Ubuntuverse Institute
Privacy Policy & Terms of Service
Privacy Policy and Terms of Service — Ubuntuverse Institute (NPC). Data handling, visitor rights, and usage terms under South African and EU jurisdiction.

Privacy Policy & Terms of Service

Ubuntuverse Institute (NPC)
Universal Dignity

Effective Date: 1 March 2025
Last Updated: 6 March 2026
Version: 2.0
Jurisdiction: Republic of South Africa & EU/EEA

Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

This Privacy Policy and Terms of Service applies to the website ubuntuversal.org, owned and operated by Ubuntuverse Institute (NPC), a nonprofit company registered in the Republic of South Africa.

We serve as an independent research institute focused on building sovereign, human-centred digital ecosystems. Our flagship publication, The PlayBook 2025, and all associated research, tools, and community resources are offered in furtherance of this mission.

Data Controller: Ubuntuverse Institute (NPC)
Contact: Submit Privacy Inquiry
Website: https://ubuntuversal.org

2. Data We Collect

We collect only the data necessary to operate the Site, improve the user experience, fulfil our nonprofit mission, and communicate with those who have opted to hear from us.

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

  • Name and email address — collected via contact forms, newsletter sign-up, and report download forms.
  • Organisation & role — collected via contact forms and press inquiries (optional).
  • Message content — collected via contact forms and press inquiry forms.
  • Comment data — collected via blog or article comment forms.
  • Donation details — collected via donation forms (processed by third-party payment gateway).

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

  • IP address (anonymised) — for security, spam prevention, and aggregate geographic analytics.
  • Browser type & operating system — to ensure compatibility and optimise the Site.
  • Pages visited, time on page, navigation path — to understand content engagement.
  • Referring URL — to understand how visitors discover the Site.
  • A/B testing variant data — to improve page layouts and user flows.
  • Device type & screen resolution — for responsive design optimisation.

Anonymisation commitment: All automatically collected data is anonymised or pseudonymised at the point of collection. We do not combine anonymous analytics data with personally identifiable information without your explicit consent.

2.3 Information We Do Not Collect

We do not collect sensitive personal data, including racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, health data, biometric data, or sexual orientation.

3. How We Use Your Data

  1. Deliver requested resources — provide download links and, only with consent, add you to our mailing list.
  2. Respond to inquiries — address your specific query.
  3. Send opted-in communications — research updates, publication announcements, and Institute news.
  4. Improve the Site — analyse anonymous browsing patterns and engagement metrics.
  5. Ensure security — detect and prevent abuse, spam, and unauthorised access.
  6. Process donations — handled by trusted third-party payment processors.
  7. Moderate comments — detect spam using IP address and browser user agent string.

4. Legal Bases for Processing

  • Delivering downloads — Contractual necessity.
  • Responding to contact forms — Contractual necessity.
  • Mailing list communications — Consent (explicit opt-in).
  • Anonymous analytics & A/B testing — Legitimate interest.
  • Security & spam prevention — Legitimate interest.
  • Processing donations — Contractual necessity and legal obligation.
  • Comment moderation — Legitimate interest.

5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies only for functional and analytical purposes, never for advertising or cross-site tracking.

5.1 Essential Cookies

Session cookies, login cookies, CSRF/security tokens, and cookie consent preference. These cannot be disabled.

5.2 Analytics Cookies

With your consent, privacy-respecting analytics to understand Site usage in aggregate.

5.3 Comment Cookies

Optional cookies saving your name, email, and website for convenience (1 year).

5.4 Embedded Content

Embedded content from third-party websites may collect data and use cookies subject to their own privacy policies.

5.5 Managing Cookies

You can manage or delete cookies through your browser settings. Disabling non-essential cookies will not impair core Site functionality.

6. Mailing List & Communications

Our promise: We will never add you to our mailing list without your explicit, affirmative consent. Pre-checked boxes are never used.

You may join via dedicated subscription forms, contact forms (optional checkbox), or download forms (optional checkbox). Every communication includes a one-click unsubscribe link. Requests are honoured within 48 hours.

7. Data Sharing & Third Parties

We will never sell, rent, lease, trade, or otherwise commercially exploit your personal data. This is a foundational principle of the Institute and is non-negotiable.

7.1 Service Providers

  • Hostinger — web hosting (United Kingdom).
  • Cloudflare — CDN, DDoS protection, performance.
  • Payment processor — donation transactions only.
  • Email delivery service — mailing list communications.
  • Gravatar (Automattic) — comment avatars.
  • Spam detection service — automated comment screening.

8. Data Retention

  • Contact form submissions — 24 months after resolution.
  • Mailing list data — until you unsubscribe + 30 days.
  • Comments & metadata — indefinitely (or until you request deletion).
  • Anonymised analytics data — 26 months (rolling).
  • Server logs — 90 days.
  • Donation records — 7 years (South African law).

9. Your Rights

  1. Right of Access — request a copy of all personal data we hold about you.
  2. Right to Rectification — request correction of inaccurate data.
  3. Right to Erasure — request deletion of your personal data.
  4. Right to Restrict Processing — request limits on how we process your data.
  5. Right to Data Portability — receive your data in a machine-readable format.
  6. Right to Object — object to processing based on legitimate interest.
  7. Right to Withdraw Consent — withdraw consent at any time.
  8. Right to Lodge a Complaint — file with a supervisory authority.

To exercise any right, contact us with the subject line “Data Rights Request”. We will respond within 30 days.

10. International Data Transfers

Our hosting is in the United Kingdom, CDN global via Cloudflare, backups in Germany. We ensure appropriate safeguards including Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and data processing agreements.

11. Children’s Privacy

The Site is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.

12. Data Security

We implement SSL/TLS encryption, Cloudflare WAF, regular patches, principle of least privilege, encrypted backups, and periodic security reviews. In the event of a breach, we will notify you and the relevant authority within 72 hours.

Terms of Service

13. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the Site, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy.

14. Use & Licence

All research content is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). You are free to share and adapt with attribution and under the same licence.

15. User Conduct

You agree not to use the Site for unlawful purposes, attempt unauthorised access, interfere with infrastructure, submit false information, impersonate others, or post defamatory content.

16. Intellectual Property

Open-access content is licenced under CC BY-SA 4.0. The Ubuntuverse Institute name, logo, visual identity, and PlayBook series name are proprietary.

17. Downloads & Publications

Providing your email does not automatically subscribe you to any mailing list. Downloaded materials are provided as-is under CC BY-SA 4.0.

18. Donations

Donations are voluntary, non-refundable, and processed by trusted third-party gateways. Records are retained for 7 years per South African law.

19. Disclaimers & Limitation of Liability

The Site and all content are provided as-is without warranties. The Institute shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages.

20. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. Material changes will be noted by updating the Last Updated date and publishing a notice on the Site.

21. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

This Policy is governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. For EU users, mandatory consumer protection rights are preserved.

22. Contact Us

Ubuntuverse Institute (NPC)
Privacy & Data Governance

We respond within 5 business days. Data rights requests are acknowledged within 72 hours and fulfilled within 30 calendar days.

South Africa: The Information Regulator — inforegulator.org.za
European Union: Your local Data Protection Authority — edpb.europa.eu

© Ubuntuverse Institute (NPC). Content available under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 unless otherwise noted.