Privacy policy
Last updated: 3 October 2026
Socioloza is a public transit app by The Data Engine (Pty) Ltd. This policy explains what personal information we collect, why, and what you can do about it. We handle your information under South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).
Who we are
The Data Engine (Pty) Ltd is the responsible party for your personal information in Socioloza. Moving Gauteng is a product of the company. You can reach our Information Officer at info (at) movinggauteng (dot) co (dot) za.
What we collect
- Your account. When you create an account we hold your handle, display name, the email address and sign-in provider you used (for example Apple or Google), and an account identifier. You can browse most of the app without an account.
- Location, only while you share a trip. If you check in to a trip, the app collects your device location while that trip is active, including when the app is in the background or your screen is locked, so it can contribute real-time transit information. It stops as soon as you check out. If you allow it, the app also uses your location while it is open to show nearby stations. We do not collect your location when you are not checked in to a trip.
- What you contribute. Transit reports, check-ins, kudos, saved journeys and messages you send in the app.
- Notifications and device basics. A push token so we can send you transit alerts you have asked for, plus your app version, language and time zone.
- Usage and crash reports. Anonymous app usage statistics and crash details, which help us fix problems and understand which features are used. These are not linked to your account or location, and you can turn them off in Settings under Privacy.
Fare cards
If you link a fare account such as O-City, your fare account sign-in details, card numbers and balances are stored only on your device, in its secure storage. The app sends them directly to the fare provider. We never receive them. The fare provider's own privacy policy applies to the information it holds.
Why we collect it
- To show you transit information and help you plan journeys.
- To build a shared, real-time picture of how transit is running, from what riders report and the location shared during trips.
- To run the social features you use, such as check-ins and messages.
- To send the notifications you have turned on.
Location and anonymous transit data
The location you share during a trip is used to work out how services are running, and it is combined with other riders' contributions into anonymous transit updates. Those aggregated updates cannot be traced back to you, and they help everyone using the app.
Reported trip channel messages
When someone reports a trip channel message, we may send that message and a few messages around it to an automated review service outside South Africa. We remove names, handles, phone numbers and email addresses first, and we use providers that do not keep the text or use it to train their models. The result only helps our moderators decide what to look at first. A person makes every decision, and you can appeal it.
Who we share it with
We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with the services that help us run the app:
- Google Firebase for push notifications, anonymous usage statistics and crash reports.
- Mapbox for maps.
- OpenRouter and the AI model providers it uses, only for reported trip channel messages, as described above.
- Apple and Google when you choose to sign in with them.
- Our own hosting. Some of these providers process information on servers outside South Africa, with appropriate safeguards.
Anonymous, aggregated transit information may be shared more widely to improve public transit. It contains nothing that identifies you.
How long we keep it
We keep your personal information while your account is active. When you delete your account we remove it (see below). Anonymous transit data, which is no longer linked to you, may be kept.
Trip channel messages are the exception. We keep them permanently, with a record of who sent them, even after you delete your account. Reports and moderation decisions about them are kept too. Riders can no longer read a channel once it closes, but authorised staff can, for example to look into a complaint. We tell you this before you join a channel.
Your rights
Under POPIA you can ask us to:
- see the personal information we hold about you;
- correct anything that is wrong;
- delete your account and information, in the app under Settings, or on our delete account page (trip channel messages are kept, as explained above);
- object to how we use your information.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Regulator of South Africa.
Keeping it safe
We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information, and we hold shared location only as anonymous, aggregated data rather than personal traces.
Children
Socioloza is not aimed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their information.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy we will update the date at the top and, where the change is significant, let you know in the app.
Contact
For anything about your privacy, email info (at) movinggauteng (dot) co (dot) za.