Effective Date: September 1 2025

Last Updated: September 1, 2025

1. About FactSpace

FactSpace West Africa operating in Ghana as (“GhanaFact,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring transparency in how we handle your personal information. As a fact-checking and media literacy organization, we understand the importance of privacy and data protection in maintaining trust and promoting informed public discourse.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you visit our website at factspace.org, subscribe to our newsletters, participate in our programmes, or interact with us through any of our services.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us, including:

Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, and organization/affiliation
Registration Data: Information provided when subscribing to newsletters, registering for events, workshops, or training programmes
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Data: Voice recordings, phone numbers, and response data when you interact with our automated phone systems for surveys, feedback, or information requests
Communication Data: Messages, feedback, and correspondence you send to us via email, phone, or other channels
Event Participation: Information related to your participation in our fact-checking workshops, media literacy programmes, or conferences
Survey Responses: Data from surveys, feedback forms, research participation, or phone-based data collection

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain technical information:

Device and Browser Information: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type
Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, click-through rates, referring websites
Location Information: General location data based on IP address (country/region level)
Cookies and Tracking Data: Information collected through cookies and similar technologies

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from:

Social media platforms when you interact with our content or use social login features
Partner organizations when you participate in joint programmes or events
Public databases for research and fact-checking purposes (anonymized data only)

3. How We Use Your Information

We process your personal data for the following purposes:

3.1 Service Delivery

Providing fact-checking services and media literacy resources
Managing newsletter subscriptions and email communications
Administering event registrations and programme participation
Responding to inquiries and providing customer support

3.2 Communication and Engagement

Sending newsletters, updates about our work, and educational content
Notifying you about upcoming events, workshops, or training opportunities
Sharing fact-checking reports and media literacy resources through various channels including IVR systems.
Conducting surveys and collecting feedback to improve our services
Processing voice recordings and responses from automated phone surveys for research and service enhancement

3.3 Research and Analysis

Analyzing website usage to improve user experience
Conducting research on misinformation trends and media literacy needs
Evaluating the impact and effectiveness of our programmes
Generating aggregated, anonymized statistics for reporting purposes

3.4 Legal and Administrative

Complying with legal obligations and regulatory requirements under Ghana’s Data Protection Act 2012 (Act 843), GDPR, and other applicable international data protection laws
Processing Interactive Voice Response (IVR) data in compliance with telecommunications regulations and data protection standards
Protecting our rights and the rights of our users
Maintaining accurate records for accountability, transparency, and regulatory compliance
Meeting international data protection standards and best practices

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

Consent: When you explicitly agree to receive communications or participate in our programmes
Legitimate Interest: For website analytics, improving services, research activities, and advancing our mission of promoting media literacy and combating misinformation
Contractual Necessity: When processing is necessary to fulfil agreements for events, training, or services
Legal Obligation: To comply with applicable laws and regulations

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share your data only in the following circumstances:

5.1 Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party service providers who assist us with:

Website hosting and maintenance
Email marketing and communication services
Event management and registration platforms
Analytics and reporting tools
Payment processing for events or services

All service providers are contractually bound to protect your data and use it only for authorized purposes.

5.2 Partner Organizations

We may share limited information with partner organizations when:

Co-hosting events, workshops, or collaborative programmes
Participating in joint research projects (with appropriate anonymization)
Coordinating fact-checking efforts across networks

5.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information when required by law, legal process, or to:

Comply with legal obligations or court orders
Protect our rights, property, or safety
Prevent fraud or illegal activities
Respond to government requests or regulatory inquiries

6. International Data Transfers

As an organization working across West Africa and collaborating internationally, your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside your residence. When this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:

Standard contractual clauses approved by relevant data protection authorities
Adequacy decisions by competent authorities
Other legally recognized transfer mechanisms

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy:

Newsletter Subscriptions: Until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent
Event and Programme Records: Up to 3 years for evaluation and follow-up purposes
Interactive Voice Response Data and Voice Recordings: Up to 2 years for quality assurance, research analysis, and service improvement, in compliance with Ghana’s Data Protection Act 2012 (Act 843)
Financial Records: Up to 7 years as required by law
Website Analytics: Anonymized data may be retained indefinitely for research purposes

We regularly review our data retention practices and securely delete or anonymize data that is no longer needed.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information:

Encryption: Data is encrypted in transit and at rest
Access Controls: Limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
Regular Updates: Security systems and software are regularly updated
Staff Training: Our team receives training on data protection and security practices
Incident Response: We have procedures in place to respond to potential security breaches

While we strive to protect your data, no system is 100% secure. We encourage you to use strong passwords and exercise caution when sharing personal information online.

9. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location and applicable data protection laws, you may have the following rights:

9.1 Access and Portability

Request access to the personal data we hold about you
Receive a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format

9.2 Correction and Updates

Correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information
Update your contact details and preferences

9.3 Deletion and Restriction

Request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal obligations)
Restrict the processing of your data in certain circumstances

9.4 Withdrawal of Consent

Withdraw consent for processing activities based on consent
Unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time

9.5 Objection

Object to processing based on legitimate interest
Opt-out of direct marketing communications

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided in Section 13.

10. Children’s Privacy

Our services are not directed at children under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without appropriate parental or guardian consent. For educational programmes involving minors, we ensure proper consent is obtained from parents, guardians, or educational institutions.

If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 16 without proper consent, we will take steps to delete such information promptly.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or service offerings. When we make material changes, we will:

Post the updated policy on our website
Notify subscribers via email or newsletter
Update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this policy

We encourage you to review this policy regularly to stay informed about how we protect your information.

12. Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

GhanaFact
P. O. Box AB 521, Abeka-Lapaz, Accra
11464, HARARE STREET
GW-0839-3340
info@ghanafact.com
+233 302 438 064

For data protection inquiries specifically, please use the subject line “Privacy Policy Inquiry” to ensure prompt attention.

Privacy Policy