PRIVACY POLICY

1. INTRODUCTION

FCKN Brands ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA") and other applicable South African data protection legislation. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your information when you use our platform.

2. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

We collect the following categories of personal information:

• Account information: name, email address, password (hashed), and role (customer, vendor, or admin).
• Order information: shipping address, phone number, order history, and payment confirmation (processed by our payment provider — we do not store card details).
• Design data: designs created in the Design Lab, including saved designs stored locally in your browser.
• Usage data: pages visited, actions taken, device type, browser, and IP address, collected for analytics and security purposes.
• Vendor information: brand name, bio, social media links, and logo — provided voluntarily by vendors during signup.

3. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

• To process and fulfil your orders, including manufacturing and shipping.
• To create and manage your account.
• To communicate order updates, account notifications, and (with your consent) marketing messages.
• To detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents.
• To improve our platform, products, and services through aggregated analytics.
• To comply with legal obligations under South African law.

4. DATA SHARING

We share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Payment provider: to process transactions securely.
• Shipping partners: to deliver your orders (name, address, phone number).
• Manufacturing partners: to produce custom-printed items (design files and product specifications only).
• Legal compliance: when required by law, court order, or regulatory authority.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

5. DATA SECURITY

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include encrypted data transmission (TLS), secure password hashing, and access controls. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure.

6. DATA RETENTION

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. Account data is retained for 5 years after account closure to comply with South African tax and consumer protection laws. Design data stored locally in your browser is under your control and is not transmitted to our servers unless you place an order.

7. YOUR RIGHTS UNDER POPIA

You have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Correct any inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements.
• Object to the processing of your personal information for direct marketing purposes.
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator if you believe your rights have been infringed.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@fckn.brands

8. COOKIES

We use essential cookies to maintain your session and authentication state. We do not use third-party tracking cookies. LocalStorage is used to persist your cart and saved designs on your device — this data never leaves your browser unless you submit an order.

9. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

The Service is not intended for children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe a minor has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

10. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via the Service or by email. The "Last updated" date at the top indicates when this policy was last revised.

11. CONTACT

For privacy-related enquiries, contact our Information Officer at hello@fckn.brands