PRIVACY POLICY – Virbac BackHome
1.1. Virbac RSA (Pty) Ltd ("Virbac", "we", "us", or "our") provides this Privacy Policy to inform you of our policies and procedures regarding collection, use, disclosure, retention and destruction (collectively “Processing”) of personal information that we receive from users of our website, social media pages and our BackHome and Milpro Apps (collectively “Digital Platforms”).
1.2. As a leading global Animal Health Company, we strive for customer satisfaction, which includes keeping your personal information confidential and safe. We comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”) and all other applicable data protection laws of the countries where we do business.
1.3. By providing personal information to us or by using our Services, you agree to the terms and conditions of this Privacy Policy. If you submit any personal information relating to another individual to us, you represent that you have the authority to do so and to permit us to use the information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
1.4. Our Services are not intended for or directed to anyone under the age of 18. If a parent or guardian becomes aware that their child has provided us with Personal Information without their consent, please contact us, and we will delete such information from our files.
Information Collection
1.1. Personal information is provided directly to us by users who visit our Digital Platforms and create a profile and/or subscribe to receive our newsletters, microchips or automated reminders. Personal information may also be collected by us to ensure that your information is accurate and up to date and to improve your user experience when you manage your animal health requirements via our Digital Platforms and products.
1.2. The following personal information will be collected:
1.2.1. Contact Information: Your name, email address, physical address, and contact numbers.
1.2.2. Animal Health Data: Information concerning your pets, including microchip numbers (for BackHome), deworming schedules and weight (for Milpro), and general health status.
1.2.3. Account Details: Preferences and interests expressed in the course of using the Services.
1.2.4. Log Data: Your IP address, browsing habits, click patterns, location information, and time of visit.
1.2.5. Other: Comments, enquiries, complaints, survey responses, feedback and other servicing interactions.
1.3. We may also collect certain non-personally identifiable information automatically such as:
1.3.1. Animal Health Data: Information concerning your pets, including microchip numbers (for BackHome), deworming schedules and weight (for Milpro), and general health status.
1.3.2. Device Information: The type of handheld or mobile device used (e.g., Apple, Android), Media Access Control (MAC) address, operating system name and version.
1.3.3. Log Data: Your IP address, browsing habits, click patterns, location information, and time of visit.
How we use your information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
1.1. Animal health management and identification: To provide animal health tracking and send necessary medical and deworming reminders.
1.2. Communication: To respond to inquiries and send important administrative updates regarding our terms, conditions, and policies.
1.3. Business and Analytics: For data analysis, fraud monitoring, user authentication, determining the effectiveness of our campaigns, systems and processes, and to resolve your queries and complaints.
1.4. Legal Obligations: To comply with legal, regulatory, and pharmacovigilance reporting requirements.
1.5. Marketing: To provide you with software updates, product announcements, and personalised offers from the Virbac product range. (You may opt out of marketing communications at any time).
1.6. Statistics and research: To anonymise and aggregate relevant information for clinical and animal health studies.
Who we share the information with
1.1. We do not share your Personal Information with third parties except as follows:
1.1.1. Virbac Affiliates: We may share your information with our affiliates within the global structure only if necessary and subject to those affiliates having similar or equal data protection laws.
1.1.2. Contracted Service Providers: We may appoint third parties to facilitate and provide services relating to our Digital Platforms, such as website and mobile application hosting, data analysis, and customer service. They are authorised to use your data only to perform tasks on our behalf in terms of written contracts.
1.1.3. Law Enforcement: We will cooperate with government and law enforcement officials and will disclose information if required by law, to protect public safety, or to prevent illegal activity.
1.2. The processing of your personal information for any other reason will only occur after we have obtained your express written consent.
How we protect your personal information
Virbac employs reasonable security measures based on the sensitivity of the information which we hold. We have IT Security and Access Control processes in place to protect your personal information from unauthorised access and disclosure.
Cross border transfers across Africa and Globally
1.1. Virbac is part of a global organisation with our headquarters situated in France and we operate our business on an international basis. This means we may need to transfer your personal information outside of the Republic of South Africa when we utilize various local and international cloud service providers and IT software solutions to process and store your data securely.
1.2. In strict compliance with Section 72 of POPIA, we will only transfer your personal information under the following circumstances:
1.2.1. Adequate Protection: The third-party recipient is subject to a law (such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in France), binding corporate rules, or a binding agreement which provides an adequate level of protection substantially similar to the conditions for the lawful processing of personal information as set out in POPIA;
1.2.2. Consent: You have explicitly consented to the transfer of your personal information;
1.2.3. Contractual Necessity: The transfer is necessary for the performance of a contract between you and Virbac, or for the implementation of pre-contractual measures taken in response to your request; or
1.2.4. Benefit to the Data Subject: The transfer is for your benefit, and it is not reasonably practicable to obtain your consent, but if it were reasonably practicable to obtain such consent, you would be likely to give it.
We enforce appropriate data processing agreements and standard contractual clauses with our international cloud and IT service providers, as well as our global affiliates, to ensure that they uphold the same high standards of data security and confidentiality as required by South African law.
Cookies and tracking Technologies
1.1. We utilize cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience:
1.1.1. Session Cookies: Temporary files used to improve navigation and collect aggregate statistical information. They are erased when you close your browser.
1.1.2. Persistent Cookies: Stored on your device to remember preferences, retrieve previously provided information, and customize content on an ongoing basis.
1.1.3. Web Beacons: Electronic images that allow us to count page views and analyze user behavior without collecting personal information.
Data Security and Retention
1.1. We employ administrative, physical, and electronic measures designed to protect your information from unauthorized access.
1.2. In the event of a security breach involving your unencrypted electronically stored personal data, we will notify you via email or a conspicuous posting on our apps, without unreasonable delay, balancing the legitimate needs of law enforcement.
1.3. We retain your personal information for as long as needed to provide the Services, maintain our ongoing relationship, and comply with our legal pharmacovigilance obligations.
Your Privacy Rights
1.1. In accordance with POPIA, you are entitled to the following fundamental rights relating to your personal information:
1.1.1. Right of Access: You may request confirmation of whether we hold personal information about you and request access to or a copy of that information. The access procedure and forms are available in our PAIA Manual which is available on our website.
1.1.2. Right to Correction or Deletion: You may request that we correct, update, or delete personal information that is inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, out of date, incomplete, misleading, or obtained unlawfully. You can also modify your user account preferences directly within our Digital Platforms.
1.1.3. Right to Object: You have the right to object, on reasonable grounds, to the processing of your personal information, unless such processing is allowed in terms of applicable laws. Please note that the deletion, objection or withdrawal of your consent to process your personal information for the reasons mentioned in this Policy, may affect our ability to provide you with access to certain functionalities of our Digital Platforms.
1.1.4. Right to Opt-Out of Direct Marketing: You may opt out of receiving marketing communications, reminders, or pop-up notifications at any time.
1.1.5. Right to Restrict Automated Decision-Making: You have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on the automated processing of your personal information (including profiling) that produces legal or similarly significant effects on you.
1.1.6. Right to Lodge a Complaint: If you believe that Virbac has used your personal information contrary to POPIA or this Privacy Policy, we encourage you to contact us first on the contact details provided in clause 9 below, so we can resolve the issue. However, you also have the absolute right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.
Website: https://inforegulator.org.za/complaints/
Email for POPIA Complaints: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za
Contacting Us
If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact our Deputy Information Officer at:
Virbac RSA (Pty) Ltd, Private Bag x115, Halfway House, 1685, South Africa
Email: alicia.tait@virbac.co.za
Amendments
We may change this Privacy Policy at any time. The most updated version will be available on our website . It is your responsibility to check our website regularly to ensure that you are aware of these changes. By continuing to use the Digital Platforms, you agree that the latest version applies to you.