Grace the Geek Studios ("we," "our," or "us") is a creative technology studio based in Austin, Texas. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, store, and protect personal information from visitors and clients who interact with our website at gracethegeekstudios.com and through our services.

By using our website or engaging our services, you consent to the data practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, please discontinue your use of our website.

Plain language promise: We don't sell your data. We don't mine it. We collect what we need to do good work and communicate with you, nothing more.

We only use your information for legitimate, specific purposes. The data we collect is used to:

• Respond to your inquiries and provide the services you've requested
• Send project-related communications, updates, and invoices
• Improve the functionality and content of our website
• Understand how visitors interact with our site so we can make it better
• Comply with our legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service
• Send occasional updates about our work or services, if you've opted in

We do not use your information for automated decision-making or profiling, and we do not use it for any purpose incompatible with the reasons listed here without first notifying you and, where required, obtaining your consent.

Our website may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to understand how visitors use our site. Cookies are small text files stored in your browser that help us recognize returning visitors and analyze site traffic. We may use the following types of cookies:

• Essential cookies: necessary for the website to function correctly (e.g., security, form sessions)
• Analytics cookies: tools like Google Analytics that help us understand page traffic and user behavior in aggregate, anonymized form
• Preference cookies: remembering settings you've chosen during your visit

Your control: You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent. Most browsers include settings to manage cookie preferences. Note that disabling cookies may affect some features of our website.

We do not use cookies for cross-site advertising, retargeting, or any behavioral advertising purposes.

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. However, we work with a small number of trusted service providers who may access your data only as necessary to help us operate our business:

Analytics providers (e.g., Google Analytics): to measure website traffic and performance
Payment processors (e.g., Stripe, PayPal): to securely handle billing transactions
Email/communication tools: to send and manage project-related correspondence
Cloud storage & project management: to collaborate on and deliver client work

Each third-party provider we work with is bound by their own privacy policies and, where applicable, data processing agreements with us. We vet our providers and choose those with strong privacy practices.

We may also disclose your information if required by law, court order, or governmental authority, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of Grace the Geek Studios, our clients, or others.

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

• Client project data is generally retained for up to 5 years after project completion for business and legal records
• Inquiry and contact form submissions are retained for up to 2 years unless a client relationship develops
• Website analytics data is retained according to the retention settings of the analytics provider used
• Email communications are retained for the duration of our business relationship and a reasonable period thereafter

When data is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it. You may request deletion of your data at any time — see section 07 for your rights.

Depending on your location, you may have specific rights regarding your personal information. Regardless of where you live, we honor the following as a matter of principle:

• Right to access: request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to correction: request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• Right to deletion: request that we delete your personal data, subject to any legal obligations we may have to retain certain records
• Right to opt out: unsubscribe from any marketing or promotional communications at any time
• Right to data portability: request your data in a structured, commonly used format

Texas residents: The Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA) provides Texas residents with additional rights, including the right to appeal our decisions regarding your data requests. To exercise any of your rights, contact us at the information in section 12.

Our website and services are not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take immediate steps to delete that information.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us right away using the information in section 12.

We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect it against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:

• SSL/TLS encryption on our website (HTTPS)
• Restricted access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
• Secure, reputable third-party services for payment processing and data storage
• Regular review of our data collection, storage, and processing practices

Important: No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. If you have reason to believe your information has been compromised, please contact us immediately.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, tools, or social media platforms (such as Instagram, LinkedIn, or Behance) that are not operated or controlled by Grace the Geek Studios. These links are provided for your convenience only.

We have no control over the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party site and accept no responsibility for them. We strongly encourage you to review the privacy policy of every external site you visit before submitting any personal information.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will update the "Effective Date" at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you by email or through a notice on our website.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of our website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

Have questions about this policy, want to exercise your data rights, or just want to talk to a real human? We're here for it.

Grace the Geek Studios
Austin, Texas
gracethegeekstudios.com
lwt@gracethegeekstudios.com

We will make every reasonable effort to respond to privacy-related inquiries within 5 business days, and to all data rights requests within 30 days as required by applicable law.