Privacy Policy

1. Introduction
Houvo™ Creative Digital Studio ("Houvo", "we", "us", "our"), operated by Joé Houari, is committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, how we protect it and what rights you have over it. This policy applies to all visitors, clients and contacts interacting with Houvo through our website, email communications or any other channel, regardless of their country of residence.

2. Who We Are
Houvo™ is a creative digital studio operated by Joé Houari, with offices in Valence, France and Manhattan Beach, California, USA. As a data controller, Houvo is responsible for the personal data you share with us. For any data-related enquiries, please contact us at hello@houvo.fr.

3. Data We Collect
3.1 Data you provide directly
-      Full name and contact details (email address, phone number)
-      Company name and professional information
-      Project details, briefs and requirements shared during consultations
-      Payment information processed through secure third-party payment providers
-      Any content, files or assets you share with us during a project

3.2 Data collected automatically
-      IP address and browser type
-      Pages visited and time spent on our website
-      Referring URLs and navigation paths
-      Device type and operating system
-      Cookie and tracking data (see Cookie Policy)

3.3 Data from third-party sources
-      Information shared via LinkedIn, Instagram or other social platforms when you contact us through those channels
-      Information provided through third-party scheduling tools such as Calendly
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4. How We Use Your Data
We use your personal data for the following purposes:
-      To respond to enquiries and provide project proposals
-      To deliver contracted services and manage ongoing projects
-      To process payments and issue invoices
-      To send project updates, feedback requests and relevant communications
-      To send our newsletter The Creative Dispatch, if you have subscribed
-      To improve our website and services based on usage analytics
-      To comply with legal obligations under French, European and US law
-      To protect our legitimate business interests

We will never sell, rent or share your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes.

5. Legal Basis for Processing
For clients and contacts in the European Union, our legal basis for processing personal data is as follows:
-      Contract performance — processing necessary to deliver our services
-      Legitimate interests — improving our services, managing client relationships and protecting our business
-      Legal obligation — compliance with applicable French and EU law
-      Consent — for newsletter subscriptions and non-essential cookies

For clients in California, we process data in accordance with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA).

6. Data Retention
-      Client project data: retained for 5 years following project completion
-      Newsletter subscriber data: retained until you unsubscribe
-      Website analytics data: retained for 26 months
-      Enquiry and contact data: retained for 2 years if no project is initiated

After these periods, data is securely deleted or anonymized.

7. Data Sharing & Third Parties
-      Webflow — website hosting and CMS
-      Google Analytics — website analytics
-      Calendly — appointment scheduling
-      Mailchimp or equivalent — newsletter distribution
-      Stripe or equivalent — payment processing
-      Google Workspace — email and document management
-      Claude AI / ChatGPT — internal creative and strategic assistance only

None of these providers are authorized to use your data for their own marketing purposes. We do not transfer your data outside the EU or USA without ensuring appropriate safeguards are in place.

8. Your Rights
For EU/EEA residents (GDPR):
-      Right of access — request a copy of your personal data
-      Right to rectification — correct inaccurate or incomplete data
-      Right to erasure — request deletion of your data
-      Right to restriction — limit how we process your data
-      Right to data portability — receive your data in a structured format
-      Right to object — object to processing based on legitimate interests
-      Right to withdraw consent — at any time, where processing is based on consent

For California residents (CCPA/CPRA):
-      Right to know what personal data is collected and how it is used
-      Right to delete personal data
-      Right to opt out of the sale of personal data (Houvo does not sell data)
-      Right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@houvo.fr. We will respond within 30 days.Pour exercer l'un de ces droits, veuillez nous contacter à hello@houvo.fr.

9. Data Security
Houvo implements appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, loss, destruction or alteration, including secure encrypted communications, password-protected systems and limited access controls.

10. Children's Privacy
Houvo's services are intended for businesses and individuals aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a minor, please contact us immediately at hello@houvo.fr and we will promptly delete it.

11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The current version is always available at houvo.fr/privacy.

12. Contact & Complaints
Data Controller : Joé Houari — Houvo™ Creative Digital Studio
Email: hello@houvo.fr
Website: houvo.fr

If you are based in the EU and believe your data protection rights have been violated, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. In France, this is the CNIL (Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés) at cnil.fr.