Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

LM Studios (“we”, “us”, or “our”) is a web design and development agency based in Midrand, Gauteng, South Africa. We are committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) and any applicable South African data protection legislation.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and your rights regarding your information. By using our website or engaging our services, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to deliver our services and communicate with you:

• Contact details — your name, email address, and phone number submitted via our contact form or direct communication.
• Project information — business name, website requirements, and other details you share during a project consultation.
• Usage data — anonymous browsing data collected via Google Analytics 4 (pages visited, session duration, device type, approximate location). This data does not identify you personally.
• Cookies — small files stored by your browser to enable site functionality and analytics. See Section 7 for more detail.

We do not collect sensitive personal information (such as identity numbers, financial account details, or health records).

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to:

• Respond to enquiries and project requests.
• Deliver, manage, and improve the web design, development, SEO, and photography services you commission.
• Send project updates, invoices, and support communications.
• Analyse anonymous site traffic to improve website performance and user experience.
• Comply with legal obligations where required.

We will not use your personal information for unsolicited marketing without your consent.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Under POPIA, we process your personal information on the following lawful grounds:

• Contractual necessity — processing required to deliver the services you have engaged us for.
• Legitimate interest — improving our services and communicating with prospective clients.
• Consent — where you have explicitly agreed to receive communications or where cookies require your consent.
• Legal obligation — where South African law requires us to process or retain certain information.

5. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers — third-party tools we use to operate our business (e.g., Google Analytics, hosting providers). These parties are bound by their own privacy policies and data processing agreements.
• Legal requirements — where disclosure is required by law, court order, or a regulatory authority.
• Business continuity — in the event of a merger or acquisition, your information may transfer to the successor entity under the same terms.

6. Third-Party Services

Our website uses the following third-party services that may process data independently:

• Google Analytics 4 — anonymous site traffic analysis. Google may process data outside South Africa. See Google's Privacy Policy.
• Vercel — website hosting and edge network infrastructure.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party services. We recommend reviewing their respective policies.

7. Cookies

We use the following types of cookies on our website:

• Essential cookies — necessary for the website to function correctly. These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies — used by Google Analytics 4 to collect anonymous usage statistics. You may opt out via your browser settings or a Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies. Disabling analytics cookies will not affect your ability to use our website.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by South African law. Contact enquiry data is retained for up to 3 years unless you request deletion sooner. Project and invoicing records are retained for a minimum of 5 years in line with financial record-keeping requirements.

9. Your Rights Under POPIA

As a data subject under POPIA, you have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction — ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion — request that we delete your personal information (subject to legal retention obligations).
• Objection — object to certain types of processing, including direct marketing.
• Complaint — lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe we have not handled your information lawfully.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Section 11 below.

10. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. If you have reason to believe your interaction with us is no longer secure, please contact us immediately.

11. Contact Us

For any privacy-related queries, requests, or complaints, please contact our Information Officer:

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website or services after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.