Global Privacy Policy

1. About this Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Dear Future collects, uses, stores, shares and protects
personal information in connection with its websites, services, communications, physical
locations, temporary events and future-delivery products.

Dear Future allows customers to create personal written or recorded messages, store them
for a selected period and arrange for their delivery at a later date.

Depending on the selected service, a message may be:

• Printed and delivered as a physical letter.
• Delivered through an automated or prerecorded telephone call.
• Made available through a secure online access method.
• Delivered through another method clearly described before purchase.

This Privacy Policy applies to people worldwide.

Local privacy laws may provide additional or stronger rights. Where applicable law gives an
individual greater protection than this Privacy Policy, the applicable law will prevail.

2. Who is responsible for personal information?
The organisation responsible for the processing described in this Privacy Policy is:

Dear Future BV/SRL, a Belgian private limited company
Country of establishment: Belgium
Email: info@dearfuture.ink

In this Privacy Policy, “Dear Future”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to the entity operating the
Dear Future service.

For most consumer services, Dear Future acts as the controller of personal information. This
means that Dear Future determines why and how the personal information is processed.

Where Dear Future provides services to an organisation under a separate written
agreement, Dear Future may act as a processor or service provider on behalf of that
organisation.

3. Scope
This Privacy Policy applies to personal information processed through:

• The Dear Future website.
• The creation and storage of written messages.
• The creation and storage of audio messages.
• Physical letter production and delivery.
• Automated or prerecorded telephone delivery.
• Secure online listening or access pages.
• Order-management and delivery-detail pages.
• Customer-support communications.
• Physical Dear Future locations, pop-ups and events.
• Future products that refer to this Privacy Policy.

Separate product terms, regional privacy supplements or notices may provide additional
information.

4. Definitions
For this Privacy Policy:

Customer means the person or organisation that creates, purchases, stores or manages a
Message.

Sender means the person who creates or provides the Message. The Sender will normally
also be the Customer.

Recipient means the person for whom the Message is intended. The Customer, Sender and
Recipient may be the same person.

Message means written text, a letter, PDF, audio recording, photograph, video, attachment
or other content submitted to or created through Dear Future.

Letter means a Message intended to be printed and delivered physically.

Call means a Message intended to be delivered through an automated or prerecorded
telephone call.

Delivery Date means the date or delivery period selected by the Customer.

Service Provider means a third party that processes personal information to help Dear
Future operate its services.

5. People whose information we process
We may process information relating to:

• Customers.
• Senders.
• Recipients.
• People mentioned, depicted or heard in a Message.
• Website visitors.
• People attending a Dear Future location or event.
• Customer-support contacts.
• Representatives acting for a Customer or Recipient.
• Parents and legal guardians.
• Business contacts.
• Suppliers and professional advisers.
• People making privacy, safety or legal requests.

6. Personal information we collect
The information collected depends on the service used and the person’s relationship with
Dear Future.

6.1 Customer and Sender information

We may collect:

• First and last name.
• Email address.
• Telephone number.
• Country of residence.
• Postal or billing address.
• Preferred language.
• Account or customer identifier.
• Confirmation that the Customer is at least eighteen years old.
• Order and transaction information.
• Customer-support communications.
• Instructions concerning storage, cancellation and delivery.
• Information showing acceptance of legal documents and declarations.

6.2 Recipient information

Where a Message is intended for another person, we may collect:

• First and last name.

• Postal address.

• Telephone number.

• Email address.

• Country.

• Time zone.

• Preferred language.

• Delivery instructions.

• Information used to verify whether the contact information is correct.

• Delivery, opt-out, objection and complaint information.

• Limited information concerning the Recipient’s relationship to the Customer where
  necessary.

For Calls, both a telephone number and email address may be required.

6.3 Message content

We may process:

• Written text.
• PDF documents.
• Audio recorded in WEBM or another supported format.
• Converted audio files used for telephone playback.
• Photographs, images or attachments where supported.
• Names, signatures and information contained inside a Message.
• Information about people mentioned in a Message.
• File metadata.
• Creation, storage and delivery information.

A Message may be deeply personal and may contain information that would be considered
sensitive under certain privacy laws.

6.4 Special or sensitive personal information

Depending on what a Customer voluntarily includes, a Message may reveal information
relating to:

• Health or disability.
• Racial or ethnic origin.
• Religious or philosophical beliefs.
• Political opinions.
• Trade-union membership.
• Sex life or sexual orientation.
• Genetic information.
• Biometric information.
• Financial circumstances.
• Criminal allegations or offences.
• Family or relationship matters.
• Other intimate or legally protected information.

Dear Future does not require Customers to include this information.

Customers must not include sensitive information about another person unless they are
legally permitted to do so.

6.5 Audio and Call information

For Calls, we may process:

• The original audio recording.
• A technically converted playback copy.
• The Recipient’s telephone number.
• The Recipient’s email address.
• The intended Delivery Date.
• The Recipient’s local time zone.
• The date and time of each Call attempt.
• Whether the Call connected.
• Whether the Recipient pressed the required confirmation key.
• Whether the Call was completed, declined, unanswered or failed.
• Call duration.
• Carrier and routing information.
• Technical error information.
• Rescheduling requests.
• Secure online listening activity.
• No-contact and opt-out requests.

Dear Future does not intentionally record the Recipient’s live response.

Dear Future does not instruct its telephone provider to record the Call.

6.6 Letter and postal information

For Letters, we may process:

• The Letter PDF.
• Recipient name and postal address.
• Destination country.
• Delivery Date.
• Printing instructions.
• Colour or black-and-white preference.
• Document length and page information.
• Address-validation results.
• Production status.
• Postal status.
• Information concerning returned, delayed, damaged or undeliverable post.
• Information relating to a replacement shipment.

6.7 Order and payment information

We may process:

• Order number.
• Product selected.
• Purchase date.
• Delivery Date.
• Price.
• Currency.
• Taxes.
• Discount information.
• Payment status.
• Refund information.
• Chargeback or payment-dispute information.
• Limited information about the payment method.

Complete payment-card information is normally collected and processed directly by Stripe or
another disclosed payment provider. Dear Future does not ordinarily receive complete card
numbers or security codes.

6.8 Declarations and consent evidence

We may retain evidence showing that a Customer:

• Selected whether the Message was for themselves or another person.
• Confirmed that the Recipient was informed.
• Confirmed that the Recipient had access to the Recipient Privacy Notice.
• Confirmed that the Recipient agreed to the use of their contact details.
• Confirmed that no objection, block, no-contact request or legal restriction applied.
• Confirmed that a Recipient agreed to receive a prerecorded or automated Call,
  where relevant.
• Confirmed that they were legally permitted to include personal information in the
  Message.
• Gave explicit consent to the processing of sensitive information about themselves
  where required.
• Agreed to the applicable Terms.
• Acknowledged the Privacy Policy.

Evidence may include:

• Order ID.

• Customer ID.

• Date and time.

• Language.

• Country.

• Exact declaration text.

• Declaration version.

• Legal-document version.

• Recipient Privacy Notice version.

• IP address.

• Session or device information.

• Subsequent withdrawal, complaint or objection information.

6.9 Website and device information

We may automatically collect:

• IP address.
• Approximate location derived from IP address.
• Browser type.
• Device type.
• Operating system.
• Website pages visited.
• Referring page.
• Date and time of access.
• Session identifiers.
• Necessary cookie information.
• Shopping-cart and checkout activity.
• Website-performance information.
• Security and error information.
• Interaction with legal notices and consent controls.

6.10 Customer-support and complaint information

We may process:

• Emails and support requests.
• Identity-verification information.
• Questions about an order.
• Address or telephone-number changes.
• Cancellation requests.
• Privacy requests.
• Complaints from Customers or Recipients.
• Reports of harassment, misuse or unwanted contact.
• Evidence submitted in connection with a complaint.
• Decisions taken by Dear Future.
• Communications with Service Providers.

6.11 Information collected at physical locations

At a pop-up, event or physical location, we may collect information through:

• Written forms.
• Tablets or computers.
• Audio-recording devices.
• Telephones used to record a Message.
• Payment terminals.
• Customer-support interactions.

Any event photography, video recording or additional data collection will be subject to an
appropriate notice.

7. How we obtain personal information
We may obtain personal information:

• Directly from the Customer or Sender.
• From a Customer who provides Recipient information.
• From a Recipient.
• From a parent, guardian or authorised representative.
• Through our website and ordering process.
• Through physical events or locations.
• From Stripe or another payment provider.
• From Pingen and postal providers.
• From Bird and telecommunications providers.
• From Resend or another email provider.
• From Vercel and infrastructure providers.
• From Google services used for analytics or address validation.
• From fraud-prevention and security providers.
• From public authorities where legally permitted.

8. Information provided about another person
A Customer may provide personal information relating to a Recipient or another person who
is not directly interacting with Dear Future.

Before providing this information, the Customer must confirm that:

• The Recipient knows that their contact information will be provided to Dear Future.
• The Recipient has been given access to the Dear Future Recipient Privacy Notice.
• The Customer is legally permitted to provide the information.
• The Recipient has agreed to the intended use of the information.
• The Recipient has not objected or withdrawn their agreement.
• No block, no-contact request, restraining order, protective order or similar restriction
  applies.
• The information is accurate to the best of the Customer’s knowledge.
• For a Call, the Recipient has specifically agreed to receive an automated or
  prerecorded Call from Dear Future.

Dear Future records the Customer’s declaration as compliance evidence.

Dear Future may request reasonable evidence that the Recipient was informed or agreed to
the intended delivery. Dear Future may pause, restrict or cancel a Letter or Call where:

• A Recipient disputes the Customer’s declaration.

• A complaint is received.

• There is a reasonable concern about harassment or misuse.

• A legal restriction may apply.

• The Customer does not provide reasonable evidence when requested.

• Continuing the delivery would create a legal or safety risk.

Where applicable law requires Dear Future to provide information directly to a Recipient,
Dear Future may contact the Recipient with a neutral privacy or service notice.

Dear Future may do so without revealing:

• The identity of the Sender.
• The content of the Message.
• The Delivery Date.
• Other unnecessary information.

A Recipient may object to the use of their information or request that future delivery be
stopped.

9. Why we process personal information
9.1 To create and perform the contract

We process information to:

• Create an order.
• Accept payment.
• Store a Message.
• Maintain the Message for the selected period.
• Manage delivery information.
• Schedule future delivery.
• Produce and send a Letter.
• Place a Call.
• Provide secure online listening.
• Make permitted delivery attempts.
• Process cancellations and refunds.
• Provide customer support.
• Perform other services requested by the Customer.

For Customers, this processing is generally necessary to enter into or perform a contract.

9.2 To arrange delivery to a Recipient

We process Recipient information to:

• Identify the intended Recipient.

• Store the correct delivery details.

• Print and address a Letter.

• Place a Call.

• Send a rescheduling or listening email.

• Prevent disclosure to the wrong person.

• Respond to corrections, objections and complaints.

• Prevent further contact where requested.

For Letters and other non-marketing personal deliveries, Dear Future may rely on its
legitimate interests and the legitimate interests of the Customer in arranging a voluntarily
requested future delivery, where permitted by law.

Before relying on legitimate interests, Dear Future must consider:

• Whether the purpose is legitimate.
• Whether the processing is necessary.
• Whether a less intrusive method is reasonably available.
• What the Recipient would reasonably expect.
• The possible effect on the Recipient.
• The safeguards available to reduce the effect.
• The Recipient’s right to object.

For Calls, consent or another country-specific permission may be required.

9.3 To process sensitive information

Where a Customer includes sensitive information about themselves, Dear Future may rely
on the Customer’s explicit consent where required.

That consent is limited to:

• Storing the Message.
• Protecting the Message.
• Performing necessary technical processing.
• Producing the selected delivery.
• Delivering the Message.

Consent may be withdrawn.

Withdrawal does not make earlier lawful processing unlawful, but it may mean that Dear
Future can no longer store or deliver the Message.

9.4 To protect the services and individuals

We may process information to:

• Secure accounts and systems.

• Prevent unauthorised access.

• Prevent fraud.

• Detect malicious files.

• Investigate technical incidents.

• Investigate prohibited use.

• Respond to credible safety concerns.

• Protect legal rights.

• Enforce our Terms and Acceptable Use Policy.

• Maintain no-contact and suppression records.

We may rely on legitimate interests, legal obligations or, in exceptional cases, the protection
of vital interests.

9.5 To meet legal obligations

We may process and retain information to:

• Maintain accounting and tax records.
• Respond to legally valid requests.
• Comply with privacy, consumer, postal and telecommunications laws.
• Investigate and notify security incidents.
• Comply with sanctions and trade restrictions.
• Establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

9.6 To communicate with Customers

We may send:

• Order confirmations.
• Payment and refund information.
• Security notices.
• Delivery reminders.
• Address-update reminders.
• Cancellation confirmations.
• Service changes.
• Legal-document updates.
• Customer-support responses.
• Abandoned-checkout or unfinished-order reminders where legally permitted.

Marketing communications will only be sent where permitted by law.

A person can unsubscribe from marketing communications without affecting necessary
service messages.

9.7 To analyse and improve the website

Subject to applicable consent requirements, we may use analytics information to:

• Understand website use.

• Measure technical performance.

• Diagnose errors.

• Improve navigation.

• Improve checkout completion.

• Improve accessibility.

• Detect security issues.

Private Message content is not used for website analytics.

10. Lawful bases under the GDPR and similar laws
Where the GDPR, UK GDPR or comparable legislation applies, Dear Future may rely on:

• Contract: where processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with the
  Customer.
• Legitimate interests: where processing is necessary for a legitimate purpose and
  the individual’s rights do not override that purpose.
• Consent: where the individual has freely given specific, informed and unambiguous
  consent.
• Explicit consent: where required for special categories of personal data.
• Legal obligation: where processing is required by law.
• Vital interests: in exceptional circumstances involving a serious risk to a person.
• Legal claims: where necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Where local law uses different legal grounds, Dear Future will rely on the applicable
equivalent.

11. Calls and consent
A Customer arranging a Call for someone else must confirm that the Recipient has
specifically agreed to receive an automated or prerecorded Call from Dear Future.

The Recipient’s agreement must relate to:

• The telephone number provided.
• A personal prerecorded Message.
• Automated delivery by Dear Future.
• The number of delivery attempts described during ordering.
• The possibility of receiving an email to reschedule or listen online.
• The possibility of withdrawing permission before delivery.

Dear Future may request proof of this agreement.

Dear Future may refuse or stop a Call where the necessary permission cannot reasonably
be demonstrated.

Calls are not used for marketing unless Dear Future introduces a separate marketing service
with the legally required notices and consent.

12. Call verification and secure delivery
Before playing the personal recording, a Call may play an introductory message such as:

“This is Dear Future with a personal message intended for [first name]. If you
are the intended recipient, press 1 to continue. Otherwise, please hang up.”

The personal recording will not be played unless the recipient provides the required
confirmation.

Dear Future does not intentionally play the personal recording to voicemail.

Where a Call is unanswered or unsuccessful:

• Dear Future may make up to three attempts.
• Attempts may take place on three different days.
• Calls may be placed between 08:00 and 21:00 in the Recipient’s local time.
• Calls may take place on weekends where legally permitted.
• The Recipient may receive an email allowing them to reschedule or listen online.

An online listening link may be protected through technical access controls and may expire
after a defined period.

13. No secondary use of private content
Dear Future does not use private Message content for:

• Advertising.
• Targeted marketing.
• Marketing profiles.
• Behavioural profiling.
• Assessing the Customer or Recipient.
• Credit, insurance, employment or eligibility decisions.
• Sale to data brokers.
• Rental to advertisers.
• Training general-purpose artificial-intelligence models.
• Marketing unrelated services to the Recipient.

Dear Future may process Message content where reasonably necessary for:

• File validation.
• Malware detection.
• Technical conversion.
• Encryption and backup.
• Print preparation.
• Call delivery.
• Customer support.
• Investigation of a specific complaint.
• Investigation of fraud or serious misuse.
• Compliance with law.
• Protection against a credible serious threat.

14. Artificial intelligence and automated processing
Dear Future does not currently use Message content to train general-purpose
artificial-intelligence models.

Dear Future does not currently make decisions producing legal or similarly significant effects
based solely on automated analysis of Message content.

If Dear Future later introduces optional features such as:

• Transcription.
• Translation.
• Writing assistance.
• Audio enhancement.
• Content summarisation.

Dear Future will provide additional information before the feature is used. Where required,
separate consent will be obtained.

Introducing such a feature will not automatically permit the use of Message content to train
unrelated models.

15. Human access to private content
Dear Future does not routinely read or listen to private Messages.

Authorised personnel or Service Providers may access Message content where reasonably
necessary for:

• Technical support.
• Production.
• Printing.
• Call delivery.
• Troubleshooting.
• Security.
• Investigation of a complaint.
• Investigation of prohibited use.
• Legal compliance.
• Responding to a credible threat of serious harm.

Access is limited according to role and need.

Where implemented, access to private content is logged.

16. Service Providers
Dear Future uses carefully selected Service Providers to operate the services.

16.1 Vercel

Vercel provides website hosting, server infrastructure and private file storage.

Dear Future intends to use private Vercel Blob storage in the Frankfurt region for Message
files. Vercel supports private Blob storage and the Frankfurt fra1 region.

Vercel may process:

• Website traffic information.
• IP addresses.
• Technical logs.
• Encrypted files.
• Application information.
• Security information.

16.2 Stripe

Stripe processes payments and related fraud-prevention information.

Stripe may process:

• Customer name.
• Email address.
• Billing information.
• Payment credentials.
• Payment status.
• Fraud and security information.

Dear Future normally receives only limited payment information.

16.3 Resend

Resend provides transactional email delivery.

Resend may process:

• Email addresses.
• Customer and Recipient names.
• Order-related email content.
• Delivery and bounce information.
• Email interaction information where enabled.

Resend’s data-processing terms provide for processor obligations, subprocessors and
international-transfer safeguards, including standard contractual clauses where applicable.

16.4 Pingen

Pingen provides Letter validation, printing and postal delivery.

Pingen may receive:

• Letter PDF.
• Recipient name.
• Recipient postal address.
• Destination country.
• Printing instructions.
• Delivery information.

Dear Future intends to configure Pingen to retain:

• Letter PDFs for one month.
• Recipient address information for six months.

Pingen permits customers to configure PDF and address retention periods and states that
the relevant information is deleted when the selected period expires.

16.5 Bird

Bird provides telephone-routing and Call-delivery services.

Bird may receive:

• Recipient telephone number.
• Outbound caller information.
• Temporary access to audio required for playback.
• Call timing and routing instructions.
• Call-status and traffic information.

Bird’s Voice API supports playing an audio message through a supplied URL.

Dear Future does not instruct Bird to record the Recipient’s response.

Bird states that communication content and traffic data relating to Voice services may be
retained for six months by default. Longer retention may be required in some jurisdictions
under telecommunications law.

16.6 Google

Google services may be used for:

• Website analytics.
• Address validation.
• Maps or location assistance.
• Security and technical functionality.

Google Analytics will only be activated in accordance with applicable consent requirements.

Private Message content is not provided to Google Analytics.

16.7 Postal and telecommunications providers

Pingen and Bird may use:

• Local postal services.
• International postal carriers.
• Telecommunications carriers.
• Network-routing providers.
• Local technical partners.

Only the information reasonably necessary to perform delivery is provided.

16.8 Professional and legal advisers

We may provide limited information to:

• Lawyers.
• Accountants.
• Auditors.
• Insurers.
• Security advisers.
• Regulatory consultants.

This may occur where necessary to operate the business, comply with law or protect legal
rights.

17. When we disclose personal information
We may disclose personal information:

• To Service Providers performing services for Dear Future.
• To the intended Recipient.
• To a Customer’s verified representative.
• To a Recipient’s verified representative.
• Where required by a valid legal process.
• To protect a person against a credible and serious threat.
• To investigate fraud or unlawful activity.
• To establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
• In connection with a business transfer or restructuring.
• Where the individual has given valid permission.

We will seek to disclose only the information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.

18. Business sale, restructuring or closure
Because Messages may be stored for up to ten years, Dear Future may need to transfer
service obligations if the business is sold, reorganised or discontinued.

Where reasonably possible, Dear Future will prioritise the following options:

1. Continue performing existing orders.
2. Transfer the relevant service obligations to a suitable successor.
3. Appoint an alternative delivery provider.
4. Offer earlier delivery.
5. Offer a secure export.
6. Offer another reasonably equivalent delivery method.
7. Provide an appropriate full or partial refund where performance cannot continue.

Personal information may be transferred to a successor where reasonably necessary to
continue existing orders.

Before such a transfer, Dear Future will seek appropriate assurances that the successor will:

• Use the information only for legitimate continuation of the service.
• Protect the confidentiality of Messages.
• Maintain appropriate security.
• Respect existing privacy rights and objections.
• Honour applicable retention and deletion requirements.
• Not use private Message content as a separate commercial dataset.

Dear Future will not sell private Message content or Recipient contact information as a
standalone marketing or data-broker product.

Where a transfer cannot be completed safely or lawfully, Dear Future may instead provide
early delivery, export or deletion.

19. International transfers
Dear Future is based in Belgium but uses international Service Providers and delivery
networks.

Personal information may be processed in:

• Belgium.
• Germany.
• Switzerland.
• The Netherlands.
• The United States.
• The country in which the Recipient is located.
• Other countries in which a relevant Service Provider or carrier operates.

Where personal information protected by the GDPR, UK GDPR, Swiss law or another
transfer-restriction law is sent internationally, Dear Future will use an appropriate transfer
mechanism where required.

Depending on the transfer, this may include:

• An adequacy decision.
• Standard contractual clauses.
• The UK International Data Transfer Addendum or Agreement.
• An approved certification framework.
• Binding corporate rules.
• Contractual and technical safeguards.
• Another legally recognised transfer mechanism.

Where appropriate, Dear Future will assess the transfer and implement supplementary
measures such as encryption, access restrictions and data minimisation.

20. Data retention
Dear Future retains personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the
relevant purpose.

20.1 Incomplete or unpaid Messages

Incomplete or unpaid Messages may be deleted thirty days after the last relevant activity,
unless a different period is clearly shown.

20.2 Paid Messages awaiting delivery

Paid Messages are retained until:

• The selected Delivery Date.
• Completion of the agreed delivery attempts.
• Any applicable period for dealing with delivery issues.

The maximum period between payment and the original Delivery Date is ten years.

20.3 Successfully delivered Messages

Following successful delivery, Message content may be retained for up to ninety days.

After that period, active copies are deleted unless:

• The Customer requests earlier deletion.
• A legal obligation requires retention.
• A dispute or security investigation is ongoing.
• A longer period was clearly agreed as part of a separate service.

20.4 Failed delivery

Where delivery fails, the Message and necessary delivery information may be retained for up
to twelve months after the intended Delivery Date.

This allows Dear Future to:

• Investigate the failure.
• Contact the Customer.
• Process a rescheduled Call.
• Perform an authorised replacement shipment.
• Resolve a complaint.

20.5 Cancellation

Where an order is cancelled:

• Future delivery is stopped.
• Message content and delivery information are scheduled for deletion.
• Information required for refunds, accounting, fraud prevention, consent evidence or
  legal claims may be retained.

20.6 Pingen

Dear Future intends to configure Pingen retention as follows:

• PDF: one month.
• Recipient address: six months.

20.7 Bird

Bird may retain Voice communication content and traffic data for six months by default and,
in some jurisdictions, for longer where telecommunications law requires it.

Dear Future’s own copy of the Message is governed by Dear Future’s retention schedule.

20.8 Consent and declaration evidence

Evidence of:

• Recipient information declarations.
• Call permission declarations.
• Sensitive-data consent.
• Withdrawal.
• Objections.
• No-contact requests.

may be retained for the duration of the service and for up to five years after the last delivery
attempt, cancellation or complaint.

A longer period may apply where reasonably necessary for a legal claim or required by law.

20.9 No-contact records

Dear Future may retain a minimal suppression record for as long as reasonably necessary to
ensure that a person who objected is not contacted again.

The suppression record should contain only what is necessary, such as:

• A protected or hashed contact identifier.
• The type of contact prohibited.
• The date of the request.
• The reason for the restriction where necessary.

20.10 Financial and legal records

Order, invoice, tax, payment and refund information is retained for the period required by
applicable accounting, tax and consumer law.

20.11 Customer-support records

Customer-support and complaint records may normally be retained for up to three years
after the matter is closed.

A longer period may apply for an unresolved dispute, legal claim, safety matter or regulatory
investigation.

20.12 Security logs

Security and technical logs may normally be retained for up to twelve months.

Dear Future seeks to prevent full Message content, addresses and telephone numbers from
being included in routine operational logs.

20.13 Backups

Deleted information may temporarily remain in secured backups.

Backups are normally overwritten or deleted within ninety days after deletion from active
systems, unless a longer period is technically or legally necessary.

Backups are not used for ordinary business purposes after active deletion.

21. Security
Dear Future applies technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal
information.

These measures include or are intended to include:

• Encryption in transit.

• Encryption of Message content at rest.

• Private file storage.

• Separate storage of Message content and delivery information.

• Random internal identifiers.

• Restricted administrative access.

• Role-based access.

• Multi-factor authentication for administrators.

• Logging of access to Message content.

• Encrypted backups.

• Automatic deletion workflows.

• Security updates and testing.

• Incident-response procedures.

• Limited disclosure to Service Providers.

• Contractual confidentiality requirements.

• Secure management of encryption keys.

• Controls intended to prevent private files from being publicly accessible.

• Minimisation of personal information in technical logs.

No electronic storage or transmission system is completely secure.

Dear Future cannot guarantee absolute security, but will maintain safeguards appropriate to
the nature, sensitivity, duration and risk of the processing.

Customers are responsible for protecting:

• Passwords.
• Access links.
• Order-management links.
• Verification codes.
• Devices and email accounts used to access the service.

22. Security incidents
Dear Future maintains procedures for identifying, investigating and responding to suspected
security incidents.

Depending on the circumstances, Dear Future may:

• Contain the incident.
• Suspend affected access.
• Reset credentials.
• Notify Service Providers.
• Preserve relevant evidence.
• Inform affected individuals.
• Notify privacy or other authorities.
• Take steps to prevent recurrence.

Notifications will be provided where and within the period required by applicable law.

23. Recipient complaints, objections and corrections
A Recipient may contact info@dearfuture.ink to:

• Report unwanted contact.
• Report an incorrect address or telephone number.
• State that the contact details no longer belong to them.
• Object to future processing.
• Stop a future Letter or Call.
• Report harassment or misuse.
• State that the Customer did not have permission.
• Report a block, no-contact request or legal restriction.
• Request correction or deletion.
• Withdraw Call permission.

A Recipient complaint will normally cause the relevant delivery to be temporarily paused
while Dear Future reviews the matter.

Dear Future may:

• Ask for identity verification.
• Ask the Customer for reasonable evidence.
• Correct the contact information.
• Remove delivery information.
• Add the contact to a suppression list.
• Cancel the delivery.
• Restrict the Customer’s account.
• Delete the Message.
• Investigate limited content where necessary.
• Refer a serious matter to legal counsel or a competent authority.

Dear Future does not have to disclose the full Message to the Recipient before its Delivery
Date merely because a complaint has been made.

The rights and confidentiality of the Customer, Recipient and other people mentioned in the
Message must all be considered.

24. Privacy rights
Depending on applicable law, an individual may have the right to:

• Know whether Dear Future processes their personal information.

• Receive information about the processing.

• Access personal information.

• Correct inaccurate information.

• Complete incomplete information.

• Request deletion.

• Restrict processing.

• Object to processing.

• Withdraw consent.

• Receive certain information in a portable format.

• Opt out of certain advertising or sharing.

• Limit certain uses of sensitive information.

• Request review of certain automated decisions.

• Use an authorised representative.

• Appeal a refused request.

• Complain to a privacy authority.

Requests may be sent to info@dearfuture.ink.

25. Identity verification
Dear Future may need to verify the identity of a person making a privacy request.

Verification may involve:

• Confirming access to an email address.
• Confirming an order number.
• Confirming limited order information.
• Using a secure verification link.
• Requesting identification where reasonably necessary.
• Verifying the authority of a representative.

Dear Future will not request more verification information than reasonably necessary.

26. Access to a Message before delivery
A Recipient’s right of access does not automatically mean that the Recipient must receive
the complete Message before the Delivery Date.

The Message may contain:

• Confidential information belonging to the Sender.
• Personal information about other people.
• Information intended to remain undisclosed until delivery.
• Intellectual property or private communications.

Where permitted by law, Dear Future may:

• Provide information about the processing without disclosing the Message.
• Provide limited metadata.
• Redact third-party information.
• Delay or restrict access.
• Refuse disclosure under a lawful exception.
• Seek legal advice before disclosing the Message.

Each request will be assessed individually.

27. Deletion requests

Where a valid deletion request is received, Dear Future may delete:

• Message content.
• Recipient contact information.
• Delivery instructions.
• Account information.
• Technical information linked to the request.

Dear Future may retain limited information where necessary for:

• Accounting and tax.
• Fraud prevention.
• No-contact records.
• Legal claims.
• Regulatory compliance.
• Proof that the request was handled.

Deleting delivery information may make future delivery impossible.

A deletion request does not automatically create a right to a refund.

28. Withdrawal of consent
A person may withdraw consent by contacting info@dearfuture.ink.

Withdrawal:

• Applies to future processing based on that consent.
• Does not invalidate earlier lawful processing.
• May prevent Dear Future from continuing storage or delivery.
• May result in cancellation of the Message.
• Does not necessarily require deletion of legally required records.

29. Right to object
Where Dear Future relies on legitimate interests, an individual may object based on their
particular situation.

Dear Future will stop the processing unless:

• There are compelling legitimate grounds that override the individual’s rights; or
• The information is needed for a legal claim.

An objection to future personal delivery will ordinarily result in the delivery being paused or
stopped.

30. Complaints to an authority

Individuals in the European Economic Area may complain to the data-protection authority in
the country where they live, work or believe an infringement occurred.

Individuals elsewhere may complain to the privacy, consumer or telecommunications
authority responsible for their jurisdiction.

Dear Future encourages individuals to contact info@dearfuture.ink first so that the concern
can be investigated.

31. Children
Customers must be at least eighteen years old.

A person below eighteen may not independently purchase or manage the services.

An adult may create a Letter or Call for a child where the adult:

• Is the child’s parent, legal guardian or otherwise authorised.
• Is legally permitted to provide the information.
• Acts in the child’s interests.
• Does not include unnecessary sensitive information.
• Complies with applicable consent requirements.

Dear Future does not knowingly market its paid services directly to children.

Where Dear Future learns that information was collected unlawfully from a child, it may
delete the information and cancel the relevant service.

32. Information concerning deceased persons
Privacy laws differ in their treatment of deceased people.

Dear Future may consider requests from:

• An executor.
• An administrator.
• A legal representative.
• A guardian.
• A verified close family member.
• Another person authorised by law.

Dear Future may request evidence of:

• Identity.
• Death.
• Legal authority.
• Relationship.
• A court order.

The privacy and confidentiality of living people mentioned in a Message will continue to be
protected.

33. Cookies and similar technologies
Dear Future may use:

Necessary technologies

These support:

• Website security.
• Session management.
• Checkout.
• Payment.
• Order management.
• Legal-document acceptance.
• Language preferences.
• Delivery-detail updates.

Necessary technologies may operate without consent where legally permitted.

Analytics technologies

Google Analytics and Vercel analytics may be used to understand website performance and
use.

Where required, analytics will only be activated after consent.

Advertising technologies

Dear Future does not currently use Meta Pixel, TikTok Pixel or personalised advertising
technologies.

Dear Future may introduce advertising technologies in the future only after:

• Updating the Privacy Policy and Cookie Notice.
• Identifying the providers.
• Implementing legally required consent and opt-out controls.
• Ensuring that private Message content and Recipient delivery information are not
  used for targeted advertising.

Abandoned checkout communications

Dear Future may send a limited reminder concerning an unfinished order where legally
permitted.

The reminder will not include private Message content.

A person may opt out of non-essential reminders.

More information will be provided in the Cookie Notice.

34. Sale, sharing and targeted advertising
Dear Future does not sell private Message content.

Dear Future does not sell Recipient contact information to data brokers or advertisers.

Dear Future does not use Message content for targeted advertising.

Some privacy laws define “sale”, “sharing” or “targeted advertising” broadly and may include
certain analytics or advertising technologies.

Before activating a technology that falls within those definitions, Dear Future will provide:

• An updated notice.
• A legally required opt-out.
• A cookie-consent control where required.
• Recognition of applicable browser-based opt-out signals where required.

35. Automated decision-making and profiling
Dear Future does not use Message content to make automated decisions that produce legal
or similarly significant effects concerning the Customer or Recipient.

Automated systems may be used for:

• Fraud detection.
• Malware detection.
• File validation.
• Address validation.
• Call routing.
• Delivery status.
• Security monitoring.

Where applicable law provides rights concerning automated decisions, Dear Future will
honour those rights.

36. Changes to this Privacy Policy
Dear Future may update this Privacy Policy to reflect:

• New services.

• New delivery methods.

• New Service Providers.

• Legal changes.

• Security improvements.

• Changes to retention periods.

• Changes to the business.

The updated version will show a new effective date and version number.

Where a change materially affects an existing order or an individual’s rights, Dear Future will
provide additional notice where reasonably possible or legally required.

The version accepted or acknowledged at the time of an order will be recorded.

37. Contact
Privacy questions, requests, objections and complaints may be sent to:

Dear Future BV/SRL
Belgium
Email: info@dearfuture.ink