1. Information We Collect

We collect information in the following categories:

1. 1.1 Personal Information
   • Name
   • Email address
   • Password (encrypted / hashed)
   • Profile information (profile photo, banner image, biography, ambassador links, social links)
2. 1.2 Uploaded Content
   • Photographs uploaded to the platform
   • Image metadata (location, award submissions, judging data)
   • Photo ratings (1–5 stars) from judges
3. 1.3 Technical Data
   • IP address
   • Browser type and device information
   • Log data (pages visited, date/time of access)
4. 1.4 Payment & Subscription Information
   • Billing status
   • Subscription type
   • Transaction events
   • (Processed securely through Stripe - The Edge does not store payment card details.)
5. 1.5 Cookies
   • Maintain your login session
   • Remember display preferences (e.g., “show/hide winning image”)
   • Improve site performance

2. How We Use Your Information

• Provide and maintain your account
• Manage subscriptions and billing
• Display photographer profiles and galleries
• Store images and metadata in AWS S3 and MySQL
• Facilitate award submissions, judging, and results
• Automatically email you for important updates (new awards, password resets, etc.)
• Improve our website and user experience
• Ensure security and prevent misuse of the platform

3. How We Share Your Information

1. 3.1 Service Providers

   We use trusted third-party services to operate our platform securely:

   • AWS S3 (file and image storage)
   • MySQL database hosting
   • Stripe (payments)
   • Email providers (SMTP)

   These providers may only use your data to perform services on our behalf.

2. 3.2 Public Content

   Some content you upload is publicly visible:

   • Your profile page
   • Your gallery images
   • Award submissions
   • Winning / featured images

   We never expose your email address or password.

3. 3.3 Legal Requirements

   We may disclose information if required by law or necessary to protect our platform.

4. Data Retention

We retain your data as long as your account is active. If you delete your account:

• Photos and profile content may be removed or anonymized
• Award history may be preserved for the integrity of past results
• Log data may be stored temporarily for security purposes

5. Your Rights

You may have the right to:

• Access the data we hold about you
• Correct inaccurate information
• Delete your account and personal data
• Request a copy of your data
• Withdraw consent for non-essential cookies
• Object to certain processing activities

To exercise these rights, please contact us at:
[insert your support email]

6. Data Security

We use modern practices to protect your information:

• Encrypted passwords
• HTTPS across all pages
• Role-based access
• Secure AWS S3 storage
• Routine security updates

No system can guarantee 100% security, but we actively work to safeguard your data.

7. Children’s Privacy

The Edge is not intended for individuals under 16. We do not knowingly collect information from children.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, the “Last updated” date above will be updated.

9. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact us at:
team@theedgestreetawards.com