Last updated: 5 October 2026

This privacy policy applies to the ShareShield app for Android, iOS and web (“Application”), provided by Yarok Technologies (Pty) Ltd (“we”, “us”) as a free service. It explains what information we collect, why, who can see it, and your rights. We process personal information in line with South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). This service is intended for use “AS IS”.

Information we collect

Account information

  • Your mobile number (if you sign in with a one-time SMS code) or your email address (if you sign in with email).
  • Passwords are handled by Google Authentication. We never see them.

Contacts and recipients you add

  • Names, phone numbers and email addresses of people you save as contacts, add to lists, or give access to a document.
  • On Android you can import a contact using your phone’s contact picker. Only the contact you choose is shared with the Application. We do not read or upload your address book.

Document information

Details of documents you protect: the document name and ID, who owns it, who has access, how many times each person may open it, and the technical data needed to decrypt it. We do not upload the contents of your documents. Protected files are shared by you, for example through WhatsApp.

Access logs and precise location

  • Each time someone opens, or tries to open, a protected document, we record who it was, when, whether access was allowed, and the device’s precise location (GPS).
  • Location permission is required to use the Application, because location is part of the security record for every protected document.

Usage and diagnostics

  • App usage information (such as screens viewed and app version), device model, operating system, approximate region and IP address, collected through Google Firebase Analytics.
  • Crash reports and diagnostic data (such as the state of your device at the time of a crash), collected through Google Firebase Crashlytics.

How we use your information

  • To create and secure your account and verify your phone number or email.
  • To enforce document access rules and open limits.
  • To provide document owners with an audit trail of access.
  • To place your identifier (phone number or email) as a watermark on documents you open, to deter unauthorised sharing.
  • To keep the Application secure, prevent abuse, and fix problems.
  • To provide support and send important service notices.

We do not sell your personal information and do not use it for advertising.

What other users can see

  • If you open, or try to open, a document shared with you, the document’s owner can see your phone number or email, when you tried, whether access was granted, and the location it was opened from.
  • Your phone number or email is shown as a watermark on documents you open.
  • If you share a document, the details of the recipients you add are stored so they can be given access.

Only add people whose details you are entitled to share.

Third Party Access

We use trusted service providers who process information on our behalf, have no independent use of it, and are bound by data protection terms:

Your information is stored on Google Cloud servers, which may be located outside South Africa. Google is bound by data protection terms that provide adequate protection for this information.

We may also disclose information:

  • as required by law, such as to comply with a subpoena or similar legal process;
  • when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, protect your safety or the safety of others, investigate fraud, or respond to a government request.

Data Retention Policy

We keep your account information for as long as you have an account. Access logs are kept for 24 months so document owners have a reliable audit trail. Crash and analytics data are kept according to Google Firebase’s standard retention periods. When information is no longer needed, we delete or anonymise it.

Your Rights and Deleting Your Account

Under POPIA you may ask to access, correct or delete your personal information, or object to how we process it.

  • In the app: go to Profile > Delete account.
  • Without the app: request deletion of your account and data through our contact page.

When your account is deleted we remove your account, profile, contacts, lists and the documents you own. Records of your access to other people’s documents may be kept for the retention period above, because they form part of those owners’ security records.

Uninstalling the Application stops any further collection of information, but does not delete information already stored. To delete it, use one of the options above.

Children

The Application is not intended for anyone under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we discover that a child under 13 has provided personal information, we will delete it from our servers. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so that we can take the necessary action.

Security

Protected documents are encrypted, and information is stored on Google Cloud infrastructure with access controls. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information.

Changes

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the new version on this page and update the “Last updated” date at the top. Significant changes will also be announced in the Application.

Your Consent

By using the Application, you acknowledge that your information will be processed as described in this Privacy Policy.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, please contact us through our contact page.