SnapMatePhoto Privacy Policy

1. Scope and Who This Policy Covers

This Privacy Policy applies to information we collect through our websites, apps, and services that connect Customers with independent Photographers (the “Services”). It applies to all Users including Customers, Photographers, prospective users, organizational/Enterprise Customers, and visitors to our marketing pages.

This Policy is part of, and incorporated into, our Terms of Service. The Services are directed to users located in the United States. Information we collect will be processed in the United States.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information in three ways: information you give us, information we collect automatically, and information we receive from third parties.

2.1 Information You Give Us

• Account information: name, email address, password (hashed), phone number, profile photo, and account preferences.
• Photographer profile information: business name, biographical information, portfolio photos, service offerings, pricing, availability, location/service area, equipment information, and tax information (W-9 data).
• Booking and session information: session type, location, date/time, special requests, party size, and the names and ages of session subjects.
• Payment information: we use Stripe to process payments. Stripe collects and stores your full payment card or bank information directly. We receive limited information from Stripe such as the last four digits, card brand, expiration, billing ZIP, transaction status, and amounts.
• Communications: messages you send through the platform (Customer↔Photographer chat, support tickets, emails, SMS replies), reviews, ratings, and feedback.
• Photo content and metadata: photos delivered through the Services and any embedded metadata (EXIF data such as camera, location, timestamp).
• Marketing and survey responses: information you provide if you sign up for emails, respond to surveys, or interact with us on social media.

2.2 Information We Collect Automatically

• Device and connection: IP address, device type, browser type and version, operating system, language, time zone, mobile carrier, and unique device identifiers.
• Usage information: pages and screens visited, features used, search queries, click and scroll behavior, referral URLs, session duration, error logs, and approximate location (derived from IP address).
• Cookies and similar technologies: we and our service providers use cookies, web beacons/pixels, local storage, and SDKs to operate the Services, remember preferences, measure performance, and deliver advertising.
• Precise location: if you grant permission in your browser or device, we may collect more precise location to help match Customers with nearby Photographers.

2.3 Information from Third Parties

• Authentication providers: if you sign in using Google or another provider, we receive basic profile information that you authorize.
• Payments: Stripe provides transaction confirmation and risk information.
• Advertising and analytics partners: we receive measurement and audience information from platforms such as Meta and Google.
• Service providers: we may receive information from companies that provide identity verification, fraud prevention, customer support, email delivery, and SMS messaging.

3. How We Use Information

• Provide and operate the Services, including creating accounts, processing Bookings, facilitating communications, and delivering photos.
• Process payments, payouts, refunds, chargebacks, and tax reporting (including issuing 1099s where required).
• Communicate with you, including booking confirmations, transactional emails, SMS notifications, customer support, security alerts, and policy updates.
• Send marketing emails and notifications about features, promotions, and seasonal campaigns. You can opt out of marketing communications at any time.
• Personalize the Services, including suggesting Photographers, ranking search results, and tailoring content.
• Measure and improve the Services, including diagnosing issues, running A/B tests, and analyzing user behavior.
• Operate paid advertising and grow the platform, including building custom and lookalike audiences with platforms like Meta and Google.
• Train, fine-tune, validate, and improve internal artificial intelligence and machine learning systems that operate or improve the Services. We do not license your information to third parties for the primary purpose of training generative AI models for resale.
• Detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, abuse, security incidents, policy violations, and harm to Users or the platform.
• Comply with law, respond to legal process, enforce our Terms, and exercise or defend legal claims.

4. How We Share Information

We share information in the limited circumstances described below. We do not sell personal information for money.

4.1 With Other Users

Booking the Services requires sharing certain information between Customers and Photographers, including names, contact information, location, session details, messages, photos, and reviews. Public Photographer profiles, portfolios, and reviews may be visible to anyone who visits the Services.

4.2 With Service Providers

We share information with third-party service providers that help us operate the Services. Categories include:

• Payments and payouts (Stripe, including Stripe Connect for Photographer payouts).
• Cloud hosting, storage, and content delivery (such as Amazon Web Services).
• Analytics (such as Google Analytics).
• Advertising platforms and measurement (such as Meta and Google).
• Email delivery and customer communications.
• SMS messaging (such as Twilio) for booking notifications.
• Customer support, fraud prevention, and identity verification tools.
• Professional advisors (lawyers, accountants, auditors).

4.3 For Legal Reasons and Safety

We may share information when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to: (a) comply with law, legal process, or government requests; (b) enforce our Terms; (c) detect, prevent, or address fraud, security, or technical issues; or (d) protect the rights, property, or safety of SnapMatePhoto, our Users, or others.

4.4 With Advertising Partners (“Sharing” under CCPA)

We use advertising tools provided by Meta (Facebook/Instagram) and Google to promote SnapMatePhoto. These tools place cookies and similar technologies on the Services and receive information about your interactions with us. We use this to build custom audiences, build lookalike audiences, measure ad performance, and show retargeting ads.

Under California law and similar state privacy laws, this kind of cross-context behavioral advertising is treated as “sharing” or “targeted advertising,” even if no money changes hands. You have the right to opt out. See Section 9.

4.5 In Corporate Transactions

If SnapMatePhoto is involved in a financing, merger, acquisition, reorganization, sale of assets, bankruptcy, or similar transaction, your information may be transferred or disclosed as part of that transaction.

4.6 With Your Consent

We share information with other parties when you direct us to or otherwise consent.

4.7 Aggregated and De-Identified Information

We may create and share aggregated, de-identified, or anonymized information that does not reasonably identify you.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We and our service providers use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

• Strictly necessary: to operate the Services, authenticate Users, and remember your session.
• Functional: to remember preferences and settings.
• Analytics: to understand how the Services are used and to improve them.
• Advertising: to deliver and measure advertising on the Services and on third-party sites and apps. This includes the Meta Pixel, Google Ads tags, and similar technologies.

Most browsers let you control cookies through their settings. We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals as a request to opt out of “sale” and “sharing” of personal information for residents of states that recognize GPC.

6. SMS / Text Message Program

Program name: SnapMatePhoto Booking Notifications.

If you provide a mobile phone number and opt in, we may send you transactional text messages related to your bookings (confirmations, reminders, photographer assignments, delivery notifications, customer support replies). Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help; reply STOP to cancel.

We do not sell SMS data. We do not sell, rent, share, or otherwise disclose your mobile phone number, SMS opt-in status, or the content of SMS messages to any third party for that third party’s marketing or promotional purposes. Information may be shared with our SMS service provider (Twilio) and other service providers solely to deliver and support the SMS program.

For the full SMS program terms, see Section 19 of the Terms of Service.

7. Data Retention

• Account information: while your account is active.
• Booking and communications data: approximately three (3) years after the account is closed or last activity.
• Financial, tax, and payment records: approximately seven (7) years, consistent with U.S. federal and state tax and accounting requirements.
• Photo content delivered to Customers: we may host delivered photos for convenience but do not guarantee indefinite storage.
• Marketing audiences and analytics: while you remain a User and for a reasonable period thereafter, or until you opt out.
• Aggregated and de-identified information: may be retained indefinitely.

We may retain information longer when required to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, or protect our rights.

8. Security

We use commercially reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information, including encryption in transit, access controls, and vendor security review. No system is perfectly secure. You are responsible for keeping your account credentials confidential and notifying us promptly of any suspected unauthorized access.

9. Your Rights and Choices

9.1 General Choices Available to All Users

• Account information: you can review and update most account information in your account settings.
• Marketing communications: you can unsubscribe from marketing emails using the link in any marketing email.
• SMS: reply STOP to opt out of SMS at any time.
• Cookies and tracking: use your browser settings to manage cookies. We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals.
• Account deletion: you can request to delete your account by emailing snapmate@snapmatephoto.com or using the in-product option, subject to retention obligations described in Section 7.

9.2 California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act:

• Right to know what personal information we collect, use, disclose, sell, and share.
• Right to access a copy of the personal information we have about you.
• Right to delete personal information, subject to legal exceptions.
• Right to correct inaccurate personal information.
• Right to opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information.
• Right to limit the use of sensitive personal information.
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights.

To exercise California rights, email snapmate@snapmatephoto.com with the subject line “California Privacy Request.” You may also use the “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” link in our website footer.

9.3 Other U.S. State Privacy Rights

Residents of other U.S. states with comprehensive privacy laws (including Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, Utah, Texas, Oregon, and others) may have similar rights to access, correct, delete, and obtain a copy of personal information, and to opt out of targeted advertising, profiling, and sales of personal information. To exercise these rights, email snapmate@snapmatephoto.com.

9.4 Washington My Health My Data Act

SnapMatePhoto is not a healthcare provider and does not knowingly collect consumer health data. If you believe we have collected consumer health data about you, contact snapmate@snapmatephoto.com. We do not sell consumer health data.

9.5 Verification

To protect your information, we may need to verify your identity before responding to a privacy rights request.

10. Children’s Privacy

The Services are intended for users 18 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 in violation of COPPA. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verifiable parental consent, we will delete that information.

When a parent or legal guardian books a session involving a minor, the parent or guardian is responsible for providing any information about the minor, supervising the session, and providing any required consents. The Services and accounts are for the parent or guardian, not the minor.

11. Photographers and Their Use of Customer Data

Photographers receive limited Customer information necessary to fulfill Bookings, including names, contact information, session location, and session preferences. Photographers are independent contractors and are responsible for handling Customer information consistent with applicable law and the Terms of Service.

If you are a Customer and have a question or complaint about how a Photographer handled your information, please contact us at snapmate@snapmatephoto.com.

12. Third-Party Services

The Services may link to or integrate with third-party services (such as Stripe, Meta, Google, and Twilio). Those third parties have their own privacy practices, which are not controlled by this Policy. Review their privacy policies before using their services.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will provide notice as required by law (for example, by email or by posting a notice in the Services). The “Effective Date” at the top reflects the most recent version. Continued use of the Services after the Effective Date of an updated Policy constitutes acceptance of the changes.

14. Contact Us

Email: snapmate@snapmatephoto.com (subject line: “Privacy Request”)
Mail: SnapMatePhoto Inc, Attn: Privacy, 2721 Wetmore Ave Apt 212, Everett, WA 98201, United States