Effective and last updated: 2 September 2026
You can read SwitcherBrief without a public account. Essential storage supports security, your theme and privacy choices. Analytics, advertising and career-topic personalization activate only according to your cookie settings. You can reopen Cookie settings from the footer at any time.
1. Who this policy covers
This policy applies when you visit SwitcherBrief, read or download content, submit a comment, contact the newsroom or otherwise use our public website. For the purposes of South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA), the site operator is the responsible party for personal information described here.
2. Information we receive
Information you choose to provide
We receive your name, email address and message when you contact us; your name, private email address and comment when you participate in discussion; and any other information you deliberately include. Comment email addresses are not displayed publicly.
Technical and usage information
Our server may process browser and device details, requested pages, timestamps, referral information and a privacy-preserving hash derived from an IP address. We use this for delivery, rate limiting, abuse prevention, troubleshooting and security. If you consent to analytics, Google Analytics may also process visit, device, approximate location and interaction information.
3. Cookies and browser storage
“Cookies” in this policy includes cookies and similar browser storage. Our consent panel separates these purposes:
| Category | Purpose | When used |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | Security, staff sessions, light/dark theme and remembering your privacy choice. | Always available because the site cannot operate reliably without it. |
| Analytics | Understand readership, popular content, devices and site performance through Google Analytics. | Only when enabled by the site and accepted by you. |
| Advertising | Deliver, limit, personalize and measure advertising through Google AdSense or approved partners. | Only when enabled by the site and accepted by you, subject to applicable consent requirements. |
| Personalization | Remember career categories explored on this device and prioritize a relevant topic link. | Only when enabled by the site and accepted by you. |
Choosing “Essential only” or rejecting optional cookies does not block articles. Clearing browser data may remove your saved choice, in which case the banner may appear again.
4. Google Analytics and advertising
When configured and consented to, Google Analytics uses first-party identifiers such as _ga to distinguish visits and sessions. Google Analytics can receive device, browser, interaction and approximate location information. We do not intentionally send names, email addresses or other directly identifying contact-form content to Analytics.
Advertising may be supplied by Google and other disclosed advertising partners. Third-party vendors, including Google, may place or read cookies, use web beacons or process IP addresses as a result of serving or measuring ads. Google advertising cookies can enable Google and its partners to show ads based on visits to this and other sites. You can manage personalized advertising in Google Ads Settings and learn how Google uses data from partner sites.
For regions where a certified consent platform is required for Google advertising, the site operator must configure Google Privacy & messaging or another approved platform before serving those ads.
5. Why we process information
Depending on the context and applicable law, we process information to provide the service you request, pursue legitimate operational and security interests, comply with legal obligations, or act on your consent. You may withdraw optional-cookie consent from Cookie settings. Withdrawal does not make earlier lawful processing invalid.
6. When information is shared
Information may be shared with hosting, security, analytics, advertising and embedded-content providers only as needed for their services; with professional advisers under appropriate confidentiality; or with authorities when required by law or necessary to protect rights and safety. We do not sell contact-form or comment email addresses.
Articles can include third-party embeds and links. YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook and other linked services operate under their own policies when their content loads or you interact with them.
7. International processing
Some technology providers may process information outside South Africa. Where applicable, we use provider terms and safeguards intended to protect transferred information, while those providers remain responsible for their own systems and legal obligations.
8. Retention and security
We retain information only for as long as reasonably needed for publishing, correspondence, moderation, fraud prevention, legal requirements and system integrity. Comments may remain with the associated article. Contact enquiries are delivered to our official mailbox rather than stored in the website admin; limited anti-abuse records do not contain the message itself. We use access controls, password hashing, encrypted email credentials, content sanitization, rate limiting and other reasonable safeguards, but no internet service can guarantee absolute security.
9. Your choices and rights
Subject to POPIA and other applicable law, you may ask whether we hold personal information about you, request access or correction, object to certain processing, withdraw consent, or request deletion where retention is not legally or operationally required. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling a request. You may also lodge a complaint with South Africa’s Information Regulator.
10. Children
The site is not designed to collect personal information from children. A child should not submit personal information without the involvement of a parent or competent guardian where consent is required.
11. Changes and contact
We will update the date above when this policy materially changes. For questions or privacy requests, use our contact page. Please do not send identity documents or sensitive financial information unless we specifically request them through an appropriate secure channel.