Privacy Policy

Last updated: [Date of launch]

This policy explains what personal data TatNav collects, why, who we share it with and your rights. TatNav Limited (company number 16822847) is the controller of your data (ICO registration number [number]).

1. What we collect

Account details: name, email, phone number, how you signed in (Apple, Google or email) and your profile photo.

Date of birth: to confirm you are 18 or over and to understand the age range of our users in anonymised statistics.

Profile photo: every account has a photo of the account holder, so artists and clients know who they are meeting.

Age check: you give your date of birth when you sign up, and your artist checks your photo ID in person on the day. TatNav does not collect or store copies of clients’ ID documents.

Closed accounts: if TatNav closes an account for breaking our Terms (for example, because the person is under 18), we keep a one-way fingerprint (a hash) of its email address, never the address itself, so the same email can’t be used to open a new account. We keep it for as long as we need to prevent misuse. If you delete your own account, we don’t keep this.

Sex: optional, with a "prefer not to say" choice. Used only for anonymised statistics about who uses TatNav.

Location: only when you allow it, to show artists near you. We use it on your device to sort results and do not keep a history of your movements.

Bookings and payments: requests, appointments, deposits, fees and reschedules. Card details are handled by Stripe; we never see or store your full card number.

Messages, reviews, ratings and images you upload, including inspiration photos.

Questions you ask the TatNav Assistant (our automated help chat).

Referrals: the referral code you used or shared, who joined with it, and the credits earned, so we can apply credits and prevent abuse.

Artists: business details, the studios or shops they work from (up to 3, with their addresses and the days the artist is at each), verification documents (tattoo licence or registration, insurance and, if they choose to add it, their studio’s premises licence) and payout details (held by Stripe, which also checks the artist’s identity). TatNav does not collect photo ID from artists.

Artist applications: if you apply through the form at tatnav.com/join, or send us your details by direct message or email, we collect your name, contact details, studio address, Instagram handle, styles, prices, photos of your work and, if you send them, your verification documents.

Information from TatNav staff: when our team sets up a profile on an artist’s behalf, we enter the details and photos the artist (or someone with their permission) sent us, and we may note public information such as the artist’s Instagram handle and studio address.

Social media: if you tag TatNav, use a TatNav hashtag or message us on social media, we see your public profile and what you post or send.

Technical data: device type, app version and crash reports, to keep the app working.

2. Health information

You may choose to tell an artist about allergies or medical conditions. This is sensitive data. Only share it with the artist you are booking, and only if you are happy to. We use it only to pass it to that artist, with your explicit consent, and you can delete it from your profile at any time.

3. Why we use your data and our legal basis

To run your account, bookings, payments and messaging: necessary for our contract with you.

To check age, keep payment and tax records and respond to authorities: legal obligation.

To keep TatNav safe (including stopping accounts we have closed from coming back), prevent fraud, referral abuse and fake reviews, and improve the app using anonymised statistics: our legitimate interests.

Chat safety: messages and photos sent in chats are checked automatically when they are sent, to hide harassment, explicit or abusive content and scams, and to add safety tips (for example about paying outside TatNav). Hidden messages are kept for the TatNav team to review. This is in our legitimate interest in keeping users safe; a person reviews anything that leads to action on an account.

The TatNav Assistant answers questions about using TatNav automatically. It cannot see your bookings or payments. Answers can occasionally be wrong, so contact support for anything important.

Artist applications and profiles we set up: to set up your profile, verify you and contact you about joining. This is necessary to take steps at your request before entering a contract with you, and is also in our legitimate interests in building TatNav.

Promoting TatNav with artist content: we may use artists’ photos, videos, name, studio name and profile details on our website, in app store listings and on social media (for example "new artist" posts). This is in our legitimate interests in promoting TatNav and the artists on it. You have the right to object at any time by emailing info@tatnav.com, and we will stop.

Reposting social media content: if you tag TatNav or use a TatNav hashtag, we may repost your public post with credit. This is in our legitimate interests. Ask us and we will take it down.

Optional data (sex, location, marketing emails, health information): your consent, which you can withdraw at any time in the app.

4. Who we share it with

Artists you contact or book see your name, profile photo, your messages, your idea, your images and your "About you" note. After confirmation they also see your phone number. Clients see an artist’s profile, including the studios they work from and the days they are at each, and once booked, the studio and address for their appointment.

Service providers who help run TatNav, under contract and only on our instructions (processors): Stripe (payments, and identity checks when artists set up payouts), Supabase (hosting, database and file storage, on servers in the UK or EU), Apple and Google (sign-in), Resend (account and service emails, such as "Your TatNav account is ready"), Expo (app updates and push notifications) and Anthropic (the AI service behind chat safety checks and the TatNav Assistant, which does not use your data to train its models). We do not use advertising or third-party analytics trackers.

Social media platforms: when we post artist content or repost tagged content, it is published on those platforms (such as Instagram and TikTok) and is then also covered by their own privacy policies.

Police, regulators or courts where the law requires it.

We never sell your personal data.

5. International transfers

Some providers may process data outside the UK. When they do, we use legal safeguards such as UK adequacy regulations or the UK International Data Transfer Agreement.

6. How long we keep it

Account data: while your account is open, then deleted or anonymised within [90 days] of closing it.

Booking and payment records: [6 years], for tax and accounting law.

Messages: [2 years] after your last booking with that artist, unless needed for a dispute.

Messages hidden by chat safety checks: [1 year], for reviewing reports and appeals.

Artist verification documents: only as long as we need them to verify the artist and meet our legal obligations, which is while the artist is on TatNav, plus [1 year].

Artist applications: if an application is unsuccessful, or a profile we set up is never claimed and the artist does not finish joining, we delete the application and its photos and documents after 6 months.

Promotional posts using artist content: removed within a reasonable time after the artist asks us to stop, or after the content is taken off TatNav.

Anonymised statistics may be kept, as they no longer identify you.

7. Your rights

You can ask to see, correct, delete or move your data, ask us to restrict or stop using it, and withdraw consent at any time. Contact info@tatnav.com. We will reply within one month.

You have the right to object to us using your data based on our legitimate interests, including using your photos or profile to promote TatNav. Email info@tatnav.com and we will stop unless the law allows us to continue.

You can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ico.org.uk). We would appreciate the chance to help first.

8. Children

TatNav is only for people aged 18 and over. If we learn that an account belongs to someone under 18, we will close it and delete their data.

9. Security

We use encryption, access controls and trusted providers to protect your data. No system is perfectly secure, so please use a strong password and keep your devices secure.

10. Changes and contact

We will tell you in the app about important changes to this policy.

Questions? Contact info@tatnav.com or write to TatNav Limited, 128 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX.