Privacy Policy
last updated: february 7, 2026
at Ouidah Origins, we believe privacy is a right, not a luxury. this policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your data.
what we collect
information you provide
when you use our contact form ("send a missive") or our concierge service, we collect:
- Your name
- Email address
- intent/reason for contact (return to roots, cultural discovery, visit, group, partnership)
- optional message content
- for a concierge request: phone number, travel dates, project details (e.g. genealogy research, itinerary) and payment information where applicable
automatically collected information
we collect minimal technical data:
- analytics: page views, browser type, device type (via privacy-respecting analytics)
- PWA cache: offline content stored locally on your device (you control this)
- theme preference: day/night mode saved in browser localStorage
Note
we do NOT use:
how we use your data
we use collected information solely for:
communication: responding to your inquiries via the contact form
site improvement: understanding which content resonates (aggregate data only)
technical maintenance: ensuring the PWA and offline features work correctly
we never sell or rent your personal information. it is shared only with the technical providers necessary to operate the service (hosting, email, request management — see "third-party services" below), or as required by law.
data storage & security
Email Provider
contact notifications are sent via resend, a privacy-focused email service.
retention of contact requests
information submitted through our contact form or concierge service (name, email, intent, message, and project details where applicable) is stored in a secured Google Sheets spreadsheet, used to follow up on your request and manage our business relationship. this data is kept for 3 years from your last contact with us, then deleted, unless a longer legal retention period applies (notably for accounting purposes on paid services). you may request its deletion at any time (see "your rights" below).
PWA/Offline Storage
content cached for offline use is stored locally on your device via service workers. you can clear this at any time through your browser settings.
Security Measures
- HTTPS encryption for all data transmission
- restricted access to stored data, limited to people handling your request
- regular security audits of dependencies
Third-Party Services
we use the following external services:
- vercel – hosting (governed by their privacy policy)
- resend – email delivery (gdpr-compliant)
- google sheets – storage of contact and concierge requests (governed by Google's privacy policy)
- google fonts – typography (self-hosted to avoid tracking)
we choose vendors who respect user privacy. no service has unrestricted access to user data.
Children's Privacy
this site is intended for general audiences. we do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. if you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.
Your Rights
under GDPR and similar privacy laws, you have the right to:
Erase my data
You can request deletion of the profile and identifiers tied to this device at any time. This is immediate and irreversible.
Questions?
if you have questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your data, please reach out.