When you view or otherwise interact with our ads, we and our partners may use various technologies (such as cookies) to collect and store information about you including cookie data & anonymised IDs for attribution & advertising purposes. We use these technologies to help us understand more about our customers and the effectiveness of our adverts.
1.7. Information we receive from other sources – We may receive information about you if you use any of the other websites we operate (particularly in our group of companies) or the other services we provide. We are also working closely with third parties (including, for example, business partners, payment services, advertising networks, and search information providers) and may receive information about you from them.
1.8. Location Information – We may also collect information about your location, such as the IP Address of the device you access the Website from.
2. USE OF COLLECTED DATA
2.1. We may use data held about you in the following ways:
2.1.1. To allow us to provide you with our products and services;
2.1.2. To allow us to provide you with other information, products, or services that you request from us or which we feel may interest you, where you have consented to be contacted for such purposes;
2.1.3. To process payment details to complete the purchase of any product or service;
2.1.4. To allow you to participate in interactive features of the Website when you choose to do so;
2.1.5. To conduct competitions and promotions;
2.1.6. To contact you about products and services you have requested;
2.1.7. To notify you about changes to the Website and products and services we offer;
2.1.8. To ensure that content from the Website is presented in the most effective manner for you and for your device;
2.1.9. To administer the Website and for internal operations, including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, research, statistical and survey purposes; and
2.1.10. To ensure the Website is safe and secure.
2.2. We may also use data held about you for another purpose, but only where such purpose is communicated to you at the point of data collection.
3. USERS OF COLLECTED DATA
3.1. We may disclose your personal data to selected third parties including:
3.1.1. Our trusted business partners and third-party service providers, contractors, licensees, or consultants to enable them to perform functions and process personal data on our behalf, including (but not limited to) payment services and delivery services;
3.1.2. Parties involved in the general operation of our business, including administration, sales, marketing and legal; and
3.1.3. Analytic providers, search engine providers, hosting providers, IT companies and system administrators that assist us in the operation, improvement, and optimization of the Website.
3.2. We may also disclose your data to other third parties:
3.2.1. If we sell or buy any business or assets, in which case we may disclose your personal data to the prospective seller or buyer of such business or assets;
3.2.2. If all our assets are acquired by a third party, in which case personal data held by it about its customers will be one of the transferred assets;
3.2.3. If we are under a duty to disclose or share your personal data to comply with any legal or regulatory obligation or request;
3.2.4. To enforce or apply the Website’s terms of use; or
3.2.5. To protect the rights, property, or safety of MHM Attorneys, our customers, or others (which may include exchanging information with other companies for purposes of fraud protection).
4. METHODS OF PROCESSING
4.1. We collect, use, disclose, retain, and dispose of your personal data in a proper manner, for authorised purposes and take appropriate security measures to prevent unauthorized access, disclosure, modification, or unauthorized destruction.
4.2. The data processing is conducted using computers and/or IT enabled tools, following organizational procedures and modes strictly related to the purposes indicated.
5. SECURITY
5.1. Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we will do our best to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee the security of your personal data transmitted via the internet. Any transmission is at your own risk. Once we have received your personal data, we will use strict procedures and security features to try to prevent unauthorised access.
5.2. Within MHM Attorneys, we restrict access of your personal data to those of our employees who have a business reason for knowing such data. We also maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with the relevant laws and regulations to protect your personal data from any unauthorised access.
5.3. Where we have given you (or where you have chosen) a password that enables you to access certain parts of the Website (where applicable), you are responsible for keeping this password confidential. We ask you not to share a password with anyone.
6. PLACE
6.1. All data you provide to us is stored on our secure servers in South Africa although, in the future, we may consider the storage of data at a destination outside of South Africa. We will only transfer your personal data to facilities or parties outside South Africa where such transfer is compliant with applicable laws and regulations. For your information, this includes circumstances where:
6.2. The territory is recognised as offering adequate standards of protection; and
6.3. We have put in place adequate safeguards, including the implementation of standard contractual provisions which are approved as providing adequate safeguards with respect to the protection of your privacy.
By submitting your personal data, you agree to this transfer, storing or processing. We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy policy.
7. RETENTION TIME
7.1. Your data is kept only for the time necessary to provide the service or product you request, or to fulfil the purpose outlined in this policy.
8. YOUR RIGHTS
8.1. You have the right, at any time, to know whether personal data has been stored as well as the content and origin of the data to verify its accuracy. You also have the right to ask that your data be supplemented, blocked, erased, updated, or corrected.
8.2. Requests should be sent to us at hazel.moshidi@mhmafrica.co.za
8.3. Any access request may be subject to a fee to meet our costs in providing you with details of the data we hold about you.
8.4. You have the right to ask us not to process your personal data for marketing purposes. We will usually inform you (before collecting your data) if we intend to use your data for such purposes or where applicable, if we intend to disclose your data to any third party for such purposes. You can exercise your right to prevent such processing by checking certain boxes on the forms we use to collect your data. You can also exercise the right at any time by contacting us at hazel.moshidi@mhmafrica.co.za
8.5. Should you want us to delete all personal information we have about you, you will have to terminate all agreements you have with us in respect to our products and services, and access to our website. Unfortunately, we cannot maintain our relationship with you without having some of your personal information.
8.6. We can refuse to delete your information if we are required by law to retain it or if we need it to protect our legitimate rights.
9. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
9.1. We reserve the right to amend this privacy policy at any time and for any reason.
9.2. Any changes we may make to our privacy policy in the future will be made by posting an updated version of this policy on this page with an updated revision date and, where appropriate, by email.
9.3. Your continued use of or access to our services following the notification of any changes to this policy constitutes acceptance to those changes.
10. LINKS TO THIRD PARTY WEBSITES
10.1. The Website may, from time to time, contain links to and from the websites of third parties, our partner networks, advertisers, and affiliates (including, but not limited to, websites on which the Services are advertised). If you follow a link to any of these websites, please note that these websites and any services that may be accessible through them have their own privacy policies and that we do not accept any responsibility or liability for these policies or for any personal data that may be collected through these websites or services, such as contact and location data. Please check these policies before you submit any personal data to these websites or use these services.