Identity Verification & Consent Notice

To help keep Home-Me safe and reduce fraud, certain users may be required to verify their identity before accessing certain features or activities on the platform.

Why do we verify your identity?

Identity verification helps us to:

• Confirm that you are a real person.
• Reduce fraud and misleading activity.
• Protect Space Owners and Space Seekers.
• Improve trust and safety on the platform.
• Meet applicable legal or regulatory requirements.

Please note: Identity verification helps improve safety, but it does not guarantee that a user, listing, space or transaction is safe, legitimate or trustworthy.

Who verifies your identity?

Home-Me may use a trusted third-party identity verification provider, such as Smile ID, to assist with the verification process.

Your information may be sent to the verification provider for processing in accordance with their privacy policies, terms and applicable data-protection laws.

What information may be required?

Depending on the verification method, you may be asked to provide:

• Your name and other identifying information.
• An identity document or information from your identity document.
• A photograph or selfie.
• Facial or other biometric information used to verify your identity.
• Information generated during the verification process.

The information requested may vary depending on the verification service used.

How is your information used?

Your information may be used to:

• Verify your identity.
• Prevent fraud, impersonation and misuse.
• Improve platform safety and security.
• Provide access to certain Home-Me features.
• Meet legal or regulatory requirements.

Home-Me processes personal information in accordance with its Privacy Policy and applicable South African data-protection laws, including POPIA, where applicable.

Biometric information

Identity verification may involve the use of facial or other biometric information to confirm your identity.

How biometric information is collected, processed, stored, retained or deleted may depend on:

• The verification provider and service used.
• The verification method selected.
• The technical integration between Home-Me and the provider.
• Applicable agreements and legal requirements.

What if I do not complete verification?

If verification is required, you may not be able to access certain Home-Me features or activities until it has been successfully completed.

Home-Me may also restrict, suspend or decline access where verification cannot be completed.

What if verification is unsuccessful?

An unsuccessful verification does not necessarily mean that you have done anything wrong.

Verification may fail because of:

• Incorrect information or document details.
• Poor image quality.
• Technical problems.
• The verification provider's requirements.

Where appropriate, you may be given an opportunity to try again or provide additional information.

How is your information protected and retained?

Third-party verification providers are responsible for information processed within their own systems in accordance with their applicable obligations and policies.

Verification information may be retained for different periods depending on the type of information, purpose, service used, technical configuration, legal requirements and fraud prevention needs.

No electronic system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Your privacy rights

Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:

• Request access to your personal information.
• Request correction of inaccurate information.
• Object to or restrict certain processing where legally permitted.
• Request deletion where applicable.
• Raise a complaint about how your information is handled.

For more information, please refer to the Home-Me Privacy Policy.

Your consent

Before continuing with identity verification, you will be asked to confirm that:

• You have read and understood this Identity Verification & Consent Notice.
• You understand that Home-Me may use a third-party provider, such as Smile ID, to verify your identity.
• You understand that verification may involve your identity document, selfie/facial image and/or biometric information.
• You understand that the processing and retention of biometric information may depend on the verification provider, technical integration, applicable agreements and law.
• Where consent is required, you consent to the processing of your personal and biometric information for identity verification, fraud prevention, platform security and other lawful purposes.
• You understand that successful verification does not guarantee that another user, listing, space or transaction is safe or trustworthy.

Contact Home-Me

By continuing with identity verification, you confirm that you have read and understood this notice and, where applicable, provided the required consent.