Data Deletion Instructions

Last updated: December 13, 2025

As required by Meta's Platform Terms and the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), this page explains how you can request deletion of personal data processed by Client Compass's WhatsApp business platform.

For Business Account Holders

If you are a business using our Service, you can request deletion of your business account data. Please note that as a business user, you are the Responsible Party under POPIA for your customers' data. We are the Operator processing data on your behalf.

How to request deletion

Please send a request using one of the following:

• Email: info@clientcompass.co.za
• Phone/WhatsApp: +27 74 094 0550

Include the following information to verify your identity and locate your records:

• Your business name or account name
• The email address associated with your account
• Your WhatsApp Business phone number
• Your account login credentials or last login date

Identity Verification

To protect your information and ensure we're speaking to the authorized account holder, we may ask you to confirm additional details such as recent document numbers, last login date, or authentication details before we proceed with deletion.

What Will Be Deleted

Upon verification of your deletion request, we will permanently delete the following data from our systems:

• Account Information: Your business profile, login credentials, and account settings
• WhatsApp Conversations: All message history, conversation threads, and customer contact information
• Media Files: Images, documents, and other media exchanged via WhatsApp
• Session Data: Authentication tokens and session information stored in Redis
• Push Notification Subscriptions: Web push notification endpoints and encryption keys (if enabled)
• Usage Logs: System logs and metrics associated with your account (after 90-day retention period)
• Business Settings: Automated workflow configurations, templates, and customization preferences

What Must Be Retained (Legal Requirements)

Under South African law, certain business records must be retained for specified periods regardless of deletion requests:

• Quotes and Invoices: Must be retained for a minimum of 5 years as required by the Income Tax Act (Tax Administration Act). This includes all financial documents, customer details on those documents, and associated PDF files.
• Tax Records: Any data required for tax compliance, accounting, and audit purposes under SARS (South African Revenue Service) regulations.
• Legal Obligations: Records required for ongoing legal proceedings, disputes, or regulatory investigations.
• Fraud Prevention: Minimal data necessary to prevent fraudulent account recreation or misuse of the platform.
• Aggregated Analytics: Anonymized and aggregated metrics that no longer identify you or your customers individually.

Important: If your account contains quotes or invoices less than 5 years old, we are legally required to retain these documents even after account deletion. We will delete all other data and anonymize the retained financial records where possible.

Third-Party Data

Please note that we cannot delete data from third-party systems:

• WhatsApp/Twilio: Messages processed through Twilio's WhatsApp Business API are subject to their retention policies.
• Email Providers: Emails already delivered to recipient inboxes cannot be retracted.
• Backup Systems: Data may persist in encrypted backups for up to 90 days before being automatically purged.

Timeline and Confirmation

• Acknowledgment: We will acknowledge your request within 3 business days
• Verification: Identity verification may take an additional 2-3 business days
• Deletion: We aim to complete deletion within 30 days of verification (POPIA requirement)
• Confirmation: You will receive written confirmation once deletion is complete, including details of any data retained due to legal obligations
• Legal Retention Notice: If we must retain documents under SA tax law, we will clearly explain what is being retained and for how long

Your Customer Data Responsibilities

If you are a business user, please note that you are the Responsible Party under POPIA for your customers' personal information. Before requesting account deletion, ensure you have:

• Notified your customers of the data deletion
• Exported any customer data you need to retain for your own legal obligations
• Ensured compliance with your own data retention requirements

We recommend exporting all quotes, invoices, and conversation history before requesting account deletion.

Questions

If you have questions about this process or need assistance with data export before deletion, contact us at info@clientcompass.co.za or +27 74 094 0550.

← Back to Home