Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 2026

This Privacy Policy explains what personal data FPO — World Federation of Photographic Organizations ("FPO", "we", "us") collects through worldphotofederation.com, why we collect it, and what rights you have regarding your data.

Data Controller

The data controller responsible for your personal data is the legal entity operating FPO. For any questions regarding data protection, you can reach us at office@worldphotofederation.com.

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data on the following legal bases:

• Performance of a Contract: Creating and managing your account, processing membership, patronage, or distinction requests, and displaying public profiles or competition results as part of the service.
• Legitimate Interest: Protecting the platform against unauthorized access, automated abuse, spam, and fraud.
• Consent: Where explicitly requested for optional features or communications.

1. Information We Collect

• Account Information: First and last name, postal address, email address, and a securely hashed password provided during registration as an individual member or an organizing entity.
• Content You Provide: Profile photos, biographies, portfolio images, exhibition details, jury information, and uploaded competition rules.
• Payment Information: We do not store or process payment card details directly. All transactions are handled securely by third-party payment gateways (e.g., PayPal). We only receive confirmation of payment, the amount, and a transaction reference.
• Technical Information: Temporary IP addresses and login timestamps kept strictly to safeguard platform security and protect accounts from unauthorized access.
• Contact Form Submissions: Name, email address, and message content used solely to respond to your inquiries.

2. How We Use Your Information

• To set up, maintain, and manage your account.
• To display your public profile, portfolio, exhibition listings, and distinction rankings according to your account settings.
• To process transaction confirmations and manage service access.
• To send critical transactional communications (account verification, password resets, payment receipts, and status updates).
• To maintain platform security, prevent abuse, and enforce platform terms.

3. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We share information only with service providers necessary to operate the platform:

• Payment Processors: To complete transactions securely.
• Hosting Providers: Infrastructure partners storing server databases and uploaded files.
• Email Delivery Services: Third-party mail providers that handle transactional emails and system notifications.

Public Profile & Global Display: Information you choose to publish (such as your name, country, portfolio images, and competition results) is publicly accessible to platform visitors. Because FPO operates internationally, your data may be stored or accessed globally by third-party infrastructure providers ensuring reliable service uptime.

4. Data Retention

We retain personal account information as long as your account remains active. Upon a valid account deletion request, personal identifying data (such as contact information and profile pictures) will be removed within a reasonable timeframe, unless retention is legally required for financial or transaction recordkeeping.

Historical Records Notice: Exhibition data, awards, and historical competition results are preserved indefinitely as part of the official public FPO ranking archive, as they constitute a permanent record of competitive photographic achievements.

5. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you have certain rights regarding your personal data, including:

• The right to access and review your data.
• The right to request corrections to inaccurate information.
• The right to request the deletion of personal data (subject to permanent competition record exemptions).
• The right to object to or restrict processing under valid circumstances.

To exercise any of these rights, contact office@worldphotofederation.com. You also retain the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

6. Cookies

We use essential session cookies strictly required for authentication and keeping you logged into your account. We do not use non-essential tracking, advertising, or analytics cookies.

7. Contact Us

For any inquiries regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact: office@worldphotofederation.com.