Privacy Policy

Anoni (“we”, “us”, “our”) operates the website anoni.co.za. We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”).

This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights as a data subject. Because Anoni is built for anonymous sharing, we collect as little personal information as possible.

Anonymous session tokens:When you submit a story or vote, we generate a random UUID (“anoni_token”) stored in your browser's localStorage. This token is not linked to your identity and is used only to prevent duplicate votes and to allow you to track your own submissions.

Submitted content: Story titles, content, and poll responses you submit are stored in our database. All submissions are anonymous by default.

Contact enquiries: If you contact us via our contact form, we collect your name, email address, and message. These are processed through Formspree and are used solely to respond to your enquiry.

Usage data: Our hosting and database provider (Supabase / Vercel) may log standard server-side data such as IP addresses and request timestamps. We do not store or process IP addresses ourselves.

We use browser localStorage (not traditional cookies) to store your anonymous token and your cookie consent preference. No tracking or advertising cookies are set without your consent.

Essential storage: anoni_token (anonymous session), anoni_cookie_consent (your consent preference). These are required for the platform to function correctly.

Non-essential: If you accept optional cookies, we may use analytics tools in future. You can withdraw consent at any time by clearing your browser storage.

We use the information collected to:

• Display and moderate anonymous stories on the platform
• Prevent spam and duplicate submissions
• Respond to contact and sponsorship enquiries
• Maintain the security and integrity of the platform
• Comply with legal obligations

We do not sell, rent, or share your information with third parties for marketing.

We use the following third-party services:

• Supabase — database and authentication infrastructure (EU/US hosted)
• Vercel — website hosting and edge delivery
• Formspree — contact form processing

Each of these providers has their own privacy policy and data processing agreements.

As a data subject under POPIA, you have the right to:

• Know what personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your information (“right to be forgotten”)
• Object to the processing of your personal information
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa

Because all submissions are anonymous, we cannot identify which story belongs to you unless you provide your submitter token. To exercise your rights, contact us at hello@anoni.co.za.

Approved stories are retained indefinitely as they form the community archive. Pending and rejected submissions are reviewed and may be deleted periodically. Contact form submissions are retained for up to 12 months.

Anoni is not intended for users under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe a minor has submitted personal information, please contact us immediately.

We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top of this page indicates when it was last revised. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

For privacy queries or to exercise your POPIA rights, contact our Information Officer at: hello@anoni.co.za

You may also lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa at www.justice.gov.za/inforeg.