Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 23, 2026

Lightning Bug Tattoos ("we," "us," "our," "the studio") operates this website to let clients browse our artists' work, request appointments, and complete the waivers required before a tattoo appointment. This policy explains what information we collect through the site, why we collect it, and how it's handled. We're based in Regina, Saskatchewan, and handle personal information in line with Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

1. Information we collect

What we collect depends on what you do on the site:

Booking requests

• Your name, email address, and phone number
• Requested artist, date, time, and appointment details (size, colour, placement)
• Reference photos or a photo of the area to be tattooed, if you choose to upload one
• Notes about your idea, cover-up status, accessibility or accommodation needs, and whether you'll be 18 or older at the appointment
• If you tell us someone referred you, that person's name

Waivers

Before your appointment we require a signed waiver. For an adult waiver this includes your legal name, date of birth, government ID number and issuing region, phone, email, an emergency contact's name and phone number, and your signature. For a client under 18, the youth waiver instead collects the minor's name, date of birth, and email, plus a parent or legal guardian's name, relationship, phone, email, age certification, and signature - a minor cannot complete this on their own.

Contact form and general inquiries

If you message us through the contact form, we collect your name, email address, and whatever you write to us.

2. Photos you upload

Reference and placement photos are automatically resized, converted to a smaller file format, and stripped of embedded metadata (including any GPS location data your phone may have attached) as soon as they're uploaded - your artist only ever sees the image itself, not the original file or any location data.

3. Why we collect this information

We use it to review and confirm booking requests, contact you about your appointment, verify age and consent as legally required before tattooing, keep the records our studio is required to retain, and respond to questions sent through the contact form. We don't use anything you submit for advertising, and we don't sell your information to anyone.

4. Cookies and site analytics

The site uses a small number of cookies, all functional rather than for tracking or advertising:

• A login session cookie for artists and admin staff
• A security cookie that protects forms against cross-site attacks
• An optional "remember this device" cookie if a staff member with two-factor login chooses not to be asked again on that device

None of these are set for visitors just browsing the site or booking an appointment - they only apply to staff logging into the studio dashboard. We also use Cloudflare's Web Analytics to see how the site is performing; it's cookie-free by design and doesn't track you across other sites.

5. How we protect your information

The site is served entirely over encrypted HTTPS. Staff accounts use hashed passwords (never stored in plain text), can require two-factor authentication, and are rate-limited against repeated login attempts. Access to bookings and waivers is restricted to the studio's own staff accounts, and security-relevant actions are logged internally.

6. Who we share information with

We don't sell or rent your information. A limited number of outside services help us run the site and studio, and only see what's needed to do that:

• Cloudflare - provides security and performance for the site (e.g. blocking malicious traffic)
• Our email service provider - sends booking confirmations, reminders, and reply notifications on our behalf
• Instagram - our homepage displays our public Instagram posts; this is pulled and cached by us, not a live embedded widget, so viewing our homepage doesn't send your browsing activity to Instagram

We may also disclose information where required by law.

7. Payments

This website does not process payments and never sees your card or banking details - it isn't collected or stored anywhere on the site. Deposits to confirm a booking are arranged directly with your artist once your request is approved (see our studio info page for current deposit details).

8. Minors and guardian consent

We do knowingly work with clients under 18 in line with our age policy, but only with a parent or legal guardian's completed consent through the youth waiver - a minor cannot book or waiver on their own. Guardian contact information collected through that form is used solely to verify consent and reach the guardian if needed.

9. How long we keep information

We keep booking and waiver records indefinitely as part of our permanent client and business records - this is a deliberate choice, not an oversight, since a completed waiver may need to be referenced years after an appointment. This data is stored on infrastructure we operate and control, not handed off to a third-party data broker or analytics platform, and we never sell it.

10. Your rights

You can ask us what information we hold about you or request a correction at any time. Because we keep waivers and booking records permanently as part of our business records, we generally don't delete them on request, but reach out using the contact details below and we're happy to discuss your specific situation.

11. Changes to this policy

If we make a meaningful change to how we handle information, we'll update this page and the date at the top.

12. Contact us