Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 16 April 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to 4IR TUT ("we", "our", "us") — the official website of the Fourth Industrial Revolution Research Lab at Tshwane University of Technology. Your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website at 4irtut.co.za and use our research-related services.

This policy is in compliance with South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and other applicable data protection regulations.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of personal information when you interact with our website:

Personal Identification Information: such as your name and email address (e.g., when submitting the contact form or applying to join the lab).
Usage Data: such as browser type, pages visited, time spent on the site, and referring URLs — collected automatically through cookies and analytics tools.
Application Data: information submitted through our Google Forms application (e.g., academic background, research interests).

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

To respond to your enquiries submitted through the contact form.
To process research lab applications and internship requests.
To improve our website, content, and user experience.
To send you relevant updates regarding our research events, publications, and opportunities (only with your consent).
To comply with legal obligations under South African law.

4. Sharing of Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share your data with:

Tshwane University of Technology — as our parent institution, for administrative and research purposes.
Research partners and SETAs (such as MICTSETA) — only when necessary for funded research projects you have consented to participate in.
Law enforcement or government agencies — when required by law or to protect our legal rights.

5. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include secure hosting, encrypted connections (HTTPS), and limited access to personal data by authorised personnel only.

6. Cookies and Analytics

Our website may use cookies and third-party analytics services (such as Google Analytics and Google AdSense) to understand how visitors use the site. You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings. For more information about how Google processes data, please visit Google's Privacy Policy.

7. Your Rights Under POPIA

As a data subject under the Protection of Personal Information Act, you have the right to:

Request access to the personal data we hold about you.
Request correction or deletion of your personal data.
Object to the processing of your personal data.
Withdraw consent for communications at any time.
Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.

8. Children's Privacy

Our website and services are not directed to children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors without parental or guardian consent. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us immediately so we can delete it.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will indicate the updated effective date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal data, you can contact us at:

Email: info@4irtut.com
Phone: +27 12 382-9671
Address: Block K, 2 Aubrey Matlakala St, Soshanguve - K, Soshanguve, 0152, South Africa
Institution: Tshwane University of Technology