Effective Date: 05/05/2025
At Counet (Pty) Ltd, we are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, share, and safeguard personal information collected via our conversation bots, which are integrated on websites and WhatsApp, on behalf of our clients.
Who We Are
At Counet (Pty) Ltd, we are a passionate, small team with a big vision: to make a meaningful difference across Africa by building stronger, more resilient networks and empowering communities through cutting-edge AI solutions. We believe connectivity is the foundation for progress, and our mission is to bridge digital divides, foster collaboration, and unlock opportunities for individuals, businesses, and organizations.
Our work centers around delivering robust, reliable network technologies and smart AI tools that help people work smarter, communicate better, and thrive in a digital world. With innovation at our core and a deep commitment to positive social impact, we are dedicated to connecting everyone—one network, one solution, and one step at a time. Through our technology, we aim to transform lives and support sustainable growth throughout the continent.
Information We Collect
When you interact with a Counet-powered bot, we may collect the following categories of personal data on behalf of our clients:
- Identification Data: Name, surname, ID number, phone number, email address
- Location & Coverage Data: Physical address, coverage area for Wi-Fi services
- Communication History: Chat messages, support inquiries, timestamps
- Marketing Preferences: Opt-in/out choices, event interests
- Survey & Census Data: Household size, demographics, custom survey answers
- Device Information: IP address, device type, browser, operating system
- WhatsApp Metadata: Phone number, time of message, content of message
How We Use Your Data
We process data on behalf of our clients to:
- Provide customer support services
- Respond to Wi-Fi coverage or service requests
- Conduct client marketing campaigns (e.g., event invitations)
- Collect census or survey data for business or community planning
- Enable chatbot functionality and improve user experience
- Generate analytics and performance reports for our clients
We do not use your personal data for our own marketing or profiling purposes.
Legal Basis for Processing
Our processing of personal data is done:
- With your consent, when you voluntarily provide information
- As necessary to fulfill a contractual obligation (e.g., a service request)
- To comply with legal obligations (e.g., record-keeping under POPIA)
- For the legitimate interests of our business clients (e.g., support or outreach)
Sharing of Data
We only share your data with the specific business (our client) whose bot you are interacting with. We do not sell, rent, or disclose your personal data to unrelated third parties.
Our clients may further process the data in accordance with their own privacy policies.
Security Measures
We take reasonable technical and organizational precautions to protect your data:
- Encrypted data transmission and storage
- Access controls and audit logging
- Data anonymization where possible
Retention of Data
We retain your data only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy or as directed by our clients, unless a longer retention period is required by law.
Your Rights
Under South Africa’s POPIA and applicable international laws (like the GDPR), you have the right to:
- Access personal data we hold about you
- Request correction, deletion, or restriction of your data
- Withdraw your consent at any time (where applicable)
- Lodge a complaint with a data protection authority
To exercise your rights, please contact us at the email address below. We may direct you to the relevant client (data controller) depending on the nature of your request.
Use of WhatsApp
If you contact our bots via WhatsApp, your phone number and messages will be processed in accordance with this policy and Meta’s Privacy Policy. You should also review WhatsApp’s own privacy policy at:
🔗 https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/privacy-policy
Cookies and Tracking
When bots are embedded in websites, cookies or similar technologies may be used to:
- Maintain session state
- Analyse bot usage and behaviour
You will be notified about these via the hosting website’s own cookie policy, where applicable.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last Updated” date. Major changes will be clearly communicated via our website or bot interface.