OpenGifame

GDPR Compliance Guide

Effective Date: July 5, 2025

Introduction

This document outlines OpenGIFame's compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and your rights as a data subject. The GDPR gives you specific rights regarding your personal data, and we are committed to respecting and facilitating these rights.

Your Rights Under GDPR

1. Right to Information (Article 13-14)

You have the right to know:

  • What personal data we collect
  • Why we collect it
  • How long we keep it
  • Who we share it with
  • Your rights regarding this data

This information is detailed in our Privacy Policy.

2. Right of Access (Article 15)

You have the right to:

  • Confirm whether we process your personal data
  • Access your personal data
  • Receive information about how we process it

How to exercise this right:

  1. Sign in to your OpenGIFame account
  2. Go to Account Settings → Privacy & Data
  3. Click "Download My Data" to receive a complete copy of your data
  4. Alternatively, contact us at [privacy@opengifame.com] with your request

3. Right to Rectification (Article 16)

You have the right to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

How to exercise this right:

  1. Profile Information: Update directly in Account Settings
  2. Content: Edit your uploaded images, titles, and descriptions
  3. Other Data: Contact us at [privacy@opengifame.com] for assistance

4. Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten") (Article 17)

You have the right to request deletion of your personal data when:

  • The data is no longer necessary for the original purpose
  • You withdraw consent
  • You object to processing and there are no overriding legitimate grounds
  • The data has been unlawfully processed
  • Deletion is required for legal compliance

See the "Complete Account Deletion" section below for detailed instructions.

5. Right to Restrict Processing (Article 18)

You can request we limit how we use your data while we:

  • Verify the accuracy of your data
  • Determine legitimate grounds for processing
  • Handle your objection to processing

How to exercise this right: Contact us at [privacy@opengifame.com] with your specific request.

6. Right to Data Portability (Article 20)

You have the right to:

  • Receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used format
  • Transfer your data to another service

How to exercise this right:

  1. Go to Account Settings → Privacy & Data
  2. Click "Export Data" to download your data in JSON format
  3. This includes your profile, uploaded images, comments, and voting history

7. Right to Object (Article 21)

You can object to processing based on:

  • Legitimate interests
  • Direct marketing
  • Profiling

How to exercise this right: Contact us at [privacy@opengifame.com] to discuss your objection.

8. Rights Related to Automated Decision Making (Article 22)

We do not use automated decision-making or profiling that significantly affects you. Our recommendation algorithms are designed to enhance user experience and do not make decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects.

Complete Account Deletion Guide

What Gets Deleted

When you delete your account, we will permanently remove:

  • Account Information: Name, email, profile picture, and all account settings
  • Authentication Data: All login credentials and session tokens
  • Uploaded Content: All images, titles, and descriptions you've uploaded
  • Social Activity: All comments, votes (upvotes/downvotes), and reactions
  • Metadata: Upload timestamps, IP addresses, and activity logs
  • Tags: Any tags you created (if not used by other users)

What Happens to Your Content

  • Your Images: Permanently deleted from our servers and CDN
  • Your Comments: Removed from all discussions
  • Your Votes: All voting records are deleted
  • Content References: Any references to your deleted content are cleaned up

Before You Delete Your Account

Important considerations:

  1. Irreversible Action: Account deletion cannot be undone
  2. Download Your Data: Export your data first if you want to keep copies
  3. Active Discussions: Your comments in discussions will be removed
  4. Shared Content: Any images you've shared will no longer be accessible

Step-by-Step Deletion Process

Method 1: Self-Service Deletion (Recommended)

  1. Sign in to your OpenGIFame account
  2. Navigate to Account Settings → Privacy & Data
  3. Review the "Delete Account" section warnings
  4. Optional: Download your data using "Export Data" button
  5. Click "Delete My Account"
  6. Confirm by typing "DELETE" in the confirmation field
  7. Enter your password to verify identity
  8. Final Confirmation: Click "Permanently Delete Account"

Method 2: Contact-Based Deletion

If you cannot access your account:

  1. Email us at [privacy@opengifame.com]
  2. Include the following information:
    • Full name associated with the account
    • Email address used for registration
    • Approximate account creation date
    • Reason you cannot access the account
  3. Verification: We may ask for additional verification
  4. Processing: We'll process your request within 30 days

Deletion Timeline

  • Immediate: Account becomes inaccessible
  • 24 hours: Content removed from public view
  • 7 days: Data purged from active systems
  • 30 days: Complete removal from all backups and archives
  • 90 days: Final verification that all data has been removed

Data We May Retain

In limited circumstances, we may retain some information for:

Legal Compliance:

  • Transaction records (if applicable)
  • Compliance with data retention laws
  • Evidence for legal proceedings

Security and Fraud Prevention:

  • Anonymized security logs (without personal identifiers)
  • Records of policy violations or fraudulent activity

Technical Requirements:

  • Anonymized analytics data (aggregated, non-personal)
  • System performance metrics

Exceptions to Deletion

We may be unable to delete data if:

  • Legal Hold: Data is subject to legal proceedings
  • Regulatory Requirements: Required by law to retain specific data
  • Public Interest: Data is required for public health or safety
  • Technical Impossibility: Data is technically impossible to isolate and delete

Exercising Your Rights

Response Time

We will respond to your requests:

  • Acknowledgment: Within 72 hours
  • Complete Response: Within 30 days (extendable to 60 days for complex requests)

Verification Process

To protect your privacy, we may need to verify your identity before processing requests:

  1. Account Access: Sign in to your account when possible
  2. Email Verification: Confirm ownership of the registered email
  3. Additional Verification: Answer security questions if needed

No Cost

Exercising your GDPR rights is free of charge. However, we may charge a reasonable fee for:

  • Manifestly unfounded or excessive requests
  • Additional copies of data beyond the first free copy

Appeal Process

If you're not satisfied with our response:

  1. Contact our Data Protection Officer at [dpo@opengifame.com]
  2. Escalate to your local supervisory authority
  3. EU Residents: Contact your national data protection authority
  4. UK Residents: Contact the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

Technical Implementation

Data Mapping

We maintain a comprehensive data map showing:

  • What personal data we collect
  • Where it's stored
  • How it's processed
  • Retention periods
  • Sharing arrangements

Security Measures

  • Encryption: All personal data is encrypted at rest and in transit
  • Access Controls: Strict access controls and audit logs
  • Regular Audits: Quarterly security and privacy audits
  • Staff Training: Regular GDPR training for all staff

Data Processing Records

We maintain detailed records of:

  • Processing activities
  • Legal basis for processing
  • Data sharing agreements
  • Retention schedules
  • Security measures

Contact Information

Data Protection Officer (DPO)

  • Email: [dpo@opengifame.com]
  • Response Time: Within 72 hours

Privacy Team

  • Email: [privacy@opengifame.com]
  • Response Time: Within 24 hours for urgent matters

Supervisory Authorities

If you believe we have not complied with GDPR:

EU Residents: Contact your national data protection authority UK Residents: Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

  • Website: ico.org.uk
  • Helpline: 0303 123 1113

Updates to This Document

We may update this GDPR compliance guide to reflect:

  • Changes in data protection law
  • Updates to our data processing practices
  • Feedback from supervisory authorities
  • User feedback and requests

Notification: We will notify you of significant changes through:

  • Email notification to registered users
  • Notice on our platform
  • Updated "Effective Date" at the top of this document

Additional Resources

  • Privacy Policy - Comprehensive privacy information
  • Terms of Service - Platform usage terms (coming soon)
  • Data Processing Agreement - For business users (coming soon)
  • Cookie Policy - Information about cookies and tracking (coming soon)

This document was last updated on July 5, 2025. For questions about GDPR compliance, contact our privacy team at [privacy@opengifame.com].