SCRIPTURA AI ASSISTANT

Privacy Policy

Effective Date: June 2026

Information We Collect

Personal data such as name, email, and contact details when you register or communicate with us.
Usage data including device type, browser, and interaction logs to improve performance.
Cookies and analytics used to understand how visitors use our site.

How We Use Your Information

To provide and improve Scriptura AI Assistant services.
To communicate updates, support, and community notices.
To comply with legal obligations and protect against misuse.

We do not use pre-ticked boxes for marketing. In accordance with Section 69 of POPIA, we will only send you direct marketing by email or other electronic communication if you are an existing customer and we are marketing similar products or services, or if you have given us your prior, explicit opt-in consent. You may withdraw consent or opt out of receiving promotional communications at any time by using the unsubscribe link provided in our emails.

Data Protection

We use secure servers, encrypted connections, and limited access controls to guard your personal information against unauthorized access, loss, or alteration.

Third‑Party Services & Operators

Pursuant to POPIA, we utilize trusted third-party service providers ("Operators") to process personal information on our behalf to support our application infrastructure, AI processing, and payment services, including:

Google Firebase / Firestore — as an Operator for secure database storage, cloud hosting, and user authentication.
Google Gemini API — as an Operator to process and generate responses to your Bible study and theological questions. When you submit a query, the text is securely transmitted to Google's Gemini API for processing under Google's enterprise data privacy terms.
Stitch — as a secure payment gateway Operator. Scriptura AI Assistant does not store or process your bank account details or card details; these are handled directly by Stitch in accordance with PCI-DSS compliance and South African banking security standards.
Paystack — as a secure payment gateway Operator. Your payment info is handled directly by Paystack in accordance with PCI-DSS compliance.
Hostinger — as an Operator hosting our application servers and managing transactional email routing.

While we only collaborate with Operators who maintain robust security protocols and contractually commit to safeguarding your data, please note that Scriptura AI Assistant (Pty) Ltd is an independent entity and does not control, and cannot be held liable for, any security breaches, software vulnerabilities, data exposures, or downtime originating from these third-party providers. We encourage you to review their respective privacy policies.

Cross-Border Transfer of Personal Information

Some of our service providers, including Google (Firebase/Firestore and the Gemini API), process personal information on servers located outside the Republic of South Africa. In accordance with Section 72 of POPIA, we only transfer personal information outside South Africa where at least one of the following applies: the recipient is subject to a law, binding corporate rules, or a binding agreement which provides an adequate level of protection substantially similar to POPIA; you have consented to the transfer; the transfer is necessary for the performance of a contract between you and us, or to implement pre-contractual measures taken at your request; or the transfer is for your benefit and it is not reasonably practicable to obtain your consent, but you would likely give it if asked. By submitting a question to our AI features, you consent to the text of that question being transferred to and processed by Google's Gemini API outside South Africa for the purpose of generating a response.

Lawful Basis for Processing

Pursuant to Section 11 of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), No. 4 of 2013, all personal information collected via scripturaaiassistant.co.za is processed reasonably, lawfully, and in a non-intrusive manner. We process your personal information based on the following legal grounds:

Consent: You have provided clear, explicit, and voluntary consent for us to process your personal data for specified purposes (e.g., when creating an account, profile registration, or submitting a contact form). You have the right to withdraw this consent at any time.
Contractual Necessity: The processing of your data is necessary to execute or negotiate a contract to which you are a party (e.g., to deliver our Bible study assistant service or facilitate affiliate partner portals).
Legal Obligations: The processing is mandatory to comply with statutory and legal duties imposed on Scriptura AI Assistant (Pty) Ltd under South African law.

Special Personal Information (Religious Beliefs)

Because Scriptura AI Assistant is a Bible-study platform, the questions, journal entries, and conversations you submit may reveal your religious or philosophical beliefs. This is classified as "special personal information" under Section 26 of POPIA, and may only be processed with your explicit consent or under another ground listed in Section 27.

By creating an account and using the AI features to submit questions, journal entries, or prayers, you provide explicit, informed consent for us to process this special personal information for the sole purpose of operating and improving the Scriptura AI Assistant service. You may withdraw this consent at any time by closing your account, which will trigger deletion of your data in accordance with the Data Retention section below. Withdrawing consent will prevent you from continuing to use the AI features.

Data Retention

In accordance with Section 14 of POPIA, we retain your personal data only for as long as is strictly necessary to fulfill the operational purposes for which it was captured, or to satisfy legal, regulatory, or reporting prerequisites. Specifically:

All active user and stewardship accounts remain stored securely on our systems for the duration of your active participation.
Upon account closure or period of dormancy, your personal records are securely archived and retained for up to 5 years before being permanently purged or anonymized, unless a shorter deletion timeframe is explicitly requested, or a longer duration is required by law.

Data Deletion and Access Procedure (Form 2)

As a registered data subject under POPIA, you have the right to access, correct, or request the deletion/destruction of your personal information in our possession. Please follow these structured steps to execute an access, correction, or deletion request:

Download Form 2: Download Form 2 as prescribed by the South African Information Regulator (available on the Regulator's website at inforegulator.org.za).
Submit to Information Officer: Complete the form and submit it directly via email to our registered Information Officer (details below).
Identity Verification: To protect user privacy, we will conduct standard verification. You may be requested to confirm credential ownership or provide a copy of your South African ID.
Action & Confirmation: Once verified, we will permanently destroy, de-identify, or correct your records. A formal written confirmation will be transmitted to you within 30 days of receiving a valid request.

Information Officer & Compliance Contacts

In terms of POPIA, SCRIPTURA AI ASSISTANT is registered with the Information Regulator of South Africa. Our registered Information Officer details are as follows:

Registered Organisation: SCRIPTURA AI ASSISTANT (PTY) LTD

Information Officer: Juan le Roux

Regulator Registration Number: 2026-004268

Registration Date: 20 March 2026

Compliance Contact Email: info@scripturaaiassistant.co.za

Data Breach Notification

If we have reasonable grounds to believe that your personal information has been accessed or acquired by an unauthorised person, we will, in accordance with Section 22 of POPIA, notify the Information Regulator and you as the affected data subject as soon as reasonably possible after discovering the compromise, unless a public body responsible for the prevention, detection, or investigation of offences requests a delay. Our notification will include, to the extent known, a description of the possible consequences of the breach, the measures we intend to take to address it, and a recommendation on steps you can take to mitigate any adverse effects.

Your Right to Complain to the Information Regulator

If you believe we have processed your personal information unlawfully, or that we have not adequately addressed a complaint you raised with us, you have the right to submit a complaint to South Africa's Information Regulator:

Information Regulator (South Africa)
Website: https://inforegulator.org.za
Email: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za

Cookies

Our website uses essential cookies necessary for the site to function, as well as optional analytics cookies. When you first visit our site, a cookie banner allows you to accept or decline non-essential cookies; you may change your preference at any time via the cookie settings link in the site footer. Declining non-essential cookies will not affect your ability to use the core Scriptura AI Assistant service.