Account Deletion

1. Overview

Teka is committed to your right to erasure as guaranteed under the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA). When you request account deletion, we initiate a 30-day grace period before permanently deleting your data. This gives you time to change your mind, download your content, and withdraw any earnings.

Before you delete: Make sure to withdraw any pending earnings. Once the 30-day grace period expires, any remaining earnings in your account will be permanently forfeited.

2. How to Delete Your Account

1

Open Teka and go to Profile

Tap your profile icon in the bottom navigation bar to open your profile page.

2

Go to Settings

Tap the settings icon (⚙️) in the top right corner of your profile page.

3

Select Account Settings

Scroll down to find "Account Settings" and tap to open it.

4

Tap "Delete Account"

Read the deletion information and confirm your decision. You will be asked to enter your password to confirm.

5

Confirmation & Grace Period Begins

You will receive a confirmation email. Your 30-day grace period starts immediately. You can still log in and cancel during this period.

Can't access the app? If you are unable to access your account, email privacy@teka-mh.co.za from your registered email address to request account deletion.

3. What Gets Deleted

After the 30-day grace period, the following data is permanently deleted from our systems:

Data Category	What's Included	Deleted After
Account Information	Email address, username, display name, profile photo, date of birth, age verification records	30 days from deletion request
Video Content	All uploaded videos, thumbnails, captions, and metadata	30 days from deletion request
User Interactions	Likes, comments, follows, shares, and viewing history	30 days from deletion request
Financial Data	Earnings balance, withdrawal history references, payment method details	30 days (transaction records: 7 years — see Section 4)
Analytics	Personal analytics associated with your account (anonymised aggregate data may remain)	30 days from deletion request
Profile Media	Profile photos, banner images, all media files in Cloud Storage	30 days from deletion request
App Settings	Preferences, notification settings, blocked accounts, and other app configuration	30 days from deletion request

4. Data Retained After Deletion

Certain data must be retained for legal compliance, even after account deletion:

Data Type	Retention Period	Legal Basis
Financial transaction records (earnings, payouts)	7 years from transaction date	South African tax law (Income Tax Act 58 of 1962; VAT Act 89 of 1991)
Legal proceedings data	Until proceedings conclude	Legal obligation
Fraud prevention records	Up to 5 years	Legitimate interest / POPIA Section 14(d)
Regulatory compliance records	As required by applicable law	Legal obligation

All retained financial data is stored in an anonymised, access-restricted archive and cannot be used to re-identify or contact you.

5. Earnings and Withdrawals

Withdraw Your Earnings Before Deleting: Any earnings remaining in your account when the 30-day grace period expires will be permanently forfeited. We cannot recover earnings after permanent deletion is complete.

To withdraw your earnings before deleting:

Go to Profile → Earnings → Withdraw
Ensure your payment method is set up and verified
Minimum withdrawal threshold applies (as shown in-app)
Allow 1-7 business days for payment to arrive before submitting your deletion request

6. Data Export (Portability)

Before deleting your account, you have the right to request a copy of your personal data under POPIA Section 23 and GDPR Article 20. To request your data export:

Email privacy@teka-mh.co.za with the subject "Data Export Request"
Include your registered email address and username
We will prepare and deliver your data export within 7 business days
Data is provided in a machine-readable format (JSON)

7. Cancelling Account Deletion

During the 30-day grace period, your account is deactivated but not yet permanently deleted. You can cancel your deletion request at any time:

Log in to your Teka account (your credentials still work during the grace period)
Go to Settings → Account Settings → Cancel Account Deletion
Your account will be immediately reactivated with all your data intact

You will receive a confirmation email when the cancellation is processed.

8. Automated Deletion Timeline

Day 0

Request Submitted

Account deactivated. Confirmation email sent. Grace period begins.

Days 1-29

Grace Period

Account inactive but restorable. Content hidden from public view.

Day 30

Permanent Deletion

All account data deleted at 2:00 AM SAST. Not recoverable.

Days 30-60

Backup Purge

System backups containing your data are progressively overwritten.

9. Third-Party Data Processing

Our third-party service providers handle your data as follows after account deletion:

Service	What Happens to Your Data	Timeline
Google Firebase (Auth, Firestore, Storage)	Data deleted from all Firebase services as part of our deletion process	30 days from deletion request
Google AdMob	Advertising identifiers anonymised per Google's data retention policy	Per Google's policy
Paystack	Transaction records retained as required by financial regulations	Up to 7 years (financial compliance)
Cloud Storage	All video and image files permanently deleted	30 days from deletion request

10. Your Rights Under POPIA

The Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 grants you the following rights, which you can exercise at any time:

Right of Access (Section 23): Know what personal information we hold about you
Right to Rectification (Section 24): Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal information (this policy)
Right to Restriction: Request limitation of how we use your data in certain circumstances
Right to Data Portability: Receive a copy of your data in a portable format
Right to Object (Section 11(3)): Object to processing of your personal information

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@teka-mh.co.za. We will respond within 30 days.

Information Regulator (South Africa):
If you are unsatisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator at www.justice.gov.za/inforeg or inforeg@justice.gov.za.

11. Frequently Asked Questions

Can I reactivate my account after it's permanently deleted?

No. After the 30-day grace period, account deletion is permanent and irreversible. You would need to create a new account from scratch. Earnings, followers, and content cannot be recovered.

What happens to my videos after I delete my account?

All your videos are immediately hidden from public view when you submit your deletion request. After the 30-day grace period, all video files and metadata are permanently deleted from our servers.

Will people still be able to see my comments after I delete my account?

No. All your comments, likes, and interactions are removed when your account is permanently deleted. Comments you made on other creators' videos will also be removed.

What if I have a pending withdrawal when I delete my account?

If you have a pending withdrawal in progress (initiated before your deletion request), we will attempt to complete it. However, we strongly recommend completing all withdrawals and waiting for confirmation before requesting account deletion.

Can I delete my account if I've been suspended?

Suspended accounts can still submit deletion requests by contacting privacy@teka-mh.co.za. Permanently banned accounts may have data retained for fraud prevention purposes as outlined in Section 4.

How do I know my data has actually been deleted?

You will receive a confirmation email when your account has been permanently deleted. You can also request a verification by emailing privacy@teka-mh.co.za after the 30-day period. We will confirm deletion within 5 business days.