Cookie Policy
1. Introduction
This Cookie Policy explains how iKnowMe (Pty) Ltd, trading through or operating the WebSchoolMe platform (“WebSchoolMe”, “iKnowMe”, “we”, “us” or “our”), uses cookies and similar technologies when you access or use www.webschoolme.co.za and any related WebSchoolMe web application, digital service, learning platform or online service that links to this Cookie Policy.
WebSchoolMe is an educational technology platform intended to operate in South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya. Because WebSchoolMe may be used by learners, parents, guardians, educators, schools and other users, including children and minors, we place particular importance on transparency, user choice, data minimisation and appropriate safeguards when cookies and similar tracking technologies are used.
This Cookie Policy should be read together with our Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions, Children’s and Parent/Guardian Privacy provisions, Acceptable Use Policy and any other privacy or data protection notice presented when information is collected.
2. Purpose of This Cookie Policy
This Policy explains what cookies and similar technologies are; which categories WebSchoolMe may use; why those technologies are used; when consent is required; how you can accept, reject or manage cookies; how third parties may use cookies; how cookies may affect children and minors; how information may be transferred internationally; and how long cookies may remain on your device.
3. Applicable Legal Framework
WebSchoolMe seeks to manage cookies and related personal information consistently with applicable data protection and privacy legislation in the jurisdictions in which it operates.
- South Africa: Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA), its regulations and applicable guidance issued by the Information Regulator.
- Ghana: Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) and applicable requirements and guidance of the Data Protection Commission of Ghana.
- Nigeria: Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 (NDPA), together with applicable regulations, directives and guidance issued by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission.
- Kenya: Data Protection Act, 2019, the Data Protection (General) Regulations, 2021, and applicable guidance issued by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.
Where applicable mandatory local law provides greater protection than this Policy, the mandatory local law will prevail.
4. What Is a Cookie?
A cookie is a small data file that a website may place or store on a computer, smartphone, tablet or other device when a user visits or interacts with a website. Cookies may enable a website to recognise a browser or device and may store or communicate information concerning login status, user preferences, security settings, session identifiers, website interactions, pages visited, feature usage, device or browser information, performance information and other information relating to use of a website or service.
Some cookies may process information that qualifies as personal information or personal data under applicable law. Whenever cookie information constitutes personal information, WebSchoolMe will process it in accordance with applicable data protection legislation and our Privacy Policy.
5. Similar Technologies
For purposes of this Policy, “cookies” also includes, where applicable, pixels, tags, web beacons, scripts, software development kits (SDKs), local storage technologies, browser storage, device identifiers, tracking URLs, session identifiers, embedded technologies, API-based tracking technologies and similar technologies capable of storing, retrieving or communicating information relating to a user’s device or activity.
6. First-Party and Third-Party Cookies
6.1 First-Party Cookies
First-party cookies are set by WebSchoolMe or on behalf of WebSchoolMe. They may be used to authenticate users, maintain user sessions, secure accounts, remember settings, deliver platform functionality, maintain cookie preferences or improve the service.
6.2 Third-Party Cookies
Third-party cookies are set by an organisation other than WebSchoolMe. These may arise where WebSchoolMe uses services such as analytics, video hosting, authentication, payment processing, customer support, cybersecurity, performance monitoring, content delivery, advertising or embedded media.
7. Cookie Categories
7.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are required for the operation, security or essential functionality of WebSchoolMe. They may be used for account login, authentication, fraud prevention, security, load balancing, protecting accounts, detecting malicious activity, saving privacy or cookie choices, enabling essential platform functions and completing transactions requested by the user.
Because these cookies are necessary to provide services requested by the user or maintain security and operation of the platform, they may not require consent where applicable law allows them to operate without consent.
7.2 Functional or Preference Cookies
These allow WebSchoolMe to remember choices such as preferred language, interface settings, accessibility settings, educational settings, regional settings and other user preferences. Where required by applicable law, these cookies will only be activated after appropriate consent.
7.3 Analytics and Performance Cookies
These may help us understand how WebSchoolMe is used, including pages visited, features used, session duration, navigation patterns, error events, device information, browser information, performance metrics, approximate geographic information and interactions with educational content.
Where required by applicable law or WebSchoolMe’s chosen privacy standard, analytics cookies will not be activated until the user has provided the required consent.
7.4 Personalisation Cookies
These may be used to tailor aspects of the WebSchoolMe experience, including remembering learning preferences, suggesting relevant content, remembering interests and tailoring interface functionality. Where personalisation involves personal information, profiling or non-essential tracking, WebSchoolMe will establish an appropriate lawful basis and obtain consent where required.
7.5 Marketing and Advertising Cookies
These may be used to measure promotional campaigns, understand campaign effectiveness, limit repeated advertising, recognise referrals, measure conversions or provide relevant promotional communications.
WebSchoolMe’s policy is that non-essential advertising and behavioural marketing cookies should not be activated until the required consent has been obtained. Enhanced protections apply where children or minors are involved.
8. Children and Minors
WebSchoolMe is an educational platform and may be used by children or minors. We therefore apply enhanced caution to tracking technologies associated with children’s accounts.
WebSchoolMe will seek to minimise tracking of children, avoid unnecessary collection of children’s information, apply privacy-protective default settings, obtain parental or guardian authorisation where required, avoid behavioural advertising directed at children where prohibited or inappropriate, avoid marketing profiling of children where prohibited, provide age-appropriate information where reasonably practicable, and prioritise the rights and best interests of children.
Where the law requires consent from a parent, guardian or other legally competent person before processing a child’s personal information, WebSchoolMe will implement appropriate consent procedures.
9. No Behavioural Advertising to Children Without Appropriate Safeguards
WebSchoolMe does not intend to create unrestricted behavioural advertising profiles of children. Where technologies capable of advertising, profiling or cross-site tracking are implemented, WebSchoolMe will evaluate those technologies before deployment and apply safeguards appropriate to the age of affected users.
10. Cookie Consent
Where consent is required, WebSchoolMe intends for consent to be voluntary, informed, specific, affirmative, understandable and capable of being withdrawn.
WebSchoolMe will not intentionally treat silence, inactivity or continued browsing alone as consent where applicable law requires an affirmative act.
11. WebSchoolMe Cookie Consent Model
When a user first visits WebSchoolMe, the cookie consent interface may provide:
Where technically and legally appropriate, preference categories may include:
- Strictly Necessary — Always Active
- Functional — Optional
- Analytics — Optional
- Personalisation — Optional
- Marketing/Advertising — Optional
WebSchoolMe will seek to ensure that declining non-essential cookies is reasonably accessible and is not deliberately more difficult than accepting them.
12. Strictly Necessary Cookies and Consent
Certain cookies may be necessary to provide a service requested by the user, maintain account security, authenticate a user, protect WebSchoolMe against attack, remember a user’s privacy choices, maintain a transaction session or deliver another technically essential function. Where applicable law permits these cookies without consent, they may be placed without obtaining consent.
13. Withdrawing or Changing Consent
Where cookie processing is based upon consent, users may withdraw or modify their consent. WebSchoolMe should provide a persistent mechanism such as “Cookie Settings”, “Privacy Settings” or “Manage Cookies” through the website footer, account privacy settings or another reasonably accessible location.
Withdrawal of consent will not ordinarily affect the lawfulness of processing that took place before consent was withdrawn. After withdrawal, applicable non-essential cookies will no longer be intentionally placed or read by WebSchoolMe, subject to reasonable technical implementation periods.
14. Proof of Consent
Where appropriate, WebSchoolMe may maintain records demonstrating whether consent was provided, the date and time of consent, the version of the cookie notice presented, categories selected, whether consent was subsequently withdrawn and other information reasonably necessary to demonstrate compliance.
15. Cookie Preference Cookie
WebSchoolMe may store a cookie or similar record containing a user’s privacy preferences so that the user’s choices can be remembered. This preference record may itself be treated as a strictly necessary technology because it is required to respect the user’s privacy choice.
16. Cookie Duration
Cookies may be session cookies, which normally expire when the browser session ends, or persistent cookies, which remain on a device for a defined period or until removed. WebSchoolMe will seek to ensure that cookie duration is proportionate to the purpose for which the cookie is used. Non-essential cookies should not be retained indefinitely.
17. Cookie Inventory
The following table reflects technologies actually deployed on WebSchoolMe.
| Cookie / Technology | Provider | Category | Purpose | Duration | First/Third Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
wordpress_test_cookie |
WordPress | Strictly Necessary | Tests whether the browser accepts cookies | Session | First Party |
wordpress_logged_in_* |
WordPress | Strictly Necessary | Authenticates logged-in users | Session / up to 14 days | First Party |
wordpress_sec_* |
WordPress | Strictly Necessary | Secure session for logged-in users | Session / up to 14 days | First Party |
wp-settings-* / wp-settings-time-* |
WordPress | Strictly Necessary | Stores logged-in user interface preferences | ~1 year | First Party |
Theme consent key (e.g. wsm_cookie_consent — verify exact name; may be cookie or localStorage) |
WebSchoolMe | Strictly Necessary | Stores cookie consent / preference choice | Typically 6–12 months | First Party |
wfwaf-authcookie-* / related Wordfence cookies |
Wordfence | Strictly Necessary | Web application firewall and login security | Session to several days | First Party |
| Cache-related cookies (if set by WP Super Cache or WP-Optimize) | Caching plugin | Strictly Necessary | Helps serve the correct cached page | Session or short-lived | First Party |
PHPSESSID (only if present) |
PHP / host | Strictly Necessary | Server session identifier | Session | First Party |
_ga |
Google Analytics (Site Kit) | Analytics | Distinguishes users for aggregated usage measurement | Up to 2 years | Third Party |
_ga_* |
Google Analytics 4 (Site Kit) | Analytics | GA4 measurement / session-related analytics | Up to 2 years | Third Party |
_gid |
Google Analytics (Site Kit) | Analytics | Distinguishes users over a short period | 24 hours | Third Party |
This table is updated whenever tracking technology is introduced, removed or materially changed.
18. Analytics Providers
WebSchoolMe may use third-party analytics providers. If implemented, such technologies may help us understand usage, feature performance, errors and aggregated usage patterns. Where required, these technologies will not be activated until consent has been obtained. Where reasonably available, WebSchoolMe may configure analytics services using privacy-enhancing settings such as IP minimisation, shortened retention periods, disabled advertising features, restricted data sharing and pseudonymisation.
19. Advertising Technologies
If WebSchoolMe introduces advertising or remarketing technologies, those technologies must be separately evaluated from strictly necessary and ordinary analytics technologies. Technologies capable of tracking users across websites, building behavioural profiles, matching identities, delivering personalised advertisements or sharing identifiers with advertising networks will be treated as high-impact non-essential technologies.
20. Social Media and Embedded Content
WebSchoolMe may embed content from third-party platforms, including videos, social media content, maps, learning tools, document viewers, authentication services or interactive external content. These providers may set cookies or receive information about a user’s interaction with embedded content. Where such technologies are non-essential and require consent, WebSchoolMe may prevent the external content from loading until appropriate consent has been obtained.
21. Authentication Cookies
WebSchoolMe may use cookies to authenticate users and maintain account sessions. These may help us recognise a logged-in user, prevent unauthorised access, protect accounts, maintain sessions and verify security states.
22. Security and Fraud-Prevention Technologies
WebSchoolMe may use cookies, device identifiers, logs and similar technologies to detect suspicious logins, prevent account takeover, prevent malicious traffic, detect automated attacks, protect users, enforce rate limits, maintain platform integrity and investigate security incidents.
23. Payment Technologies
Where WebSchoolMe provides paid products or services, a payment provider may use cookies or similar technologies necessary to process payments, prevent fraud, authenticate transactions, maintain transaction security or comply with legal obligations.
24. AI and Personalisation Technologies
Where WebSchoolMe uses artificial intelligence or machine-learning functionality, cookies or similar identifiers may assist in maintaining sessions, remembering settings or supporting personalised functionality. WebSchoolMe will distinguish between technologies required to provide a requested AI feature and technologies used for additional analytics, behavioural profiling or marketing.
25. Information That May Be Collected Through Cookies
Depending upon the cookie, information may include IP address, browser type, operating system, device type, device identifiers, session identifier, authentication status, referral source, pages viewed, features used, timestamps, language preference, region, approximate location, user interactions, performance information, diagnostic information, security events, advertising identifiers where applicable and cookie consent selections.
26. Information We Do Not Intend Cookies to Collect
Unless expressly required for a lawful, disclosed purpose, WebSchoolMe does not intend ordinary website cookies to collect passwords in readable form, complete payment card details, confidential communications, biometric templates, medical information, government identity documents, precise geolocation, sensitive educational information, special-category information or other highly sensitive personal information.
27. Lawful Basis
Where information obtained through a cookie constitutes personal information, WebSchoolMe will identify an appropriate lawful basis for processing under applicable law. Depending on the processing activity, this may include consent, performance of a contract, compliance with a legal obligation, legitimate interests where legally appropriate or another lawful basis recognised by applicable legislation.
WebSchoolMe will not rely on legitimate interests as a mechanism to bypass consent where consent is legally required.
28. Direct Marketing
Information obtained through cookies will not be used for direct marketing in circumstances where applicable law requires consent and valid consent has not been obtained. Users will be provided with appropriate mechanisms to reject marketing cookies, withdraw marketing consent, unsubscribe from direct marketing and object to applicable marketing processing.
Marketing consent and cookie consent may be managed separately where legally appropriate. Consent to receive marketing communications will not automatically constitute consent to all forms of behavioural tracking.
29. Data Minimisation
WebSchoolMe will seek to ensure that technologies collect only information reasonably necessary for their identified purpose. Before deploying significant new tracking technology, WebSchoolMe may consider what information is collected, whether collection is necessary, whether less intrusive technology could achieve the same purpose, retention, children affected, third parties receiving the information, processing locations and whether a privacy or data protection impact assessment is appropriate.
30. International Data Transfers
Some technology providers may process cookie-derived information outside the user’s country. Where such international transfers are regulated, WebSchoolMe will seek to implement appropriate safeguards required by the applicable jurisdiction, including contractual safeguards, adequacy mechanisms, authorised transfer mechanisms, consent where legally appropriate, processor agreements and security measures.
31. Third-Party Processors
Where third-party service providers process cookie information on WebSchoolMe’s behalf, WebSchoolMe will seek to establish appropriate contractual protections where legally required. These may address confidentiality, permitted processing, security, sub-processors, retention, deletion, data breaches, data-subject requests and cross-border transfers.
32. Security
WebSchoolMe will use reasonable technical and organisational measures appropriate to the nature and risk of cookie-related information. These may include HTTPS/TLS encryption, secure cookie attributes, appropriate SameSite settings, HttpOnly settings where applicable, Secure cookie settings, access restrictions, expiration controls, vulnerability management and security monitoring.
33. Browser Controls
Most web browsers allow users to control cookies. Depending on the browser, users may be able to view, block or remove cookies, block third-party cookies, restrict tracking, clear website data or receive notifications before cookies are stored. If a user blocks all cookies, certain parts of WebSchoolMe may not operate correctly.
34. Do Not Track and Global Privacy Signals
Some browsers and devices provide “Do Not Track”, privacy preference or similar technical signals. The legal and technical treatment of these signals may differ between jurisdictions and technologies. Where WebSchoolMe is legally required to recognise a particular browser or device-level privacy signal, it will seek to do so.
35. Retention
Cookie-derived personal information will not be retained for longer than reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, security, contractual obligations, legitimate operational requirements, legal obligations, dispute resolution or another lawful purpose. The specific duration of material cookies should be stated in the WebSchoolMe cookie inventory.
36. User Rights
Depending upon the applicable jurisdiction and nature of the information, users may have rights concerning personal information obtained through cookies, including rights to be informed, access personal information, correct inaccurate information, request deletion, object to certain processing, withdraw consent, restrict certain processing where available, request portability where applicable, object to direct marketing and raise a complaint.
37. South Africa
For users in South Africa, cookie-derived personal information will be processed with regard to POPIA. WebSchoolMe will seek to ensure that processing is lawful, reasonable, relevant, not excessive, undertaken for a defined purpose and appropriately secured. Where cookies or information obtained through them are used for unsolicited electronic direct marketing, WebSchoolMe will comply with applicable POPIA requirements concerning consent and electronic direct marketing. Personal information relating to children will be handled in accordance with POPIA’s additional protections.
38. Ghana
For users in Ghana, cookie-derived personal information will be processed with regard to the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843). WebSchoolMe will seek to observe applicable principles concerning accountability, lawfulness, purpose specification, openness, data quality, security, data minimisation and data-subject participation. Where cookie information is used for direct marketing, WebSchoolMe will comply with applicable consent and objection requirements.
39. Nigeria
For users in Nigeria, cookie-derived personal information will be processed with regard to the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 and applicable regulatory guidance. WebSchoolMe will seek to ensure that users receive meaningful information and appropriate choices concerning non-essential cookies. WebSchoolMe will pay particular attention to children’s data, profiling, direct marketing, international transfers and technologies capable of monitoring behaviour.
40. Kenya
For users in Kenya, cookie-derived personal information will be processed with regard to the Data Protection Act, 2019, the Data Protection (General) Regulations and applicable guidance. Where WebSchoolMe relies on consent, it will seek to ensure that the consent satisfies applicable requirements. WebSchoolMe will apply enhanced safeguards to processing involving children.
41. Cookie Settings Must Not Be Used to Circumvent Privacy Rights
WebSchoolMe will not intentionally classify advertising cookies as strictly necessary, classify unnecessary tracking as security functionality, place consent-dependent cookies before the required consent, reactivate rejected cookies without a lawful reason, make withdrawing consent materially harder than giving consent, combine materially different processing purposes into an unnecessarily broad consent choice or use misleading interface design to induce consent.
42. Changes to Cookie Technologies
WebSchoolMe may introduce new cookies, remove cookies, change providers, alter retention periods, introduce new functionality or modify the purposes for which technologies are used. Where a change materially affects privacy or requires new consent, WebSchoolMe will seek to update its disclosures and obtain fresh consent where required.
43. Periodic Cookie Audits
WebSchoolMe should periodically review the technologies operating through the website. Reviews may include identifying active cookies and trackers, verifying categories, reviewing retention periods, confirming third-party providers, checking whether technologies activate before consent, reviewing cross-border transfers, identifying unknown trackers, confirming children’s safeguards and updating this Policy and the cookie preference system.
44. Changes to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time because of legal developments, regulatory guidance, changes in WebSchoolMe, new technologies, changes to third-party providers, security improvements or changes to our business. The current version will be published on www.webschoolme.co.za. Where required by law, material changes will be separately communicated and fresh consent will be requested where appropriate.
45. Relationship with the Privacy Policy
This Cookie Policy forms part of WebSchoolMe’s broader privacy framework. The WebSchoolMe Privacy Policy explains how iKnowMe processes personal information generally. If there is an inconsistency between this Cookie Policy and mandatory applicable law, the mandatory legal requirement will prevail.
46. Regulatory Complaints
Depending upon the country in which a user is located, a privacy complaint may be submitted to the relevant data protection authority:
- South Africa: Information Regulator of South Africa
- Ghana: Data Protection Commission
- Nigeria: Nigeria Data Protection Commission
- Kenya: Office of the Data Protection Commissioner
Users are encouraged to contact WebSchoolMe regarding privacy concerns so that we have an opportunity to investigate and resolve them. Nothing in this Policy prevents a user from exercising a statutory right to contact an applicable regulator.
47. Contact WebSchoolMe
iKnowMe (Pty) Ltd
WebSchoolMe Privacy Office
Website: www.webschoolme.co.za
Privacy Email: privacy@webschoolme.co.za
Information Officer / Data Protection Contact: [INSERT NAME/TITLE]
Registered Address: [INSERT REGISTERED ADDRESS]
48. Effective Date
Effective from: [INSERT EFFECTIVE DATE]
Last Updated: [INSERT DATE]
Version: 1.0
Cookie Consent Notice (site banner copy)
Privacy matters at WebSchoolMe.
We use necessary cookies to keep WebSchoolMe secure and working properly. With your permission, we may also use functional, analytics, personalisation and marketing technologies to improve our services and understand how WebSchoolMe is used.
You can Accept All, Reject Non-Essential, or Manage Preferences. You can change your choice at any time through Cookie Settings. Where a learner is a child, additional privacy protections may apply.
Cookie Policy · Privacy Policy
Recommended Cookie Preference Centre
Manage Your Privacy
Choose which optional technologies WebSchoolMe may use. You may change these preferences at any time.
- Strictly Necessary Cookies — Always Active: Required for security, login, privacy preferences and essential WebSchoolMe functionality.
- Functional Cookies — OFF by default unless otherwise lawfully justified: Remember language, accessibility settings and interface preferences.
- Analytics & Performance Cookies — OFF by default: Help us understand how WebSchoolMe is used and improve performance.
- Personalisation Cookies — OFF by default: Enable enhanced or personalised platform functionality.
- Marketing & Advertising Cookies — OFF by default: May help measure promotional campaigns or provide relevant marketing. Enhanced protections apply to children and minors.
WebSchoolMe is operated by iKnowMe (Pty) Ltd.