Your information,handled with care.

Independence Ink (we, us or our) is a private, appointment-only tattoo studio in Camden, New South Wales. We are responsible for personal information collected through this website, tattoo enquiries, appointments, general messages, artist applications and direct dealings with the studio.

This policy is intended to reflect the Australian Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (opens in a new tab) where they apply. We apply the practices described here as our operating standard even where a particular legal requirement may not apply to a small business in every circumstance.

The policy does not control the independent practices of another website or service you choose to visit, including Instagram, Facebook or a payment provider. Their own privacy terms apply once you interact directly with them.

The information we collect depends on how you deal with us.

Payment-card and bank-account details are collected and handled by the relevant payment provider. We receive transaction references, payment status, amount and limited payment-method information, such as card brand and last digits, rather than full card numbers or security codes.

If we photograph completed work or a client for a portfolio, social media or promotion, we will address permission separately. We will not treat an enquiry reference image as permission to publish it.

We generally collect personal information directly from you when you:

• submit or save progress in a tattoo enquiry;
• contact us by form, email, phone, social media or in person;
• book, attend, reschedule or pay for an appointment;
• submit an artist expression of interest or discuss a studio opportunity;
• browse the website or interact with its security tools; or
• give separate permission for photography or promotional use.

We may also receive information from a payment or fraud-prevention provider, social platform, professional reference, authorised representative, adviser, insurer, regulator or another person involved in a transaction, application or dispute. Where practical, we will tell you when we receive personal information about you from somebody else.

You may browse general website content without identifying yourself. You may also contact us anonymously or using a pseudonym where lawful and practical. We will need accurate identifying and contact details where they are necessary to assess an enquiry, perform a tattoo safely, review an artist application, take payment, prevent fraud or meet legal obligations.

We collect, hold, use and disclose personal information to:

• review tattoo ideas, recommend an artist, discuss fit, provide quote guidance and arrange appointments;
• contact opted-in clients about suitable earlier studio openings;
• prepare designs, confirm placement, perform tattoo services safely and provide aftercare;
• review artist applications, assess studio fit and discuss guest or resident opportunities;
• answer general messages, privacy requests and complaints;
• process retainers, appointment payments and related refunds through the relevant payment provider;
• send transactional messages, including form confirmations, appointment messages and receipts;
• protect forms, payments, the studio and the website from spam, fraud, misuse and security incidents;
• maintain business, tax, accounting, consumer, safety and legal records;
• monitor website availability, security and operational performance using technical logs;
• establish, exercise or defend legal claims, enforce terms and respond to lawful requests; and
• use information for another purpose you consent to or that is required or authorised by law.

If required information is not provided, we may be unable to review an enquiry, offer or safely perform an appointment, review an artist application, respond to a request or process payment. Optional fields may be left blank unless the form says otherwise.

Information about health, skin conditions, allergies, medications, pregnancy, disability or other circumstances affecting tattoo suitability can be sensitive information. We collect it only when reasonably necessary for safe service, with consent or where the law otherwise permits or requires it. Please do not include medical information in a general contact message unless it is needed.

Reference images may show your body, existing tattoos, scars, identifying features or another person. Only upload images you are entitled to share. References are used to assess and discuss your enquiry. They are not used for public display, advertising or model training without separate permission.

Local enquiry drafts

The enquiry form uses browser session storage to preserve text and selection progress in that browser tab. A local draft may include your contact details and tattoo answers. Uploaded reference images and the availability-list choice are not stored in the draft. Anyone with access to the same browser profile may be able to see restored draft fields. Drafts expire after 24 hours and are removed when the browser session ends. You can remove one sooner by clearing site data in your browser. Private or shared-device users should close the tab or clear it when finished.

Saved enquiry progress and reminders

If you enter your email address or mobile number in the enquiry form but do not submit it, the text you entered (not reference images) is also saved securely on our servers so you can resume the form later from a private link. We may send a small number of reminder messages about that unfinished enquiry by email or SMS, each identifying the studio and including a working opt-out (an opt-out link, or reply STOP for SMS). Opting out stops reminders for that enquiry and suppresses further reminder messages to that address or number unless you later start a new enquiry. Saved progress is deleted automatically 30 days after your last edit, or immediately once you submit the enquiry.

Cookies and similar technologies

The site and its providers may use cookies, local storage and similar technologies that are necessary for form security, fraud prevention, website delivery and other requested features. Blocking these technologies may stop a form or requested feature from working correctly.

Website measurement

The website uses Google Analytics to measure how the site is used: pages visited, traffic and referral sources, device and browser information, approximate location, and interactions such as starting or submitting a form. Google processes this measurement data under its own privacy policy. Hosting, delivery and security services may also create operational logs, which can contain technical details such as an IP address, requested path, browser information and timestamps.

Measurement events do not intentionally include what you type into a form. Your name, email address, phone number, tattoo description, uploaded reference images and any other personal information you enter are not sent to Google Analytics; they are only used for the enquiry itself.

We do not use advertising pixels or cross-site behavioural advertising on this website. Following an external link to a social platform allows that platform to collect information under its own settings and privacy policy.

Measurement is served from this website's own domain, so it is not affected by third-party script blocking. You can stop it in your browser using its own privacy settings or an extension of your choice.

We disclose personal information only where reasonably required for the purposes above. This can include studio artists and authorised staff, and the service providers below. Providers receive only the information needed for their role and process it under their own terms and our arrangements with them.

We may also disclose information to:

• email, communications, IT, security, accounting, legal, insurance and other professional service providers;
• banks, card networks, payment participants and fraud-prevention services;
• a successor or adviser involved in a proposed sale, restructure or transfer of the business, subject to confidentiality safeguards;
• police, courts, regulators, government bodies or other parties where required or authorised by law; and
• another person when you authorise us or reasonably expect the disclosure for the requested service.

We do not sell, rent or trade personal information or reference images.

Some technology and payment providers process or support information outside Australia. Depending on service configuration and provider subcontractors, likely countries include the United States, Ireland and India, as well as other countries where Cloudflare, Convex, AWS, Twilio, Square, Google or their approved service providers operate.

In particular, AWS SES processes email through the region and operational locations configured for the account; Twilio processes transactional SMS through its configured messaging infrastructure; Convex currently offers United States and Ireland regions; and Cloudflare may process information across its global network and operational locations.

We take reasonable steps appropriate to the circumstances when selecting and using overseas providers. Privacy protections and remedies in another country may differ from those in Australia.

The availability list is optional. Its checkbox starts unselected and is not restored from a saved draft. If you opt in, we may use your enquiry and contact details to offer a suitable earlier opening. Joining does not guarantee an appointment. You can decline an opening or ask to leave the list at any time without affecting your original enquiry. Read the full availability list explanation.

If you opt in, your name and email address are kept with your enquiry record, and every availability email identifies the studio, includes the studio's contact address and contains an unsubscribe link you can use at any time.

The website does not currently include a general newsletter or promotional marketing opt-in. We do not use tattoo-enquiry, health or reference-image information for general marketing. If we later offer promotional email or SMS, we will seek the required consent, identify the sender and provide a simple, functional way to unsubscribe. We will honour opt-out requests and may retain minimal suppression information so we do not contact you again by mistake.

Service messages needed to answer an enquiry, review an artist application, manage an appointment, address safety or provide a legally required notice are not treated as optional marketing.

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably needed for the purpose collected, a related expected purpose, dispute and claim periods, security, insurance, tax, accounting, consumer, health and safety obligations, or another legal requirement.

• Reference files in temporary object storage are scheduled for deletion after 90 days. Private mailbox copies and attachments are reviewed at least annually and deleted when no longer useful, no later than 5 years after submission unless a legal obligation requires longer retention.
• Session enquiry drafts expire after 24 hours, or sooner when the browser session ends or site data is cleared. We do not receive a draft unless you submit it.
• Website tattoo enquiry records are scheduled for deletion 12 months after submission. If an enquiry becomes an appointment, related appointment, consent, safety and aftercare records are managed separately under the periods applicable to those records.
• Website contact messages are scheduled for deletion 12 months after submission.
• Website artist applications are scheduled for deletion 3 years after submission. You may ask us to delete an application earlier, subject to records we need to keep.
• Retainer, appointment payment and refund records are retained for the periods required by tax, accounting and financial obligations, and while a dispute may remain outstanding.
• Security, spam, payment and fraud records follow the relevant risk and provider retention schedules.
• Portfolio or promotional material is retained for the period covered by the permission given, subject to legal and practical limits on removing already published material.

When information is no longer required, we take reasonable steps to delete it or de-identify it. Residual copies may remain temporarily in protected backups, email archives or provider systems until the relevant deletion cycle completes.

We use reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards suited to the information we handle. Measures may include encrypted network connections, provider encryption at rest, access controls, limited staff access, account security, spam and fraud controls, software maintenance, backups and secure disposal practices.

No website, email, storage system or internet transmission is completely secure. You should avoid sending unnecessary sensitive information by general email and keep payment references private.

If a suspected data breach occurs, we will investigate, contain and remediate it. Where the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme applies and a breach is likely to cause serious harm that cannot be prevented by remedial action, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner as required.

You may ask what personal information we hold about you, request access to it, or ask us to correct information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading. You may also ask us to delete information or withdraw a consent. Deletion and withdrawal are subject to information we must or are permitted to keep for legal, safety, transactional, recordkeeping or claim purposes.

Make a request through the contact page and choose “Privacy or accessibility”. Describe the information or interaction concerned and the request you are making. We may need to verify your identity or authority before providing access or changing a record. Please do not send identity documents unless we ask for them.

We will respond within a reasonable period, generally aiming for 30 calendar days. We do not ordinarily charge for a request. If the law allows us to refuse access or correction, we will explain the reason and available complaint options unless we are legally prevented from doing so.

Tattoo suitability, artist fit, quotes, appointment decisions and artist applications are reviewed by studio staff. We do not currently arrange for a computer program to make a decision using your personal information where that decision could reasonably be expected to significantly affect your rights or interests.

Some supporting processes are automated. We use Cloudflare Turnstile in invisible mode to assess whether form traffic appears abusive. This verification may run silently without displaying a checkbox, security prompt or other visible challenge. Turnstile processes limited technical signals for bot detection, which may include an IP address, browser and connection characteristics, a user-agent header, the sitekey and the associated website origin. Cloudflare describes this processing in its Turnstile Privacy Addendum (opens in a new tab).

Payment providers may assess transaction and fraud risk, and the browser may compress uploaded images. A provider may block, delay or request further checks for a suspicious form or payment. Contact us if you believe an automated check affected you incorrectly.

We will update this section before introducing automated decisions that require additional disclosure under the Privacy Act.

General website content may be viewed by people under 18, but the public tattoo enquiry and artist-opportunity forms require confirmation that the person is 18 or older. We do not knowingly use the website to solicit personal information from children for tattoo services or artist opportunities. If we learn that a person under 18 submitted information without an appropriate lawful basis, we will take reasonable steps to delete or otherwise handle it appropriately. A parent or guardian can contact us with a concern.

Send a privacy question or complaint through our contact page and choose “Privacy or accessibility”. Include your name, contact details, a clear description of the concern and the outcome you are seeking. We will acknowledge and investigate the matter, may ask for more information, and generally aim to provide a substantive response within 30 calendar days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (opens in a new tab). The OAIC generally expects you to complain to us first and allow a reasonable time for us to respond.

We may update this policy when our practices, providers, services or legal obligations change. The current version will be posted here with a revised last-updated date. If a change materially affects how we handle information already collected, we will take reasonable steps to provide additional notice where required.

This policy should be read with the website terms, cancellation policy and any specific collection notice shown when information is requested.