Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Irish Funeral Notices (“we,” “us,” or “our”). This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal data when you visit or use our website located at https://www.irish-funeral-notices.ie (the “Website”). By accessing or using the Website, you agree to the terms of this Policy.

Effective Date: 05/Jan/2025

Note: This Privacy Policy is provided for informational purposes only. Consult qualified legal counsel to ensure compliance with Irish and EU data protection laws (e.g., GDPR).

2. Data Controller

Irish Funeral Notices is the data controller responsible for your personal data collected through this Website. If you have any questions about this Policy or need to exercise your rights, please contact us at: irishfuneralnotices@gmail.com.

3. Personal Data We Collect

We collect and process the following categories of personal data to provide and improve our Website and services:

  • Account Data (Name & Email): Funeral directors or authorized individuals who post death notices must provide their name and email address. We use passwordless login—when you log in, we email you a sign-in link instead of storing passwords.
  • Condolences Data: Anyone (logged in or not) can post condolences. We collect the name of the person posting the condolence if provided, but users may choose to post anonymously. The message content itself is also collected.
  • Death Notices & Photos: Verified funeral directors or authorized users may upload death notices and photos, which remain publicly available on the site unless removed by the original uploader or upon request.
  • Usage Data: We use Vercel Analytics to gather information such as page views, IP addresses, browser types, and other metrics that help us understand how the Website is used. Vercel Analytics does not rely on traditional cookies but may still capture basic technical data about your visit.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Under the GDPR, we rely on the following legal bases to process your personal data:

  • Consent: When you voluntarily post condolences or provide your name and email address for posting notices.
  • Legitimate Interests: For maintaining our service, improving user experience, monitoring activity to prevent abuse, and facilitating obituary posting by funeral directors.
  • Legal Obligations: In rare cases, we may need to retain or disclose data to comply with applicable law.

5. How We Use Your Information

We use personal data to:

  • Provide and maintain the Website, including displaying death notices.
  • Send login links and administrative communications to funeral directors or authorized users.
  • Monitor and analyze usage trends with Vercel Analytics to improve our services.
  • Share relevant data with funeral directors or third parties for advertising or other legitimate business purposes, subject to confidentiality and compliance with applicable data protection laws.
  • Respond to user inquiries, requests, or complaints.

6. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We do not use traditional cookies for analytics purposes. Instead, we rely on Vercel Analytics to gather basic usage information when you visit our Website. Vercel Analytics may collect:

  • Page URLs visited
  • General location or region (based on IP address)
  • Browser type, version, and operating system
  • Referring/exit pages
  • Timestamps of visits

This data helps us understand how our Website is being used and where improvements can be made. Vercel Analytics does not place a cookie on your device, but it may still capture or process unique identifiers associated with your browser or device.

7. Data Retention

We retain data for as long as necessary to provide our services or comply with laws:

  • Death Notices & Photos: Indefinitely available on the Website unless removed by the original poster or upon request.
  • Condolences: Indefinitely, unless you or the funeral director request removal.
  • Account Data: Retained as long as your account is active or as needed for record-keeping.
  • Analytics Data: Retained according to Vercel Analytics policies, then anonymized or deleted.

8. Data Sharing & Transfers

We may share personal data with:

  • Funeral Directors & Third Parties: For advertising, obituary posting, or related services, subject to confidentiality.
  • Service Providers: We use AWS servers in the EU, and we employ Vercel Analytics. Where data is transferred outside the EU, we implement GDPR-compliant measures such as Standard Contractual Clauses.
  • Legal Obligations: We may disclose data to government authorities or law enforcement if required by law.

9. Security Measures

We take reasonable steps to protect your data, including:

  • HTTPS Encryption: All traffic to and from our Website is encrypted with SSL/TLS.
  • Passwordless Login: We send secure login links rather than storing passwords.
  • Access Controls: We limit access to personal data to authorized personnel.

No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute protection.

10. Your GDPR Rights

If you are in the EEA or otherwise subject to GDPR, you have the right to:

  • Access: Request a copy of your personal data.
  • Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Erasure (“Right to Be Forgotten”): Ask us to delete your data under certain conditions.
  • Restriction/Objection: Limit how we use or share your data, in some cases.
  • Data Portability: Receive your data in a common format.
  • Withdraw Consent: If processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.
  • Complaint: Lodge a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commission or your local supervisory authority.

To exercise these rights, contact us at: irishfuneralnotices@gmail.com.

11. Children’s Privacy

We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal data from anyone under 16 without parental or guardian consent. If you believe a child under 16 has provided us with personal data, please contact us immediately so we can remove such data if necessary.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, regulatory, or operational reasons. When we do, we will post the updated Policy with a new “Effective Date” on this page. Your continued use of the Website after any changes signifies your acceptance of the updated Policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Policy or wish to request the removal or update of any content, please email us at: irishfuneralnotices@gmail.com.