Welcome to Auto Studio. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our Service.
This policy applies to all users of our website, mobile application, and services. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By using our Service, you consent to the practices described in this policy.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at privacy@autostudioapp.com.
2. Data Controller Information
Who We Are
Auto Studio acts as the Data Controller for personal data collected through our Service.
Contact Details
Company: Auto Studio
Address: United Kingdom
Email: privacy@autostudioapp.com
Data Protection Officer: dpo@autostudioapp.com
Supervisory Authority
You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. In the UK, this is the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.
3. Information We Collect
3.1 Information You Provide
Account Information: Name, email address, password (encrypted), business/dealership name
Profile Information: Phone number, business address, profile picture
Payment Information: Billing address, payment method details (processed securely via Stripe - we do not store full card numbers)
Content: Images you upload for processing, vehicle descriptions
Communications: Emails, support requests, feedback you send us
Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, time spent, click patterns
Log Data: IP address, access times, referring URLs, error logs
Location Data: General location based on IP address (country/region level)
Cookies and Tracking: See Section 8 for details
3.3 Information from Third Parties
Authentication Providers: If you sign in with Google or Apple, we receive your name and email
Payment Processor: Stripe provides transaction status and billing information
Analytics Services: Aggregated usage statistics
4. How We Use Your Information
We use your personal data for the following purposes:
4.1 To Provide Our Service
Create and manage your account
Process your images and deliver results
Handle payments and subscriptions
Provide customer support
4.2 To Improve Our Service
Analyze usage patterns and trends
Develop new features and functionality
Fix bugs and optimize performance
Conduct research and analytics
4.3 To Communicate With You
Send service-related notifications
Respond to your inquiries
Send marketing communications (with your consent)
Notify you of changes to our Service or policies
4.4 To Ensure Security and Compliance
Detect and prevent fraud
Enforce our Terms of Service
Comply with legal obligations
Protect our rights and the rights of others
5. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we process your data based on the following legal grounds:
5.1 Contract Performance
Processing necessary to fulfill our contract with you:
Account creation and management
Service delivery (image processing)
Payment processing
Customer support
5.2 Legitimate Interests
Processing necessary for our legitimate business interests:
Service improvement and analytics
Fraud prevention and security
Marketing to existing customers (with opt-out)
5.3 Consent
Processing based on your explicit consent:
Marketing communications to new users
Non-essential cookies and tracking
Processing sensitive data (if applicable)
5.4 Legal Obligation
Processing required by law:
Tax and accounting records
Responding to legal requests
Data breach notifications
6. Your Rights Under GDPR
As a data subject, you have the following rights:
6.1 Right of Access
You can request a copy of all personal data we hold about you. We will respond within 30 days.
6.2 Right to Rectification
You can request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data. You can also update most information directly in your account settings.
6.3 Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten")
You can request deletion of your personal data when:
Data is no longer necessary for its original purpose
You withdraw consent (where consent was the legal basis)
You object to processing and there are no overriding legitimate grounds
Data was unlawfully processed
6.4 Right to Restriction
You can request limitation of processing when:
You contest the accuracy of data (during verification)
Processing is unlawful but you prefer restriction over erasure
We no longer need the data but you need it for legal claims
6.5 Right to Data Portability
You can request your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format (JSON/CSV) and have it transferred to another controller.
6.6 Right to Object
You can object to processing based on legitimate interests. We will stop unless we demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds.
6.7 Rights Related to Automated Decision-Making
You have the right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing that significantly affect you.
How to Exercise Your Rights
Email us at dpo@autostudioapp.com with your request. Include "GDPR Request" in the subject line. We will verify your identity and respond within 30 days.
7. Data Sharing and Disclosure
We do not sell your personal data. We may share your data with:
7.1 Service Providers
Third parties who help us operate our Service:
Stripe: Payment processing
Google Cloud/Firebase: Cloud infrastructure, authentication, database
Email Service: Transactional emails
All service providers are bound by data processing agreements.
7.2 Legal Requirements
We may disclose data when required by law or to:
Comply with legal process (court orders, subpoenas)
Protect our rights, property, or safety
Prevent fraud or illegal activity
Respond to government requests
7.3 Business Transfers
In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred. We will notify you before your data becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
7.4 With Your Consent
We may share data for other purposes with your explicit consent.
8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
8.1 What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us provide and improve our Service.
8.2 Types of Cookies We Use
Essential Cookies (Always Active) — authentication and session management, security features, load balancing. These are necessary for the Service to function.
Functional Cookies (With Consent) — remember your preferences, language settings, theme preferences.
Analytics Cookies (With Consent) — understand how you use our Service, measure feature adoption, identify performance issues.
8.3 Managing Cookies
You can manage cookie preferences through our cookie consent banner, your browser settings, or our account settings page. Note: Disabling essential cookies may prevent the Service from functioning properly.
8.4 Do Not Track
We respect "Do Not Track" browser signals and do not track users who have enabled this setting.
9. Data Retention
We retain your data only as long as necessary:
9.1 Active Account Data
Retained while your account is active
Includes profile and settings
Original and processed images: retained for up to 6 months from the date of upload or processing, then automatically deleted, regardless of whether your account remains active
9.2 After Account Deletion
Account data: Deleted within 30 days
Original and processed images: Deleted immediately, or sooner than the 6-month limit in 9.1
Backup data: Purged within 90 days
9.3 Extended Retention
Some data may be retained longer for:
Payment records: 7 years (legal requirement)
Legal disputes: Duration of proceedings plus statute of limitations
Analytics: Retained in anonymized form indefinitely
9.4 Image Data
Original uploads: Deleted after processing (typically within 24 hours)
Processed images and gallery entries: Automatically deleted 6 months after processing, even while your account remains active - download anything you want to keep before then
10. Data Security
We implement robust security measures to protect your data:
10.1 Technical Measures
Encryption: TLS 1.3 for data in transit, AES-256 for data at rest
Access Control: Role-based access, multi-factor authentication for admin
Monitoring: 24/7 security monitoring and intrusion detection
Hosted on Google Cloud Platform (ISO 27001, SOC 2 certified)
Data centers with physical security controls
Regular vulnerability scanning
10.4 Incident Response
In the event of a data breach: we will notify affected users within 72 hours, notify the ICO as required by GDPR, and take immediate steps to mitigate the breach.
11. International Data Transfers
Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the UK/EEA.
11.1 Transfer Safeguards
We ensure appropriate safeguards through:
Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs): EU-approved contract terms
Data Processing Agreements: With all service providers
Adequacy Decisions: Where applicable
11.2 Primary Data Locations
Primary processing: European Union
Backups: Multiple regions with encryption
11.3 Your Rights
You can request information about international transfers and the safeguards in place by contacting dpo@autostudioapp.com.
12. Children's Privacy
Our Service is not intended for children under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.
If you believe we have collected data from a child, please contact us immediately at privacy@autostudioapp.com. We will take steps to delete such information.
If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal data, please contact us.
13. Third-Party Links
Our Service may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for their privacy practices.
We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.
Third-party services we integrate with:
Stripe (payments): stripe.com/privacy
Google (authentication): policies.google.com/privacy
Apple (authentication): apple.com/legal/privacy
14. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by:
Posting the updated policy on our website
Sending an email notification
Displaying a notice in the app
The "Last Updated" date at the top indicates when the policy was last revised.
Your continued use of the Service after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
15. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us:
General Inquiries Email: privacy@autostudioapp.com
Data Protection Officer Email: dpo@autostudioapp.com Subject: "Privacy Inquiry"
Postal Address Auto Studio United Kingdom
Supervisory Authority If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with: Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) Website: ico.org.uk Phone: 0303 123 1113
We aim to respond to all inquiries within 30 days.
