Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how Emmy's Braids ("we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, discloses, and safeguards your information when you visit www.emmybraids.com (the "Site"), contact us, upload reference photos, or book an appointment. Please read this Policy carefully. By using the Site or our services, you consent to the practices described below.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly to us, information collected automatically when you use the Site, and information from third parties that support our booking and communications.

a. Information You Provide

• Contact details — name, email address, and phone number submitted through our contact form, upload form, or when you message us directly.
• Booking information — service selection, preferred appointment time, and payment details entered through our third-party booking provider (Square).
• Reference photos — photographs of your current hair and inspiration styles that you voluntarily upload through the Site so that we may prepare for your appointment. Photos may include your likeness.
• Communications — the content of messages you send us by email, SMS, WhatsApp, or Instagram, along with any notes you include with your booking.

b. Information Collected Automatically

• Technical data — IP address, browser type and version, device type, operating system, and timestamps of requests to the Site, collected through standard server logs for security and reliability purposes.
• Usage data — pages visited and general interaction data. We do not use advertising cookies or cross-site tracking technologies.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Schedule, confirm, prepare for, and provide your appointment;
• Send transactional communications, such as booking confirmations and acknowledgements when you upload photos;
• Respond to your inquiries and provide customer support;
• Operate, maintain, secure, and improve the Site;
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use your reference photos for marketing, portfolio, or social media purposes without your separate, express permission.

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We share information only with the service providers necessary to operate the Site and deliver our services, and only to the extent required for those purposes:

• Square, Inc. — appointment scheduling and payment processing. Information you submit through the booking widget is collected and stored by Square in accordance with Square's Privacy Notice.
• Hosting and infrastructure providers — third-party providers that host the Site, store uploaded photos, and deliver transactional email on our behalf under confidentiality obligations.
• Meta Platforms, Inc. — if you contact us through Instagram or WhatsApp, your messages are governed by Meta's privacy policies.
• Legal and safety — we may disclose information when required by law, subpoena, court order, or to protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of others.

4. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Policy, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Reference photos and associated booking notes are typically retained until after your appointment is complete and are deleted on request or during periodic account cleanup.

5. Security

We use commercially reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the information we collect. Uploaded photos are stored in access-controlled storage and are not publicly accessible. No method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure, however, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Your Rights and Choices

You may request to access, correct, or delete personal information you have provided to us by emailing contact@emmybraids.com. You may also unsubscribe from non-essential emails by following the link in any such message. For information stored by Square, please use the request tools described in Square's Privacy Notice.

Washington residents: If your reference photos or notes reveal information about a physical or mental health condition, treatment, or diagnosis, that information may qualify as "consumer health data" under the Washington My Health My Data Act. We collect such information only when you voluntarily provide it, use it solely to prepare for and perform your appointment, and do not sell it. You may withdraw your consent and request deletion of that data at any time by contacting us at the address above.

7. Children's Privacy

The Site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Minors between 13 and 17 may book appointments only with the consent and involvement of a parent or legal guardian.

8. International Users

The Site is operated from Washington State, United States. If you access the Site from outside the United States, please be aware that information you submit may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Site after any changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy.

10. Contact Us

Questions or requests regarding this Privacy Policy should be directed to Emmy's Braids at contact@emmybraids.com. See our Terms of Service for information about the rules that apply when you use this Site.