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Effective Date: January 1, 2020
Last Updated: January 2026

The Alliance of Professional Tattooists ("APT," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you interact with APT through our websites, membership systems, educational platforms, events, and affiliated services.

This policy is intended to meet applicable U.S. privacy laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), as well as international requirements such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), where applicable.

APT is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional organization dedicated to advancing health, safety, education, and ethical standards within the tattoo industry.

Information You May Provide Voluntarily.
We may collect personal information when you:

• Join, renew, or manage an APT membership
• Register for or participate in courses, webinars, or events
• Purchase merchandise or make donations
• Subscribe to newsletters or communications
• Participate in committees, surveys, or online community spaces
• Contact us for support or information

This information may include:

• Full name, business or studio name, and contact details
• Email address and phone number
• Professional or licensing information
• Billing and payment information (processed by third-party payment processors)
• Course progress, assessments, certification status, and verification records

When you access our websites or platforms, we may automatically collect:

• IP address and general location data
• Browser type, device information, and operating system
• Pages viewed, time spent, referring URLs, and interactions
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies for functionality, analytics, and performance

You can manage or disable non-essential cookies through our cookie banner or your browser settings. Some site features may not function properly without essential cookies.

We use collected information to:

• Administer and verify memberships and certifications
• Provide access to educational programs and digital platforms
• Process payments, donations, and transactions securely
• Communicate updates, renewals, policy changes, and program information
• Deliver newsletters, marketing, and event communications (with opt-out options)
• Improve our services, educational offerings, and website performance
• Enforce community standards and protect organizational integrity

APT does not sell personal information.

APT uses cookies and similar technologies to:

• Ensure core website functionality
• Analyze site usage and performance
• Improve user experience

Where required by law, non-essential cookies are only used after consent. You may manage cookie preferences at any time through our cookie banner or browser settings.

We share personal information only as necessary with:

• Service Providers and Processors: Trusted third parties that provide services such as payment processing, email distribution, analytics, community platforms, and course hosting (including but not limited to Stripe, PayPal, Square, Mailchimp, Google services, Kajabi, Circle).
• Legal and Regulatory Authorities: When required by law or to protect APT, our members, or the public.
• Partners and Sponsors: Only with your consent or through anonymized, aggregated data.

All service providers are contractually required to safeguard data and use it only for authorized purposes.

APT retains personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to:

• Fulfill the purposes for which it was collected
• Maintain membership, certification, and historical records
• Comply with legal, tax, regulatory, and accreditation obligations

When information is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymized.

If you are a California resident, you have the right to:

• Know what personal information we collect and how it is used
• Request access to or deletion of your personal information
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information (APT does not sell or share data for cross-context behavioral advertising)
• Limit the use of sensitive personal information

To exercise these rights, submit a request to info@safe-tattoos.com. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling your request. Requests will be responded to within the timeframes required by law.

If you are located outside the United States, including in the European Economic Area (EEA), you may have the right to:

• Access, correct, or delete your personal data
• Restrict or object to processing
• Request data portability
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
• Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority

APT processes personal data based on one or more lawful bases, including contractual necessity, consent, legitimate interests, and legal obligations.

APT services are not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If we become aware that personal information from a minor has been collected, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

APT implements reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information, including encryption, secure payment processors, and restricted access controls.

However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

In the event of a data breach involving personal information, APT will notify affected individuals and relevant authorities as required by applicable laws and regulations.

Our websites may contain links to third-party sites or platforms. APT is not responsible for the privacy practices of external sites, and we encourage you to review their privacy policies.

APT may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Changes will be reflected by the "Last Updated" date above. Material changes will be posted prominently or communicated directly when appropriate.

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact:

Alliance of Professional Tattooists (APT)
Attn: Privacy Officer
Email: info@safe-tattoos.com
Website: www.safe-tattoos.com
Mailing Address: 7770 Regents Rd, Suite 113, #635, San Diego, CA 92122

This Privacy Policy is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.