Thank you for choosing to use our personal loan application, WinchiLoan (hereinafter referred to as “the Application”). This application is fully provided and operated by WINCHI MICROFINANCE LIMITED. We take your privacy seriously and are committed to ensuring the security of your personal information. This document is intended to explain how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data. Please read this privacy policy carefully to understand how we handle your information.
1.1 Definitions
- “Personal Information” refers to any information related to an identified or identifiable natural person (the "data subject"), including but not limited to name, ID number, contact information, financial data, biometric data, etc.
- “Processing” refers to any action performed on personal information, including but not limited to collection, recording, storage, use, disclosure, transmission, deletion, or destruction.
- “Data Controller” refers to the entity that determines the purposes and means of processing personal data, namely WinchiLoan operator, WINCHI MICROFINANCE LIMITED.
1.2 Scope of Application
This policy applies to the processing activities of personal information by the data controller when users use personal loan and related financial services through WinchiLoan mobile app, website, etc.
We process your personal data only in the following circumstances:
2.1 Obtaining your explicit consent (such as by checking the “Privacy Policy” box during registration);
2.2 Fulfilling contractual obligations (such as loan approval, disbursement, and repayment management);
2.3 Complying with legal obligations (such as anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing regulatory requirements);
2.4 Based on public interest or legitimate interests of the data controller (such as risk prevention, data analysis, and service optimization).
We strictly follow the "minimum necessity" principle, collecting only the information necessary to achieve service functionality. The types of information we collect and their purposes include:
3.1 Identity Information: including your name, identification documents, and facial recognition data. We collect this information for user authentication, fraud prevention, and regulatory compliance.
3.2 Financial Information: including income, expenses, family income and expenditure information. This is used to assess your loan eligibility and approve loan amounts.
3.3 Device Information: including device type, operating system version, device identifier, etc. This helps us optimize app performance and ensure service stability and compatibility.
3.4 Approximate Location Information: With your authorization, we may collect your approximate location to provide more accurate services and optimize the user experience.
3.5 SMS Information: With your authorization, we may collect financial-related SMS messages. These are important for loan eligibility and amount determination during the approval process.
3.6 Camera Permissions: With your consent, we may use your camera to capture facial images. This helps prevent fraud and ensure account security.
We commit to collecting and using only the information you authorize, always prioritizing your privacy and data security.
We promise not to sell your personal information to any third party. We only share your information in the following specific circumstances:
4.1 Legal Requirements: We may disclose your personal information when required to comply with Tanzanian laws or in response to legal demands from government agencies or judicial authorities.
4.2 Third-Party Service Providers: To provide more efficient loan services, we may share your information with third-party service providers that are bound by strict privacy protection agreements, such as payment service providers, credit evaluation agencies, and technical support providers. These providers will only use your information to fulfill their services and comply with relevant privacy agreements.
4.3 Business Transfer: If the application undergoes a merger, acquisition, or asset transfer, your information may be transferred to the relevant parties as part of the transaction. In this case, we will take appropriate measures to ensure your personal information is protected after the transfer.
We take stringent measures to ensure your personal information remains protected during sharing or disclosure and that it is not used beyond what is necessary.
According to the Data Protection and Privacy Act, as a data subject, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
5.1 Right to Know and Access: You have the right to access your personal data collected by us. You can request a copy by contacting customer service (email: help@winchiloan.com). We will respond within 15 working days.
5.2 Right to Rectification and Deletion:
- If you find that the personal information we hold about you is incorrect, inaccurate, or incomplete, you have the right to request correction or supplementation. We will do our best to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information.
- If you need to delete information, you can do so through the app's “Delete Account” feature or by submitting a written request (with identification) to customer service (email: help@winchiloan.com). We will process your request within 30 days (unless otherwise specified by law).
5.3 Right to Restrict Processing: You may request us to restrict processing your personal data under the following circumstances:
- When you dispute the accuracy of the personal data, you can request a pause in processing until we confirm its accuracy;
- If you believe that processing your data is unlawful but wish to limit its processing instead of deleting it;
- When we no longer need your data for processing, but you want to retain it for legal purposes;
- When you raise an objection, you can request that we stop processing until we confirm whether we can continue processing.
5.4 Right to Data Portability: You have the right to request that we provide your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transfer this data to another data controller. This right applies only when processing is based on your consent or a contract.
5.5 Right to Withdraw Consent: If we process your data based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw consent at any time. After withdrawal, we will stop processing your data, unless we have other legal grounds for continuing the processing (such as legal requirements).
5.6 Right to Object: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data based on legitimate interests, especially in the case of direct marketing. You can object to processing for other purposes, particularly when we process your data for public interest.
5.7 Right to File Complaints: If you believe we have not processed your personal data according to the Data Protection and Privacy Act or related laws, you have the right to file a complaint with the Tanzania Data Protection Authority (TDPA). We will cooperate with the regulatory authority to ensure your rights are protected.
6.1 Technical Protection: We use AES-256 encryption for data storage, SSL/TLS protocols for data transmission, and conduct regular vulnerability scans.
6.2 Management Measures: We have established a personal information protection management system, limit staff access to personal data, and conduct annual compliance training.
6.3 Emergency Response: In case of a data breach, we will report it to the regulatory authority within 72 hours and notify you via push notifications or SMS.
According to Tanzania's Children's Rights Act, our services are only available to users over the age of 18. If we discover that a minor has provided information, we will immediately delete it and terminate the service.
8.1 We may revise this policy in accordance with laws and regulations. The revised version shall take effect from the date of publication. Users' continued use of this application indicates their consent to be bound by the modified policy.
8.2 If the amendment involves significant changes (e.g., cross-border data transfer rules), we will notify you separately via email or SMS.
Email: help@winchiloan.com
Release Date: June 23, 2025
WINCHI MICROFINANCE LIMITED