Our Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

1. Provide, maintain, and improve our Services
2. Process your account registration and manage your account
3. Display your project submissions and profile information
4. Send you service-related communications
5. Respond to your comments, questions, and requests
6. Detect, prevent, and address technical issues and abuse
7. Comply with legal obligations

3. How We Share Your Information

We share your information in the following circumstances:

1. Publicly: Project submissions, illustrator profiles, and other content you submit for publication are visible to all users of the Services.
2. Service Providers: We share information with third-party service providers that help us operate our Services:
   • Clerk (authentication services)
   • Vercel (hosting and infrastructure)
   • Resend (email delivery)
3. Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to valid legal requests.
4. Business Transfers: If we're involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

4. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our Services and fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy. Project submissions are intended to be part of a permanent historical archive and are generally not deleted. Account information is retained while your account is active and for a reasonable period thereafter for legal and business purposes.

5. Your Rights and Choices

1. Access and Update: You can access and update your account information through your account settings.
2. Delete Account: You can request deletion of your account by contacting us at support@publshd.com.
3. Marketing Communications: You can opt out of marketing emails by clicking the unsubscribe link in those emails.
4. Cookies: Most web browsers are set to accept cookies by default. You can usually choose to set your browser to remove or reject browser cookies, but this may affect your ability to use our Services.
5. California Residents: California residents have additional rights under the CCPA. See Section 9 for details.
6. European Residents: European residents have additional rights under the GDPR. See Section 10 for details.

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Children's Privacy

Our Services are not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete such information.

8. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including the United States. These countries may have data protection laws that are different from the laws of your country. By using our Services, you consent to the transfer of information to countries outside of your country of residence.

9. California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

1. The right to know what personal information we collect, use, disclose, and sell
2. The right to request deletion of your personal information
3. The right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information (we do not sell personal information)
4. The right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

To exercise these rights, contact us at support@publshd.com. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

10. European Privacy Rights

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom, you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

1. The right to access your personal data
2. The right to rectify inaccurate personal data
3. The right to erasure of your personal data
4. The right to restrict processing of your personal data
5. The right to data portability
6. The right to object to processing of your personal data
7. The right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
8. The right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

To exercise these rights, contact us at support@publshd.com. Our legal basis for processing personal data includes consent, contract performance, legal obligations, and legitimate interests in operating our Services.

11. Third-Party Links

Our Services contain links to third-party websites, including publications where illustrations were originally published. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party sites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Updated" date. Your continued use of our Services after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at: support@publshd.com