Identity Verification Policy

Shared Style

Identity Verification Policy

Effective date: June 2025 | Version 1.0

Your South African ID number is classified as special personal information under POPIA. We collect it only to verify your identity, and we handle it with the highest level of care.

Purpose of This Policy

This Identity Verification Policy explains why Shared Style (Pty) Ltd ("we", "us", "our") collects identity information, how that information is processed and stored, what your rights are, and the limited circumstances in which it may be disclosed to third parties.

Identity verification is a core component of trust and safety on the Shared Style platform. Because users lend and rent high-value clothing to strangers, we require verified identity before a user may list items for rent, receive a rental deposit, or complete a resale transaction above a threshold value.

What Identity Information We Collect

Depending on the verification level required, we may collect some or all of the following:

Full legal name (as it appears on your South African ID document)
South African ID number (13-digit RSA ID number)
Date of birth
A photograph or scan of your South African ID document (green bar-coded ID book or Smart ID card)
A selfie or liveness photograph (used to match your face to your ID document)
Mobile number (for OTP verification during the verification process)

We do not collect passport numbers as a primary form of verification. Foreign nationals resident in South Africa who do not hold an RSA ID may contact us at legal@sharedstyle.co.za to discuss alternative verification arrangements.

Legal Basis for Collection (POPIA)

Under section 11 of the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA"), and specifically under section 27 which governs special personal information (which includes ID numbers), we process your identity information on the following bases:

Necessity for contract: verification is a condition of accessing certain features of the platform (listing items, receiving payouts).
Legitimate interest: reducing fraud, identity theft, and damage disputes on the platform.
Legal obligation: our obligations under South African financial regulation and anti-money-laundering requirements may require us to verify user identities for transactions above certain thresholds.
Consent: by proceeding through the verification flow, you consent to the processing described in this policy. You may withdraw consent at any time (see section 7), but doing so may restrict your access to certain platform features.

How We Process Your ID Information

Third-Party Verification Provider

We use an accredited third-party identity verification service (currently Smile Identity or equivalent) to process your ID document and liveness photographs. That provider:

Verifies your ID number against the South African Department of Home Affairs database.
Performs a facial match between your selfie and your ID document photograph.
Returns a verification result (pass / fail) and a confidence score.

Your raw photographs and ID document images are processed by the verification provider subject to their own data processing agreement with us. They are not used for any other purpose.

What We Store

After verification, Shared Style stores only the following on its own systems:

Your verification status (verified / unverified / pending).
The date verification was completed.
Your name and ID number (encrypted at rest in our Supabase database).

We do not permanently store raw copies of your ID document photographs or selfies on Shared Style servers. These are transmitted directly to our verification provider and subject to their retention policy (typically 30 days for liveness images).

Encryption and Security

Your ID number and related fields are stored in encrypted form using AES-256 encryption at rest. Our database is hosted in the European West region on Supabase infrastructure, which maintains ISO 27001 certification. Access to this data is strictly limited to authorised Shared Style staff and automated systems.

Who May Access Your ID Information

Your identity information will not be sold, rented, or disclosed to third parties except in the following circumstances:

Verification provider: as described in section 4.1 above.
Payment providers: we may share your name (not ID number) with TradeSafe (escrow) and Ozow (instant EFT) to comply with payment processing requirements.
Law enforcement and legal process: we will disclose your identity information to law enforcement agencies or in response to a valid South African court order or directive from the Information Regulator. We will not disclose in response to informal requests. Where permitted by law, we will notify you before complying with such a request.
Dispute resolution: in a formal dispute process where identity verification status is material to the outcome, a verified status indicator (not raw ID data) may be shared with the other party or a dispute mediator.

Retention Period

We retain your ID number and verification status for as long as your Shared Style account is active, plus a period of five (5) years after account closure for legal and audit purposes, in accordance with standard South African record-keeping obligations.

If you request deletion of your account and there are no outstanding legal obligations, we will anonymise your ID number within 30 days of the request.

Your Rights Under POPIA

You have the following rights in relation to your identity information:

Right of access: you may request a copy of the identity information we hold about you.
Right to correction: if your identity information is inaccurate, you may request it be corrected.
Right to deletion: subject to our legal retention obligations, you may request deletion of your identity data.
Right to object: you may object to processing on grounds relating to your particular situation.
Right to withdraw consent: you may withdraw your consent to verification at any time, but this may result in restricted access to platform features that require verified status.

To exercise any of these rights, contact our Information Officer at legal@sharedstyle.co.za with the subject line "POPIA Identity Rights Request". We will respond within 30 days.

Consequences of Non-Verification

Verification is not required to browse listings or create a Renter account. However, the following features require a verified account:

Listing items for rent (Lender account)
Receiving rental income payouts
Completing resale transactions (both buyer and seller)
Making claims on the damage deposit

If your verification fails or is incomplete, you will be notified within the app and given the opportunity to resubmit. If verification fails three times, you may contact us at legal@sharedstyle.co.za to request a manual review.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy as our verification processes evolve or as legal requirements change. Material changes will be notified via in-app message before they take effect. Your continued use of verification-required features after notification constitutes acceptance.

Contact and Complaints

Information Officer, Shared Style (Pty) Ltd

Email: legal@sharedstyle.co.za

Information Regulator of South Africa

Website: https://www.justice.gov.za/inforeg/

Email: inforeg@justice.gov.za

You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator if you believe your POPIA rights have been infringed.