Privacy Policy

1 Introduction

Welcome to Ahlov Studio (operated by Ahlov LLC). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy tells you how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website www.ahlov.com (the "Site"), interact with us via email, or engage our services.

Please read this policy carefully. By using our Site, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our Site or services.

2 Information We Collect

We collect information in two ways:

2.1 Information You Provide Voluntarily

• Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, and company name when you fill out our contact form or send us an email.
• Project Information: Details about your project, creative briefs, reference materials, and any files you share with us.
• Communication: Records of correspondence when you reach out via email, phone, or through our Site.
• Newsletter Subscriptions: Email address if you subscribe to marketing communications (opt-in only).

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you browse our Site, we may automatically collect certain information using cookies, analytics tools, and similar technologies:

• Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, device type.
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, referring URLs, click patterns, and interactions with our content.
• Location Data: Approximate geographic location derived from your IP address (country and city level).

3 How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To Provide Services: Respond to inquiries, process project requests, deliver creative work, and communicate with you about your projects.
• To Improve Our Site: Analyze usage patterns to enhance user experience, optimize content, and improve website functionality.
• To Communicate: Send you updates about your projects, respond to your questions, and provide customer support.
• Marketing (with consent): Send occasional newsletters, portfolio updates, and promotional materials if you have opted in. You can unsubscribe at any time.
• Legal Compliance: Comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, or enforceable governmental requests.
• Protection: Detect, prevent, and address fraud, security issues, or technical problems.

4 Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, our legal basis for processing your personal data includes:

• Consent: Where you have given clear consent for us to process your data for specific purposes (e.g., marketing communications).
• Contractual Necessity: Processing necessary to fulfill a contract with you (e.g., providing design services) or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract.
• Legitimate Interests: Processing necessary for our legitimate business interests (e.g., improving our Site, analyzing usage, fraud prevention), provided your rights and interests do not override those interests.
• Legal Obligation: Processing necessary to comply with a legal obligation.

5 Information Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: We may share data with trusted third-party vendors who help us operate our website, process emails, host files, or analyze traffic (e.g., Google Analytics, web hosting providers, email services). These providers are contractually bound to protect your data and use it only for the services we engage them for.
• Legal Requirements: If required by law, court order, or governmental regulation, we may disclose your information to comply with legal obligations.
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any change in ownership or data use.
• With Your Consent: We may share your information for any other purpose with your explicit consent.

6 Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our Site uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience and collect usage data.

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your web browser. They help us remember your preferences and understand how you interact with our Site.

Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential Cookies: Required for the Site to function properly (e.g., security cookies, session management). These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our Site (e.g., Google Analytics). These help us improve content and design.
• Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences for future visits.

Your Cookie Choices

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can block or delete cookies, but please note that some parts of our Site may not function properly without them. For more information on managing cookies, visit www.aboutcookies.org.

7 Data Security & Retention

Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These include:

• SSL/TLS encryption for data transmitted between your browser and our servers.
• Secure storage and access controls for any data we hold.
• Regular security reviews and updates of our systems.

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we strive to protect your data to the best of our ability.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law:

• Contact Form Submissions: Retained for up to 2 years after the last communication.
• Project Data: Retained for the duration of the project relationship plus 3 years for portfolio and reference purposes, unless otherwise agreed.
• Analytics Data: Retained in anonymized form for up to 26 months.
• Marketing Subscriptions: Retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.

When data is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it.

8 Your Rights

For All Users

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): Request deletion of your personal data under certain circumstances.
• Right to Restrict Processing: Request that we restrict the processing of your data under certain conditions.
• Right to Data Portability: Request a copy of your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
• Right to Object: Object to the processing of your data for direct marketing purposes or based on legitimate interests.

CCPA — California Residents

If you are a resident of California, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) grants you additional rights:

• Right to Know: Request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you.
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of personal information we have collected from you, subject to certain exceptions.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale: Ahlov does not sell your personal information. We never have, and we never will.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights.

To exercise any of your rights, please contact us. We will respond to your request within the timeframe required by applicable law (typically 30 days).

9 Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal data, please contact us immediately. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child without verifiable parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

10 International Data Transfers

Ahlov LLC is based in the United States. If you access our Site from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States where our servers and facilities are located. By using our Site, you consent to the transfer of your data to the United States.

For users in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for international data transfers, including Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) where applicable, to ensure your data receives an adequate level of protection.

11 Third-Party Links

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites, services, or embedded content (e.g., social media feeds, portfolio embeds). These third-party sites have their own privacy policies, and we are not responsible for their practices. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

12 Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or operational needs. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy.
• Post a prominent notice on our Site for a reasonable period.
• Notify you directly via email if we have your contact information and the changes are significant.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.

13 Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please don't hesitate to reach out:

We will acknowledge receipt of your request within 5 business days and respond substantively within 30 days. If you are unsatisfied with our response, you may have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.