Privacy Policy

Memorial Wall (“Memorial Wall”, “we”, “us”) helps families honour and remember loved ones by creating online memorials and sharing tributes. This policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. It applies to our website and Android app at memorialwall.co.za.

Who we are

Memorial Wall is the data controller for the information described here. If you have any questions or requests about your data, contact us at info@memorialwall.co.za.

Information we collect

Account information

When you create an account we collect your name and email address, and a securely hashed version of your password. We never store your password in plain text.

Memorial and tribute content

To provide the service, we store the content you or other visitors add to a memorial, which may include the name and dates of the person being remembered, photographs, biographies, service details, songs, pamphlet pages, tributes, messages, and reactions or likes. Some of this content — for example the names of the deceased and the people leaving tributes — is personal information that you choose to share with us.

Memorials and tributes are public. A published memorial and the tributes on it can be viewed by anyone with the link. Please do not post information you do not want to be publicly visible.

Push notification subscriptions

If you choose to turn on notifications, your browser or device provides us with a subscription token (an endpoint URL and encryption keys) that lets us send you alerts — for example when a tribute needs your approval. This token identifies your browser or device, not you personally, and you can turn notifications off at any time (see “Your choices” below).

Technical and usage information

Like most websites and apps, we automatically receive some technical information when you use Memorial Wall, such as your IP address, device and browser type, and how you interact with the pages. We use cookies and similar session storage to keep you signed in, protect forms against cross-site request forgery, and remember basic preferences. We also use Google Analytics for Firebase to understand how the service is used so we can improve it.

How we use your information

• To create and manage your account and let you sign in.
• To create, display, and manage memorials, tributes, and related content.
• To send you notifications you have asked for, and service emails such as password resets.
• To keep the service secure, prevent abuse, and troubleshoot problems.
• To understand and improve how Memorial Wall is used.
• To comply with our legal obligations.

How your information is shared

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only in these limited circumstances:

• Publicly, by your choice — published memorial and tribute content is visible to anyone with the link, as described above.
• Service providers — companies that host our servers, deliver our email, and provide analytics and notification delivery. This includes Google (Firebase Analytics, and Firebase Cloud Messaging / Apple Push Notification service for delivering notifications). These providers process data on our behalf.
• Legal reasons — where required by law, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of Memorial Wall, our users, or the public.

Data retention

We keep your information for as long as your account and memorials are active, or as needed to provide the service. You can ask us to delete your account and associated content; we will do so unless we are required to keep certain information for legal reasons. Dead or expired push notification subscriptions are removed automatically.

How we protect your information

We use industry-standard measures to protect your data, including encrypted connections (HTTPS), hashed passwords, and access controls. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we work to protect your information and limit access to it.

Your choices and rights

• Access and correction — you can view and update your account details from your profile page.
• Deletion — you can delete memorials you created, and you can request deletion of your account by emailing us.
• Notifications — you can turn push notifications off from the install / notifications bar, or in your browser or device settings.
• Cookies — you can control cookies through your browser settings, though some features may not work without them.

Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights under laws such as South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@memorialwall.co.za.

Children

Memorial Wall is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will remove it.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Significant changes may be communicated to you directly.

Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, contact us at info@memorialwall.co.za.