1. Who we are
SmartRemote is a South African business that develops and sells the SmartRemote IoT relay device and the associated cloud platform at iot.smartremote.co.za. References to SmartRemote, we, us, or our in this policy refer to the SmartRemote business as the responsible party for your personal information.
This policy applies to personal information we collect through our website, our cloud dashboard, and our products and services.
2. Applicable law
This policy is governed by the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 (POPIA), which regulates the collection, storage, use, and sharing of personal information in South Africa. We are committed to processing personal information lawfully, minimally, and with appropriate safeguards.
3. What personal information we collect
Depending on how you interact with SmartRemote, we may collect the following categories of personal information:
- Contact details — name, email address, and telephone number provided when you place an order, register an account, or contact us for support.
- Phone numbers — cell numbers added by device owners to authorise users to control their SmartRemote device via WhatsApp, SMS, or missed call.
- Telegram user IDs — identifiers added by device owners to authorise Telegram-based control.
- Device and usage data — device identifiers, switch trigger events, schedule configurations, and connection logs generated when using the SmartRemote device or cloud dashboard.
- Technical data — IP addresses, browser type, and session information collected automatically when you visit our website or use our cloud platform.
- Payment information — when you purchase a product, payment is processed by our payment provider. We do not store card details.
4. Why we collect it
We collect and process personal information only for the following lawful purposes:
- To fulfil orders and deliver products to you.
- To provide and operate the SmartRemote cloud platform and device functionality.
- To authorise users to control SmartRemote devices (phone numbers, Telegram IDs).
- To respond to support requests and troubleshoot problems.
- To send transactional communications related to your order or account.
- To maintain the security and integrity of our systems.
- To comply with our legal obligations.
We do not use your personal information for unsolicited marketing without your consent.
5. How we collect it
We collect personal information:
- Directly from you — when you place an order, create an account, contact us, or use our platform.
- From device owners — when an owner adds your phone number or Telegram ID to their SmartRemote device to grant you control access.
- Automatically — through cookies and standard server logs when you visit our website or cloud platform.
6. Sharing of personal information
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share it only in the following circumstances:
- Service providers — third-party operators who assist us in delivering our service (for example, payment processors, hosting providers, or messaging gateway providers). These parties are contractually required to handle your information securely and only for the purpose we specify.
- Legal obligations — where we are required by law, court order, or a competent authority to disclose information.
- Business transactions — in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to equivalent privacy protections.
7. How long we keep it
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected, or as required by law. When information is no longer needed, we delete or anonymise it securely.
- Order and account information is retained for the duration of your relationship with us and for a reasonable period thereafter for legal and accounting purposes.
- Device authorisation data (phone numbers, Telegram IDs) is retained for as long as the associated device is active on our platform, or until the device owner removes it.
- Technical and log data is retained for a limited period for security and diagnostic purposes.
8. Your rights under POPIA
As a data subject under POPIA, you have the following rights:
- Right of access — you may request a description of the personal information we hold about you.
- Right to correction or deletion — you may request that inaccurate, irrelevant, or outdated information be corrected or deleted.
- Right to object — you may object to the processing of your personal information on reasonable grounds.
- Right to lodge a complaint — if you believe we have not handled your personal information lawfully, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (see section 10).
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in section 9.
9. Contact us
For any privacy-related queries, requests, or complaints, please contact us at:
- Email: privacy@smartremote.co.za
- Website: smartremote.co.za/contact
We will respond to requests within a reasonable time and no later than the timeframes prescribed by POPIA.
10. The Information Regulator
If you are not satisfied with how we have handled a complaint, you have the right to lodge a complaint with South Africa's Information Regulator:
- Website: inforegulator.org.za
- Email: inforeg@justice.gov.za
- POPIAComplaints: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za
11. Cookies
Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to ensure the site functions correctly and to understand how visitors use it. We use only functional and analytical cookies. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies.
You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though this may affect the functionality of certain parts of our website.
12. Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, or disclosure. These include encrypted communications, access controls, and secure hosting infrastructure. However, no system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. When we do, we will update the date at the top of the page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.