Privacy Policy

Photo Poodle is operated by Olters Meedia OÜ, registered in Estonia.

1. Introduction

At Photo Poodle, we take your privacy seriously. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our service.

2. Information We Collect

Personal Information

We collect information that you provide directly to us:

• Name and email address (when you create an account)
• Event details (event name, date, settings)
• Photos and videos uploaded to events
• Guest information optionally collected at event check-in (name, email, phone — only when enabled by the event organiser)
• Payment information (processed securely through Stripe)

Usage Information

We automatically collect certain information:

• Log data (IP address, browser type, pages visited)
• Device information
• Usage patterns and preferences
• Session replays — anonymous recordings of page interactions (clicks, scrolls, navigation) used to identify usability issues and improve the interface

Legal Basis for Processing Personal Data (GDPR Art. 6)

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

• Contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) — Processing your name, email, event details, and uploaded media is necessary to provide the service you requested.
• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) — Optional guest contact details (email, phone) and marketing communications are processed based on consent. You may withdraw consent at any time.
• Legal Obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)) — We retain billing records, invoices, and certain log data to comply with tax and regulatory requirements under Estonian and EU law.
• Legitimate Interest (Art. 6(1)(f)) — We process limited data for fraud prevention, security, and service improvement, as described in Section 3.

Providing your name and email when creating an account is mandatory — we cannot provide the service without it. Providing guest contact details at event check-in is optional and depends on the event organiser's settings.

3. Cookies, Analytics & Session Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate, analyse, and improve our website. When you visit our site, a cookie consent banner is displayed. You may accept or decline non-essential cookies at any time. Essential cookies (required for the site to function, including authentication and security) are set automatically and do not require consent.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors interact with our website. Google Analytics collects information such as pages visited, time spent on pages, referring websites, and approximate geographic location (country/city level based on IP). This data is aggregated and pseudonymised; it is not used to identify you personally. Google processes this data under its role as a processor on our behalf.

• Data controller: Olters Meedia OÜ (Photo Poodle)
• Data processor: Google LLC (Google Analytics)
• Google's privacy policy: policies.google.com/privacy
• IP addresses are truncated/anonymised by Google before storage
• Data retention: Google Analytics data is retained for up to 14 months

Session Tracking (Session Replay)

We use session tracking tools that capture anonymised replays of visitor interactions on our website — including mouse movements, clicks, scrolls, and page navigation. These replays help us identify usability problems, reproduce bugs, and improve the user experience. Session data does not include full video recordings; it is a reconstructed sequence of Document Object Model (DOM) events. We take measures to mask sensitive form fields and personally identifiable information in session replays wherever technically possible.

Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR Art. 6)

We process analytics and session tracking data under the following legal bases:

• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) — Google Analytics and session tracking cookies are set only after you have given explicit, informed consent via the cookie banner. You may withdraw consent at any time by clearing your browser's stored consent or by declining cookies.
• Legitimate Interest (Art. 6(1)(f)) — We process limited, aggregated analytics data (such as page view counts and error rates) to ensure the security, stability, and continuous improvement of our service. Our legitimate interest is maintaining a functioning, secure, and user-friendly platform. This processing does not override your rights and freedoms.
• Legal Obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)) — We may retain certain log data to comply with legal or regulatory obligations, including tax and security record-keeping requirements.

You have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interest at any time. To opt out of all non-essential tracking, simply decline cookies in the consent banner or clear your browser storage for this site.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide and maintain our service
• Process your transactions
• Send you updates and notifications about your events
• Respond to your comments and questions
• Improve our service and develop new features
• Detect and prevent fraud or abuse

5. Photo & Media Privacy

Your photos and videos are yours. We will never:

• Use your photos or videos for marketing without explicit permission
• Sell your media to third parties
• Share your media outside of your event

Photos and videos are only visible to participants of your specific event. You control who can access your event through unique event codes. Full-resolution originals are stored in private, access-controlled storage and are never publicly reachable by URL.

Permitted & Prohibited Content

Photo Poodle is intended for sharing genuine event memories. You and your guests may only upload photos and videos that you have the right to share and that relate to the event. The following content is not permitted and will be removed without notice:

• Illegal content, including content that depicts or promotes criminal activity
• Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or any sexual content involving minors — such content is reported to the relevant authorities
• Non-consensual intimate imagery or content that violates a person's reasonable expectation of privacy
• Content that infringes the copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights of third parties
• Content that is defamatory, hateful, harassing, or that incites violence or discrimination
• Content that depicts extreme violence, gore, or cruelty
• Spam, advertising, or bulk content unrelated to a real event

We reserve the right to remove any content that violates these rules, to suspend or terminate access for users who breach them, and to cooperate with law enforcement where required by law. If you encounter prohibited content, please report it to support@photopoodle.com.

6. Guest Data

Event organisers may optionally enable collection of guest names, email addresses, and/or phone numbers at event check-in. This data is:

• Stored securely and only visible to the event organiser
• Never shared with third parties outside of the service
• Deleted when the event data is removed

7. Data Sharing

We may share your information with:

• Service providers who assist in operating our platform (hosting, analytics, payment processing)
• Law enforcement when required by law
• Other parties with your consent

We never sell your personal information to third parties.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your data:

• Encryption of data in transit (TLS) and at rest
• Private storage for original media — never publicly accessible by URL
• Time-limited signed URLs for all original file downloads
• Access controls and authentication
• Secure, redundant cloud infrastructure

9. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. Media storage duration is tied to your plan: 1 week (Puppy / free), 1 month (Good Dog), 3 months (Best in Show), 1 year (Pack Leader). You can request deletion of your data at any time through your account settings or by contacting us.

10. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access (Art. 15) — request a copy of your personal data
• Rectification (Art. 16) — correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Erasure (Art. 17) — request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
• Restriction (Art. 18) — limit the processing of your data in certain circumstances
• Data Portability (Art. 20) — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format and transmit it to another service
• Object (Art. 21) — object to processing based on legitimate interest or for direct marketing
• Withdraw Consent (Art. 7) — withdraw consent for analytics, session tracking, and optional guest data collection at any time
• Opt-out of marketing communications — unsubscribe from promotional emails at any time
• Lodge a complaint — file a complaint with your local data protection authority (in Estonia: Andmekaitse Inspektsioon, www.aki.ee)

We do not engage in automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects about you.

11. Children's Privacy

Our service is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately.

12. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and maintained on servers located outside your country. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for such transfers, in compliance with applicable data protection laws including GDPR.

13. Changes to Privacy Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by email or through our platform.

14. Contact Us

For privacy-related questions, please contact us at support@photopoodle.com or visit our Help Center.

Data Controller: Olters Meedia OÜ
Estonia
Email: support@photopoodle.com

We do not have a designated Data Protection Officer (DPO). For all data protection enquiries, please contact us at the email above. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Estonian Data Protection Inspectorate (Andmekaitse Inspektsioon).