NeedleMatch Privacy Policy
NeedleMatch helps home sewists find the right sewing machine needle for a fabric. This policy explains what personal information the app collects, why, and what you can do about it. It is written to be read, not to be waded through — if anything here is unclear, email us and we will explain it.
The short version. We collect your email address and name so you can have an account, and we store your favourites and recent searches so the app is useful to you. We do not sell your information to anyone. You can delete your account and everything in it at any time, from inside the app or by emailing us.
Who we are
NeedleMatch is operated by MDB Techworks (Pty) Ltd, a company registered in South Africa (registration number 2025/689459/07), with its registered office at 356 Ashwood Drive, Zwartkop, Centurion, Gauteng, 0185, South Africa.
For the purposes of the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA), MDB Techworks (Pty) Ltd is the responsible party. For the purposes of the UK and EU General Data Protection Regulation, we are the data controller.
You can reach us about anything in this policy at support@needlematch.app.
What we collect, and why
Information you give us
| What | Why | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Email address | To create and secure your account, sign you in, reset your password, and contact you about your account | Performance of a contract |
| Password | To secure your account. We never see or store your actual password — only a cryptographic hash of it, held by our authentication provider | Performance of a contract |
| First and last name | To address you properly in the app and in emails. Required to create an account | Performance of a contract |
Information created as you use the app
| What | Why | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Fabrics you save as favourites | So your saved fabrics are there next time you open the app, on any device | Performance of a contract |
| Recent searches | To show your recent searches and save you retyping | Performance of a contract |
| Your access status, including any access code you have redeemed and when it expires | To know which parts of the app you have access to | Performance of a contract |
| Which fabrics you have unlocked, and when | To operate access to premium fabric content | Performance of a contract |
| Fabric requests you send us — the fabric name you typed, any note you add, the search you had entered, and which platform and app version you were using. | To add missing fabrics to the catalogue and, if we need more detail, to follow up on your request. | Legitimate interests (improving the catalogue); you choose whether to send a request. |
| Account creation and update timestamps | Account administration, security, and fraud prevention | Legitimate interests |
If you join the waitlist
Before launch you can join the NeedleMatch waitlist on this website. You do not need an account to join, and joining does not create one.
| What | Why | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Your first name, email address, which phone you use (Android or iPhone), your answers about what and how often you sew, whether you would like to test the app before launch, and where you heard about us (for example a WhatsApp or Facebook link) | To email you launch updates and early-access invitations, to choose early testers, and to understand which phones and kinds of sewing to support first | Consent, which you give with the tick box on the form. You can withdraw it at any time. |
To be removed from the waitlist, email support@needlematch.app or use the unsubscribe link in any waitlist email, and we will delete your details.
Quizzes
Our quizzes are run by ScoreApp. If you take a quiz, ScoreApp collects your answers and any details you enter, such as your name and email, to show your score and, if you agree, to send you NeedleMatch updates. ScoreApp's own privacy policy applies to the quiz.
Information collected automatically
Our hosting and authentication provider records technical information when you sign in or use the app, including your IP address, device type, and the time of the request. This is used to keep accounts secure, detect abuse, and diagnose faults. It is retained for a limited period and is not used to build a profile of you.
What we do not do
- We do not sell your personal information, and we never will.
- We do not share your personal information with third parties for their own marketing.
- We do not use your favourites or searches to target advertising at you.
- We do not attempt to identify you from analytics or advertising data.
Who we share information with
We share personal information only with the service providers that make the app work, and only to the extent they need it:
| Provider | What they handle | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Account authentication and database hosting | European Union |
| Apple & Google | App distribution | Global |
| ScoreApp | Quiz answers and any details you enter, such as your name and email, to run our quizzes, show your score and, if you agree, send you NeedleMatch updates | United Kingdom; some data may be transferred outside the UK and EEA |
We may also disclose information where we are legally required to do so, or where it is necessary to establish, exercise or defend a legal claim.
International transfers
We are based in South Africa and some of our providers are outside your country. Where personal information is transferred out of the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, that transfer is covered by the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses or an equivalent lawful mechanism. Where information leaves South Africa, we rely on section 72 of POPIA.
How long we keep things
| What | How long |
|---|---|
| Your account and profile | Until you delete your account |
| Favourites and recent searches | Until you delete them, or your account |
| Access code redemptions and unlock records | Until you delete your account |
| Fabric requests | Until you delete your account. We may keep a copy of the fabric name with no link to you after we have reviewed it. |
| Waitlist sign-ups | Until 12 months after the app launches, or until you ask us to remove you, whichever comes first |
| Technical and security logs | A limited period set by our hosting provider, typically under 90 days |
When you delete your account we remove your profile, favourites, searches, access code redemptions and unlock records, and any fabric requests you sent, immediately. This cannot be undone.
Deleting your account
In the app: open the menu, go to Account → Delete account, and confirm. Your account and personal data are removed immediately and permanently.
By email: write to support@needlematch.app from the address on your account and ask us to delete it. We will action it within 30 days and confirm when it is done.
Want your account and data deleted? Request deletion here.
Your rights
Wherever you live, you can ask us to:
- See the personal information we hold about you
- Correct anything that is wrong or out of date
- Delete your account and personal information
- Receive a copy of your information in a portable format
- Object to or restrict how we use it
- Withdraw consent where we relied on it, without affecting what we did before you withdrew it
Email support@needlematch.app and we will respond within 30 days. There is no charge.
If you are unhappy with how we handled it
South Africa: you may complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa) — inforegulator.org.za.
European Economic Area: you may complain to the data protection authority in the country where you live.
United Kingdom: you may complain to the Information Commissioner's Office — ico.org.uk.
We would rather hear from you first, but you do not have to come to us before going to a regulator.
Children
NeedleMatch is intended for general audiences and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has given us their information, email support@needlematch.app and we will delete it.
Security
Data is transmitted over encrypted connections and stored on infrastructure with access controls and row-level security, so one account cannot read another's data. Passwords are hashed, never stored in readable form.
No system is perfectly secure. If a breach affects your personal information, we will notify you and the relevant regulator as the law requires.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy we will update the date at the top. If a change materially affects your rights or how we use your information, we will tell you in the app or by email before it takes effect.
Contact
MDB TECHWORKS (PTY) LTD
356 Ashwood Drive, Zwartkop
Centurion, Gauteng, 0185
South Africa