Paperlake is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, and disclose your personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

1. Information We Collect

When you place an order, we collect:

Your details: name, email address, shipping address
Payment information: processed securely by Stripe: Paperlake does not store your credit card details
Child information: the child’s first name, age, interests, personality traits, and a photo: all provided by you, the adult purchaser
Order details: what you tell us about the child and their day, the story, your dedication, and the other people in the book

We may also collect your email address if you subscribe to marketing communications.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information you provide to:

Create your custom storybook (including illustrations and text)
Process payment and fulfil your order
Send you order updates (confirmation, dispatch notification, delivery)
Respond to your enquiries or remake requests
Send marketing emails about Paperlake products (only with your consent, and you can unsubscribe at any time)
Improve our website and service

3. Your photos

We use your photos only to make your book, including its illustrations and any Keepsake photo album. Our image-processing providers, based in the United States, process photos to make the illustrations. What you tell us about the people in the book goes to our writing provider, also based in the United States, to write the story.

We delete your uploaded photos 30 days after your book arrives. If the same photo is used in more than one book, we delete it 30 days after the last of those books arrives. We keep the finished book files for reprints, including any photos printed in your Keepsake album.

If you leave without ordering, we delete your photos 30 days after you last saved your book, or a few days after our last reminder email if that comes later.

We do not use your photos for AI model training.
We do not use your photos for marketing without your permission.

4. Children’s Privacy

Paperlake creates products about children but does not collect information from children directly. All information about the child (name, age, photo, interests) is provided by an adult purchaser: typically a parent, grandparent, or family member.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18 years of age. Our website and ordering process are designed for adult use. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information directly, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

5. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

Stripe: payment processing. Stripe handles your payment information in accordance with PCI DSS standards. See Stripe’s Privacy Policy.
Our printer: receives the print files needed to make and post your book (the book itself and your delivery address).
Google Analytics 4: website analytics. Collects anonymised usage data (pages visited, device type, general location) to help us understand how visitors use our site. No personally identifiable information is shared with Google.
Meta Pixel and Conversions API: advertising measurement. When you visit, view your book, start a checkout or buy, we tell Meta which page or step it was, your IP address, browser type and a random visitor number our site keeps in a cookie, with the price and which kind of book (Hardcover or Keepsake) when there is one. If Meta’s pixel loads in your browser, Meta also gets its own browser and ad-click identifiers. At checkout and when you buy, we also send your email address, and when you buy, your country, both in hashed (scrambled) form. We do not send Meta your name, phone number or address. We do this so we can measure our advertising on Facebook and Instagram. You can stop Meta’s pixel loading by blocking it in your browser, and limit how Meta uses this for ads in your Facebook or Instagram ad settings.
Microsoft Clarity: records how visitors move through our pages (clicks and scrolling) so we can fix what confuses people. What you type while making a book is hidden from these recordings.
Resend: sends our emails to you (your email address and the email itself).
Sentry: error reporting. When something breaks on our site, it receives technical details of the error, which can include your IP address.

6. Cookies

Our website uses cookies for essential site functionality, analytics (Google Analytics 4 and Microsoft Clarity), and advertising measurement (Meta Pixel). You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings.

7. Data Storage and Security

We store your personal information securely using industry-standard measures. Access to customer data is restricted to authorised personnel only. We use encrypted connections (HTTPS) across our entire website.

While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We only share your information with the third-party service providers listed above, and only to the extent necessary to fulfil your order or operate our website.

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or government regulation.

9. Your Rights

Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:

Access the personal information we hold about you
Correct any inaccurate or out-of-date information
Request deletion of your personal information (subject to any legal obligations we have to retain it)
Opt out of marketing communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or contacting us directly

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hey@paperlake.com.au. We will respond within 30 days.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. The current version will always be available on this page with the date it was last updated.

11. Complaints

If you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles, you can lodge a complaint with us at hey@paperlake.com.au. We will investigate and respond within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.

12. Contact

For any privacy-related questions or requests, contact us at hey@paperlake.com.au.

Privacy policy