1. Who We Are
Coffee Journal (coffeejournal.co.za) is an independently operated specialty-coffee community website based in South Africa. The site is maintained by Bibi Burness. For privacy enquiries, email [email protected].
2. Information We Collect
- Account data: name, email address, and hashed password when you sign up.
- Brew logs & preferences: espresso shots, bean notes, and grinder settings you choose to log.
- Usage data: pages visited, browser type, device type, and referring URL — collected via cookies and analytics.
- Glossary submissions: terms and definitions you submit publicly.
3. How We Use Your Information
- To provide and personalise the Coffee Journal experience.
- To send you our newsletter (only if you opted in).
- To improve the site through aggregated, anonymised analytics.
- To respond to enquiries or support requests.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.
4. Cookies
We use essential cookies (session authentication) and optional analytics cookies. You can manage your cookie preferences via the banner shown on your first visit. For details, see our Terms of Use.
5. Your Rights Under POPIA
As a South African data subject, you have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you.
- Request correction of inaccurate information.
- Request deletion of your account and data.
- Object to processing for direct marketing.
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa).
To exercise any right, email [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.
6. Data Retention
We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. Brew logs and preferences are deleted within 30 days of account deletion. Anonymised analytics data may be retained indefinitely.
7. Security
Passwords are hashed using industry-standard algorithms. All traffic is encrypted via HTTPS/TLS. We follow reasonable security practices but cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Third-Party Operators & Processors
In line with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), we disclose the third-party operators who process personal information on our behalf or with whom information is shared in order to run this site. Each operates under its own privacy policy and is required to apply appropriate safeguards:
- Google AdSense & Google services (Google LLC, publisher ID
ca-pub-1490398808868811) — serves advertising and may set cookies/identifiers to measure and personalise ads. - Google Analytics (Google LLC) — provides aggregated, anonymised traffic and usage analytics.
- Application hosting & content delivery — our hosting and CDN provider stores and serves the website and processes server logs (including IP addresses) to deliver and secure the site.
- Database & cloud file storage — managed database and object-storage providers store your account data, brew logs, and any images you upload.
- Email delivery — a transactional email provider is used to send account-related and newsletter messages where applicable.
Cross-border transfers. Some of these operators process and store data on servers located outside South Africa (for example in the European Union or the United States). Where personal information is transferred across borders, it is done in accordance with Section 72 of POPIA — the recipient is subject to laws or binding agreements that provide an adequate level of protection comparable to POPIA.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be announced on the site. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent revision.
10. Contact
Bibi Burness · [email protected]