Legal

Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 2026. This covers what I collect when you order a video, why I need it, and how to get it removed.

1. The short version

I collect what I need to make your video, plus your email address if you choose to join the mailing list. Nothing else. I don't run analytics, advertising, or tracking of any kind. I will never sell or share your information with anyone, and I don't share your video publicly unless you specifically check the box asking me to.

2. What I collect

When you place an order and submit your brief, I collect:

  • Your name and the email address you used at checkout
  • Which tier you bought, and a payment reference from Stripe
  • The reference material you upload or link to: photos, video, and audio, which may show you and other people
  • Your written brief: who the characters are, the scene description, and who says what
  • A record of which consent boxes you checked, and when
  • If you opt in to public sharing, that choice and any handle you give me for credit

I never see or store your card details. Payment is handled entirely by Stripe. I only receive confirmation that payment succeeded, plus the email you used.

Separately, if you sign up for the mailing list, I store the email address you give me and nothing else. See section 9 for what that involves. You don't have to order to sign up, and you don't have to sign up to order.

3. What I don't collect

There is no analytics software, no advertising network, no tracking pixels, and no third-party cookies on this site. I don't build a profile of you, and I don't track you across other websites. If I ever add analytics, I'll update this page first.

4. Why I need it

To make the video you paid for, to match your brief to your payment, to contact you if something in the brief needs clarifying, and to deliver the finished file. The consent record exists so both of us have proof of what was agreed at the time of the order.

5. Who it's shared with

I don't sell your data or share it for marketing. It passes through a small number of service providers who help run the business:

  • Stripe processes payments and holds your payment details
  • Supabase stores your brief and your uploaded files
  • Vercel hosts this website

I may also use AI tools to produce your video, which means your reference material is processed by those tools as part of making it. Beyond this, I'll only disclose your information if the law requires it.

6. How long I keep it

I keep your source material for 90 days after delivery, then delete it. Order records (name, email, tier, and the consent record) are kept for 7 years because I need them for tax and accounting purposes. You can ask me to delete your source material sooner, at any time.

7. How it's stored

Uploaded files go into a private storage bucket that is not publicly accessible and is not browsable from the web. Order records are stored in a database configured so that the public site can add an order but cannot read anyone's information back out. No system is perfectly secure, but your material is not sitting on a public URL.

8. Other people in your material

Your reference material usually shows people other than you. When you place an order you confirm that you have their permission. If you are one of those people and you want your likeness removed, email me at hello@hotmessdotgov.com and I will delete the material, whether or not you were the person who placed the order.

9. The mailing list

There are two places you can join my mailing list: a signup on the home page, and an optional checkbox on the intake form. It is never ticked for you, and joining is never a condition of ordering.

If you join, I store your email address and nothing else. I use it to send an occasional discount, the odd bit of news, and word if ordering ever pauses or reopens. I will never sell your email address, never share it with anyone, and never spam you. Every email includes an unsubscribe link, and you can also just reply and ask me to remove you. If you unsubscribe, I stop emailing you and delete your address from the list.

10. Public sharing is opt-in

Orders are private by default. Your finished video is only shown publicly, as an example or on social media, if you ticked the optional sharing box on the intake form. You can change your mind, just email me and I'll take it down.

11. Your rights

You can ask me for a copy of what I hold about you, ask me to correct it, or ask me to delete it. Email hello@hotmessdotgov.com and I'll respond within 30 days. Depending on where you live you may have additional rights under laws such as the GDPR or the CCPA; I'll honor those requests regardless of where you are.

12. Children

This service is for adults. I don't knowingly collect information from anyone under 18, and I don't create videos depicting minors. See the Content Guidelines for details.

13. Changes to this policy

If this policy changes, I'll update the date at the top of this page. Continued use of the site after a change means you accept the updated policy.

14. Contact

Questions, or want your data removed? Email hello@hotmessdotgov.com.

See also the Terms of Service and the Content Guidelines.