No Safe Word

Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 2026

1. Introduction

No Safe Word ("we", "us", "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect information when you use our website and any associated services.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information:

  • Account Information: When you create an account, we collect your email address and any profile information you choose to provide.
  • Payment Information: When you make a purchase or subscribe, payment is processed securely through our third-party payment provider (Payfast). We do not store your credit card or banking details directly.
  • Usage Data: We may collect information about how you interact with our website, including pages visited, reading progress, and device information.
  • Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies to maintain your session and improve your experience on our site.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Provide and maintain our services
  • Process purchases and subscriptions
  • Manage your account and provide customer support
  • Send you updates about new stories and features (with your consent)
  • Improve our website and reading experience
  • Comply with legal obligations

4. Third-Party Processors (POPIA Section 72)

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only with the processors listed below, each engaged solely to operate the Service:

  • Payfast — payment processing. Handles subscription and purchase transactions; processes payment card and bank details on our behalf. Hosted in South Africa.
  • Supabase — database hosting and authentication. Processes account data and login credentials. Hosted in the EU.
  • Resend — transactional and marketing email delivery. Processes your email address and the content of emails we send you. Hosted in the US.
  • OpenClaw / WhatsApp — WhatsApp PIN authentication for accounts that opt into WhatsApp sign-in. Processes phone number and authentication PINs. Hosted on Railway in US/EU regions.
  • Railway — application hosting. Processes all traffic routed to the site. Hosted in the EU.
  • Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law or to protect our rights.

Some of the processors above are located outside South Africa. In accordance with POPIA Section 72, data is transferred to foreign recipients only where those recipients are subject to a law, binding corporate rules, or a binding agreement that provides an adequate level of protection substantially similar to POPIA. All listed processors operate under contractual data processing agreements that meet this standard.

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. This includes encryption of data in transit (HTTPS), secure authentication mechanisms, and regular security reviews.

6. Your Rights

In accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) of South Africa, you have the right to:

  • Access the personal information we hold about you
  • Request correction of inaccurate information
  • Request deletion of your personal information
  • Object to the processing of your personal information
  • Withdraw consent for marketing communications

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected].

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our services. If you request account deletion, we will remove your personal information within a reasonable timeframe, except where we are required to retain it by law.

8. Children's Privacy

Our services are intended for users aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 18. If we become aware that we have collected information from a minor, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

10. Marketing Communications

When you subscribe to access a story, you can optionally consent to receive marketing communications from us. This includes:

  • Email: notifications when a new story is published, and occasional special promotions.
  • WhatsApp: same notifications via WhatsApp, if you provided your WhatsApp number.

You can unsubscribe from either channel at any time:

  • Email: every email contains an unsubscribe link.
  • WhatsApp: send OPT OUT to stop WhatsApp communications.

Unsubscribing from one channel does not unsubscribe you from the other. To remove your data entirely, contact us at [email protected].

We process your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA).

11. Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at [email protected].