Privacy Policy

Effective Date: July 30, 2026

Last Updated: July 30, 2026

1. INTRODUCTION

Emerald & Oak Design, LLC, a North Carolina limited liability company (“Emerald & Oak Design,” “Emerald & Oak,” “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), respects the privacy of visitors, prospective clients, clients, business contacts, and other individuals who interact with us.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and otherwise process personal information in connection with:

This Privacy Policy applies to website visitors, prospective clients, current and former clients, representatives of clients, vendors, suppliers, professional collaborators, business contacts, and other individuals whose personal information we process in connection with the Services.

This Privacy Policy is intended to provide transparency regarding our information practices. It does not independently create contractual rights beyond those provided by applicable law, and it does not constitute an independent certification, audit, warranty, or legal opinion regarding our privacy or security practices.

Our data practices may vary depending on the nature of your interaction with us, the features you use, your location, and applicable law.

• webpages, subdomains, digital properties, and online forms operated by or on behalf of Emerald & Oak Design;
• email, telephone, text-message, and other communications with Emerald & Oak Design;
• consultation requests, project inquiries, questionnaires, newsletter subscriptions, and similar interactions;
• social-media interactions controlled by Emerald & Oak Design, to the extent described below; and
• other online or offline interactions that link to or expressly incorporate this Privacy Policy,

2. IMPORTANT SCOPE LIMITATIONS

This Privacy Policy does not apply to:

Links to third-party websites, platforms, applications, and services are governed by the privacy practices of those third parties, not this Privacy Policy.

• employment applicants, employees, independent contractors, or personnel where a separate workforce or applicant privacy notice applies;
• information processed solely in a business-to-business capacity where applicable law excludes that information from consumer privacy requirements;
• information governed by a separate written professional-services agreement, confidentiality agreement, or project-specific privacy provision, to the extent that agreement expressly controls;
• information processed entirely by third parties under their own privacy policies and not under our direction or control;
• deidentified, anonymized, or aggregated information that cannot reasonably be linked to an identifiable individual, except where applicable law provides otherwise; or
• information outside the definition of “personal information,” “personal data,” or an equivalent term under applicable law.

3. DEFINITIONS

For purposes of this Privacy Policy:

3.1 Personal Information

“Personal Information” means information that identifies, relates to, describes, is reasonably capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with an identifiable individual or household.

Depending on applicable law, Personal Information may also be referred to as “personal data.”

Personal Information does not necessarily include:

• publicly available information lawfully made available from government records;
• information that an individual has intentionally made available to the general public, where recognized by applicable law;
• lawfully deidentified or aggregated information;
• information excluded from the scope of applicable privacy laws; or
• information relating solely to a legal entity rather than an identifiable individual.

3.2 Processing

“Process,” “processing,” or “processed” means any operation performed on Personal Information, including collecting, recording, organizing, storing, adapting, accessing, reviewing, using, analyzing, transmitting, disclosing, sharing, restricting, deleting, or otherwise handling the information.

3.3 Service Provider

“Service Provider” means a third party that processes Personal Information on our behalf to provide services to us, subject to contractual, legal, or functional limitations governing its use of that information.

3.4 Sensitive Personal Information

“Sensitive Personal Information” may include information treated as sensitive under applicable law, such as precise geolocation, government identification numbers, account credentials, financial-account information, racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, health information, biometric information, sexual orientation, citizenship or immigration status, or the contents of certain private communications.

We do not intentionally request most categories of Sensitive Personal Information through general Site forms.

4. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

We may collect Personal Information:

The categories collected depend on how you interact with us.

• directly from you;
• automatically from your browser or device;
• from other persons involved in a project or business relationship;
• from Service Providers;
• from publicly available sources;
• from professional referral sources;
• from social-media platforms; and
• from other lawful sources.

5.1 Identity and Contact Information

• first and last name;
• city, state, ZIP code, or general geographic location;
• company or organization name;
• preferred communication method; and
• other contact information you provide.

5.2 Project-Inquiry Information

When you request a consultation or submit a design inquiry, we may collect:

Project materials may incidentally reveal Personal Information about you, household members, occupants, guests, employees, contractors, or other individuals. You are responsible for ensuring that you have authority to provide information concerning other individuals.

• approximate square footage;
• room or space information;
• desired furnishings or materials;
• anticipated construction or design budget;
• move-in or completion date;
• builder, architect, contractor, engineer, broker, or other project-team information;
• household needs relevant to the project;
• accessibility or functional preferences voluntarily disclosed;
• descriptions of existing conditions;
• referral source; and
• any additional information you elect to provide.

5.3 Communications

We may collect information contained in:

We may retain the date, time, content, participants, contact information, and related records associated with communications.

We do not record telephone calls unless disclosed and permitted by applicable law.

• responses to questionnaires;

5.4 Client and Transaction Information

If you become a client, we may collect:

Payment-card information, if collected through a third-party payment processor, may be transmitted directly to that processor. We may receive limited transaction information, such as payment status, transaction amount, card type, and the last digits of a payment method, without receiving or storing the full card number.

• vendor and manufacturer information;
• photographs and videos documenting project progress;
• project-management records; and
• other information reasonably necessary to provide services and administer the relationship.

5.5 Marketing and Subscription Information

If you subscribe to newsletters or promotional communications, we may collect:

• telephone number, where applicable;
• engagement information, such as whether an email was opened or a link was selected, where legally permitted; and
• information concerning your interests that you voluntarily provide.

5.6 Reviews, Testimonials, and Portfolio Permissions

If you provide a review, testimonial, photograph, video, or permission for portfolio use, we may collect:

We will not publicly use project materials submitted solely through a general inquiry as a testimonial, advertisement, or portfolio feature merely because you submitted them. Public promotional use will be based on separate authorization, a contractual right, or another lawful basis.

• review or testimonial text;
• consent or authorization records; and
• limitations you place on the authorized use.

5.7 Privacy Requests and Legal Communications

When you submit a privacy request, correction request, copyright notice, legal demand, or similar communication, we may collect:

We will request only information reasonably necessary to evaluate, verify, and respond to the request.

• state or country of residence;
• information reasonably necessary to verify your identity or authority;
• details of the request;
• correspondence about the request;
• records of actions taken; and
• information required to comply with law or defend legal rights.

6. INFORMATION COLLECTED AUTOMATICALLY

When you access or use the Site, our servers, hosting providers, security providers, consent-management tools, and other technology providers may automatically collect technical information.

Some technical information is necessary to deliver, secure, and maintain the Site. Other information, such as analytics data, may be collected only after you provide consent where required or where our consent configuration requires it.

• Internet Protocol address;
• approximate location derived from an IP address;
• referring website or source;
• date and time of access;
• duration of visits;
• network-provider information; and
• other standard technical data.

7.1 What These Technologies Are

Cookies are small text files stored on a browser or device. Similar technologies may include:

These technologies may store or access information on your device.

• embedded code; and

7.2 Categories of Technologies

We may use the following categories:

STRICTLY NECESSARY TECHNOLOGIES

These technologies support essential Site functionality, including:

Where permitted by law, strictly necessary technologies may operate without optional consent because the Site cannot function properly without them.

ANALYTICS AND PERFORMANCE TECHNOLOGIES

These technologies help us understand:

FUNCTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES

These technologies may remember preferences or enable enhanced functionality.

ADVERTISING OR TARGETING TECHNOLOGIES

These technologies may be used to deliver or measure advertising or to track activity across websites or services.

As of the effective date stated above, Emerald & Oak Design does not represent that it uses cross-context behavioral advertising technologies unless such technologies are disclosed through the Site’s then-current consent interface or an updated version of this Privacy Policy.

• accessibility features; and
• other functions necessary to provide a feature you request.
• device and browser usage; and
• general engagement with Site content.

7.3 Consent Configuration

The Site is intended to present a cookie-consent mechanism for optional analytics technologies.

Under our stated configuration:

Actual behavior may depend partly on browser configuration, third-party script behavior, software updates, consent-management configuration, and other technical factors.

We periodically review our configuration but cannot promise that every browser, extension, device, or third-party tool will behave identically.

• optional analytics scripts should not load before the required consent is obtained;
• declining optional analytics should not prevent access to basic Site content;
• consent preferences may be stored through a necessary cookie or local-storage record;
• you may withdraw or change optional consent through the available privacy-preference mechanism; and
• withdrawing consent does not make prior lawful processing unlawful.

7.4 Google Analytics

If you grant analytics consent, we may use Google Analytics or a successor analytics service.

Google Analytics may process information such as:

We use analytics information to evaluate Site performance, understand general usage patterns, improve content, identify technical problems, and support business planning.

Google processes information under its own terms and privacy documentation and may process information in locations outside your state or country.

We do not intentionally use Google Analytics to identify you by name through unrelated websites. However, Google’s processing practices, technical capabilities, and independent uses of information are governed by Google’s own documentation and contractual terms.

• device and browser information;
• session information; and
• cookie or device identifiers.

7.5 Managing Cookies

Depending on the features then available, you may manage cookies by:

Blocking all cookies may affect Site functionality.

Clearing consent cookies may cause the banner to reappear.

Browser-based controls apply to the browser and device on which they are configured and may need to be repeated on other devices or browsers.

• using the Site’s cookie-preference tool;
• declining optional cookies when the banner appears;
• changing your preferences through a privacy or cookie-settings link;
• clearing cookies and local storage;
• adjusting browser settings;
• using browser privacy controls; or
• using legally recognized opt-out signals where applicable and technically supported.

8. INFORMATION FROM OTHER SOURCES

We may receive information from:

8.1 Referral Sources

Architects, builders, real-estate professionals, prior clients, vendors, professional advisers, and other contacts may refer you or provide basic contact and project information.

8.2 Project Participants

A spouse, co-owner, household member, architect, builder, contractor, assistant, representative, or other project participant may provide information relating to you or a shared project.

8.3 Public Sources

We may collect publicly available information from:

• public property records;
• publicly accessible social-media profiles;
• published articles; and
• other lawful public sources.

8.4 Service Providers and Business Partners

We may receive information from website hosts, analytics providers, email providers, customer-relationship-management systems, project-management systems, payment processors, fraud-prevention providers, communications providers, and other vendors.

8.5 Social-Media Platforms

If you interact with us through a social-media platform, we may receive information made available by the platform according to your settings and the platform’s policies.

The platform independently controls much of its data processing.

• public profile information;
• publicly shared photographs;
• engagement information; and
• other information you authorize the platform to disclose.

9. HOW WE USE PERSONAL INFORMATION

We may use Personal Information for the following purposes.

9.1 Providing and Operating the Services

We may use information to:

• operate the Site;
• provide requested information;
• provide customer support;
• administer communications; and
• make Site content available.

9.2 Responding to Inquiries

We may use information to:

• review your request;
• understand your needs;
• determine whether a project may be a potential fit;
• request additional information;
• prepare preliminary materials;
• refer you to another professional where appropriate; and
• maintain records concerning the inquiry.

9.3 Providing Design and Related Services

For clients, we may use information to:

Project-specific processing may also be governed by a separate written agreement.

• perform contractual obligations;
• develop design concepts;
• communicate with authorized project participants;
• arrange delivery or installation;
• invoice and collect payment;
• maintain project records;
• administer warranties or post-project matters;
• resolve disputes; and
• provide related services.

9.4 Business Administration

We may use information to:

• maintain business records;
• manage client and vendor relationships;
• obtain professional advice;
• analyze business operations;
• improve internal processes; and
• support corporate governance.

9.5 Site Analytics and Improvement

Subject to applicable consent requirements, we may use information to:

• understand how visitors use the Site;
• evaluate traffic and engagement;
• assess content performance;
• identify technical issues;
• develop new content;
• measure marketing effectiveness; and
• create aggregated reports.

9.6 Security and Fraud Prevention

We may use information to:

• secure the Site;
• detect malicious activity;
• investigate suspected fraud;
• prevent unauthorized access;
• monitor technical systems;
• enforce our Terms of Use; and
• protect Emerald & Oak Design, users, clients, and third parties.

9.7 Legal and Regulatory Purposes

We may use information to:

• comply with applicable law;
• respond to lawful legal process;
• respond to government requests;
• establish, exercise, or defend legal claims;
• comply with tax and accounting requirements;
• respond to privacy requests;
• respond to intellectual-property claims; and
• protect legal rights and safety.

9.8 Marketing and Relationship Management

Where legally permitted, we may use information to:

We will obtain consent where required and provide legally required opt-out mechanisms.

• provide business updates;
• share design content;
• communicate about services;
• invite individuals to events;
• follow up regarding prior inquiries;
• maintain professional relationships; and
• personalize communications based on information voluntarily provided.

9.9 Portfolio, Publicity, and Testimonials

We may use project information, photographs, reviews, testimonials, or identifying information for portfolio, publicity, advertising, award-submission, or social-media purposes only where authorized by contract, separate permission, applicable law, or another lawful basis.

9.10 Deidentification and Aggregation

We may create deidentified, anonymized, statistical, or aggregated information and use it for lawful purposes, including analytics, research, planning, content improvement, and business administration.

We will not attempt to reidentify information that applicable law requires us to maintain in deidentified form, except where legally permitted to test our deidentification processes.

10. LEGAL BASES FOR PROCESSING

This section is primarily relevant where laws such as the European Union General Data Protection Regulation, United Kingdom data-protection law, or similar laws require identification of a legal basis.

Depending on the processing activity, we may rely on:

10.1 Consent

We may process information based on consent, such as for:

You may withdraw consent as permitted by law. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing completed before withdrawal.

• optional analytics cookies;
• certain marketing communications;
• testimonial or publicity uses;
• optional information you elect to provide; and
• other activities where consent is requested.

10.2 Contractual Necessity

We may process information where necessary to:

• take steps at your request before entering a contract;
• prepare a proposal;
• administer an agreement;
• provide contracted services;
• process payment; or
• perform contractual obligations.

10.3 Legitimate Interests

We may process information where reasonably necessary for legitimate interests, including:

Where required, we consider whether those interests are overridden by the rights and interests of the affected individual.

• operating and improving our business;
• responding to inquiries;
• maintaining professional relationships;
• understanding Site use;
• protecting legal rights; and
• communicating with business contacts.

10.4 Legal Obligations

We may process information to comply with tax, accounting, corporate, consumer-protection, litigation-hold, regulatory, court-order, and other legal obligations.

10.5 Legal Claims and Vital Interests

We may process information where necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims or, in rare circumstances, to protect the vital interests of an individual.

11. HOW WE DISCLOSE PERSONAL INFORMATION

We may disclose Personal Information to the categories described below.

We do not disclose information merely because disclosure is technically possible. Disclosures are made for business, operational, contractual, legal, or other purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

11.1 Hosting and Infrastructure Providers

We may disclose information to providers of:

• form processing; and

11.2 Communications Providers

We may use providers of:

• customer-relationship management; and

11.3 Analytics and Consent Providers

Subject to applicable consent requirements, we may disclose information to providers of:

• error reporting; and

11.4 Professional Advisers

We may disclose information to attorneys, accountants, auditors, insurance professionals, consultants, and other professional advisers where reasonably necessary to obtain advice, administer the business, comply with obligations, or protect legal rights.

11.5 Project Participants and Vendors

In connection with an inquiry or client project, we may disclose relevant information to:

We seek to limit project disclosures to information reasonably relevant to the recipient’s role.

• authorized household representatives; and
• other persons involved in the project.

11.6 Payment and Financial Providers

If payments are processed electronically, information may be disclosed to payment processors, banks, fraud-prevention providers, accounting providers, and financial institutions.

Those providers may independently process payment and identity information under their own policies and legal obligations.

11.7 Governmental and Legal Recipients

We may disclose information:

Where legally permitted and appropriate, we may evaluate legal demands and object to requests we reasonably believe are invalid, excessive, or unlawful.

• in response to a subpoena, court order, warrant, or other lawful process;
• to comply with legal or regulatory obligations;
• to respond to governmental authorities;
• to investigate unlawful activity;
• to prevent fraud or security threats;
• to protect rights, property, or safety;
• to enforce agreements;
• to establish or defend legal claims; or
• where otherwise permitted or required by law.

11.8 Business Transactions

Information may be disclosed or transferred in connection with:

Recipients may use information for evaluating or completing the transaction, subject to applicable confidentiality and legal requirements.

• sale of assets;
• another corporate transaction.

11.9 With Your Direction or Consent

We may disclose information when you direct, request, authorize, or consent to the disclosure.

11.10 Deidentified and Aggregated Information

We may disclose information that has been aggregated or deidentified so that it is not reasonably capable of identifying you, subject to applicable law.

12.1 No Sale for Money

Emerald & Oak Design does not sell Personal Information to third parties in exchange for money.

12.2 Broader Legal Definitions

Some state privacy laws define “sale,” “sharing,” or “targeted advertising” broadly enough to include certain disclosures involving advertising cookies, analytics technologies, or other benefits, even when no money changes hands.

As of the effective date of this Privacy Policy, we do not knowingly use Personal Information for cross-context behavioral advertising or knowingly sell or share Personal Information in a manner requiring a “Do Not Sell or Share” mechanism, except to the extent a then-current Site technology or provider is legally characterized otherwise.

If our practices change, we will update our disclosures and provide required opt-out methods.

12.3 Global Privacy Control

Where legally required and technically supported, we will treat a recognized browser-based opt-out preference signal, such as Global Privacy Control, as a request to opt out of applicable sale, sharing, or targeted-advertising processing for that browser and device.

Because we do not presently claim to engage in such processing, the practical effect of a signal may be limited to controlling optional technologies supported by our consent system.

13. CATEGORIES OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

During the preceding twelve months, we may have collected the following categories, depending on actual interactions:

We do not necessarily collect every category from every individual.

• identifiers, such as name, email address, telephone number, IP address, or online identifiers;
• customer-record information, such as address, signature, project information, or financial transaction records;
• commercial information, such as services considered, project history, purchases, procurement records, or preferences;
• Internet or electronic-network activity, such as browsing, device, interaction, and log information;
• geolocation information, generally approximate location derived from an IP address or a project address voluntarily supplied;
• audio, electronic, visual, or similar information, such as photographs, videos, voicemail, or design images;
• professional or employment-related information, such as employer, role, or professional affiliation;
• inferences, such as likely design interests or service preferences inferred from inquiries and interactions;
• sensitive information voluntarily disclosed in project communications, such as precise property location or accessibility requirements; and
• correspondence and other information you choose to provide.

14. SOURCES OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

We may collect information from:

• your authorized representative;
• household members or property co-owners;
• architects, builders, contractors, and project professionals;
• publicly available sources;
• website, hosting, analytics, and security providers;
• vendors and suppliers;
• governmental or property records; and
• other lawful sources.

15. DATA RETENTION

We retain Personal Information for no longer than reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, subject to legal, contractual, operational, security, insurance, tax, accounting, recordkeeping, and dispute-resolution requirements.

Typical retention considerations include:

• the nature and sensitivity of the information;
• the purpose for which it was collected;
• the duration of a client or business relationship;
• whether an inquiry became a project;
• applicable limitation periods;
• professional recordkeeping needs;
• tax and accounting obligations;
• warranty or product-lifecycle considerations;
• anticipated or pending disputes;
• backup cycles; and
• whether information can be deidentified.

15.1 Unsuccessful or Preliminary Inquiries

We may retain inquiry information for a reasonable period to:

• respond to the inquiry;
• follow up where appropriate;
• avoid duplicate requests;
• assess future opportunities;
• maintain referral records; and
• protect legal rights.

15.2 Client and Project Records

We may retain client and project records for the duration of the relationship and afterward for a period reasonably necessary to support:

• warranty or product issues;
• historical project reference;
• professional standards; and

15.3 Financial Records

Invoices, payment records, tax records, and related information may be retained for periods required or advisable under tax, accounting, audit, insurance, and legal requirements.

15.4 Marketing Records

Subscription and consent records may be retained while you remain subscribed and afterward as necessary to document consent, honor opt-out requests, and prevent communications after unsubscribing.

We may maintain a suppression record containing limited contact information to ensure that an opt-out remains effective.

15.5 Analytics Information

Analytics data may be retained according to our configuration and the applicable provider’s retention controls. Aggregated or deidentified reports may be retained for longer periods.

15.6 Security Logs

Security, access, and technical logs may be retained for a period reasonably necessary to monitor, investigate, and respond to technical or security events.

15.7 Privacy and Legal Requests

Privacy requests, identity-verification records, legal notices, and our responses may be retained as necessary to demonstrate compliance, prevent fraud, and establish or defend legal claims.

15.8 Backups

Deleted information may remain temporarily in secure backups until overwritten or deleted under standard backup cycles.

We may retain information longer when required by law, subject to a legal hold, necessary to protect legal rights, or reasonably necessary for security and fraud prevention.

16. DATA MINIMIZATION

We seek to collect and retain information reasonably relevant to identified business and legal purposes.

Please do not submit through general Site forms:

unless we specifically request the information through an appropriate channel and explain why it is needed.

If you submit unrequested sensitive information, we may delete, restrict, return, or otherwise handle it as reasonably appropriate.

• Social Security numbers;
• full financial-account numbers;
• full payment-card information;
• information concerning children;
• confidential legal communications;
• trade secrets; or
• other highly sensitive information,

17. SECURITY

We use administrative, technical, organizational, and physical safeguards that we consider commercially reasonable and appropriate to the nature of the information processed.

Depending on the systems and circumstances, safeguards may include:

However, no method of transmission, storage, or security is completely secure.

We cannot and do not guarantee:

You are responsible for using reasonable care when transmitting information to us.

If you believe information submitted to us has been compromised, contact us promptly using the information below.

• multifactor authentication where available;
• encryption in transit;
• encryption at rest where supported;
• logging and monitoring;
• secure disposal practices; and
• employee or contractor awareness measures.
• prevention of every unauthorized access;
• that communications sent by ordinary email are encrypted end-to-end;
• that third-party providers will never experience a security event; or
• that information will never be lost, altered, accessed, or disclosed improperly.

18. DATA-BREACH RESPONSE

If we become aware of a security incident affecting Personal Information, we may:

Whether notice is provided, the timing of notice, and the contents of any notice will depend on applicable law and the nature of the incident.

• investigate the incident;
• contain or remediate the issue;
• consult cybersecurity, insurance, and legal professionals;
• notify providers or affected parties;
• notify regulators or law enforcement;
• provide legally required notices; and
• take other appropriate actions.

19. YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have some or all of the following rights:

These rights are not absolute.

We may deny or limit a request when:

• to confirm whether we process your Personal Information;
• to access Personal Information;
• to obtain specific pieces or categories of Personal Information;
• to learn the categories of sources from which information was collected;
• to learn the purposes for processing;
• to learn the categories of recipients;
• to correct inaccurate information;
• to delete information, subject to exceptions;
• to obtain a portable copy of certain information;
• to restrict certain processing;
• to object to certain processing;
• to withdraw consent;
• to opt out of sale;
• to opt out of sharing for cross-context behavioral advertising;
• to opt out of targeted advertising;
• to opt out of certain profiling;
• to limit certain uses of Sensitive Personal Information;
• to appeal a denied request;
• to lodge a complaint with an applicable regulator; and
• to receive equal service and not be unlawfully discriminated against for exercising a privacy right.
• an exception applies;
• we cannot verify the requester;
• the request is fraudulent, abusive, excessive, or technically infeasible;
• information must be retained to complete a transaction or provide a requested service;
• retention is required by law;
• information is necessary for security or fraud prevention;
• information is necessary to establish or defend legal claims;
• disclosure would adversely affect another person’s rights;
• information is subject to legal privilege;
• the information is outside the scope of applicable law; or
• another lawful basis permits continued processing.

20. SUBMITTING A PRIVACY REQUEST

To submit a request, contact:

Emerald & Oak Design, LLC

4401 Barclay Downs Drive, Suite 132

Charlotte, North Carolina 28209

Do not send copies of government identification unless we specifically request them.

• the email address or telephone number associated with your interaction;
• your state or country of residence;
• the right you wish to exercise;
• a description of the information or interaction at issue; and
• any information reasonably necessary to locate relevant records.

21. VERIFICATION OF REQUESTS

We may take reasonable steps to verify:

Verification methods may include:

We will avoid requesting more information than reasonably necessary for verification.

If we cannot verify a request, we may deny it or respond only to the extent permitted by law.

• your relationship with Emerald & Oak Design;
• your authority to act for another person; and
• the scope and authenticity of the request.
• matching information supplied with existing records;
• sending a confirmation message to an email address or telephone number already associated with you;
• requesting additional information;
• asking you to sign a declaration where legally permitted; or
• using a third-party identity-verification provider where appropriate.

22. AUTHORIZED AGENTS

Where applicable law permits, you may authorize another person to submit a privacy request on your behalf.

We may deny an agent request that does not satisfy applicable verification requirements.

• written permission signed by you;
• proof of the agent’s identity;
• verification of your identity directly with us;
• confirmation that you authorized the request; or
• legally valid power-of-attorney documentation.

23. RESPONSE TIMING AND APPEALS

We will respond to verified privacy requests within the period required by applicable law.

We may extend the response period where legally permitted based on the complexity or number of requests. If an extension applies, we will provide notice as required.

If applicable state law provides a right to appeal a denial, you may submit an appeal using the same contact information and label the request “Privacy Appeal.”

We will review the appeal and respond within the legally required period.

24. NONDISCRIMINATION

We will not unlawfully discriminate against you for exercising an applicable privacy right.

Exercising a right will not, by itself, result in:

except where a difference is reasonably related to the value or availability of information and permitted by law.

• denial of services;
• reduced service quality; or

25. CALIFORNIA PRIVACY DISCLOSURES

This section applies only to the extent Emerald & Oak Design is subject to applicable California privacy law with respect to the individual and processing activity at issue.

California residents may have rights to:

The categories of information, sources, purposes, and recipients are described throughout this Privacy Policy.

• know the categories and specific pieces of Personal Information collected;
• know the categories of sources;
• know the business or commercial purposes for collection, use, sale, or sharing;
• know categories of third parties to whom information is disclosed;
• delete Personal Information;
• correct inaccurate Personal Information;
• opt out of sale or sharing;
• limit certain uses or disclosures of Sensitive Personal Information; and
• receive nondiscriminatory treatment.

25.1 Sale and Sharing

We do not sell Personal Information for money.

As of the effective date, we do not knowingly sell or share Personal Information for cross-context behavioral advertising in a manner that we believe requires a California opt-out link.

If this changes, we will provide appropriate notices and opt-out mechanisms.

25.2 Sensitive Personal Information

We do not use or disclose Sensitive Personal Information for purposes that, to our knowledge, require a separate right-to-limit notice, except as necessary to provide requested services, protect security, comply with law, or perform other legally permitted activities.

25.3 Minors

We do not knowingly sell or share the Personal Information of individuals under sixteen years of age.

25.4 California “Shine the Light”

To the extent California Civil Code Section 1798.83 applies, California residents may request information concerning certain disclosures of Personal Information to third parties for those parties’ direct-marketing purposes.

We do not disclose Personal Information to third parties for their own direct marketing in the manner contemplated by that law without appropriate authorization.

25.5 Do Not Track

Some browsers transmit “Do Not Track” signals.

Because no universally accepted standard governs all such signals, the Site may not respond to ordinary Do Not Track signals.

Where applicable law requires recognition of an opt-out preference signal, we intend to honor supported, legally recognized signals as described above.

25.6 California Metrics

If applicable law requires publication of privacy-request metrics, we will publish or make those metrics available as required.

26. OTHER UNITED STATES STATE PRIVACY RIGHTS

Residents of states with comprehensive consumer privacy laws may have rights similar to those described above, subject to legal applicability thresholds, exemptions, and exceptions.

Depending on the state, rights may include:

Emerald & Oak Design will evaluate requests under the law applicable to the requester and processing activity.

Nothing in this Privacy Policy represents that every state privacy statute applies to Emerald & Oak Design. Applicability may depend on revenue, processing volume, business activities, exemptions, and other legal criteria.

• confirmation of processing;
• opt-out of sale;
• opt-out of targeted advertising;
• opt-out of certain profiling;
• consent requirements for Sensitive Personal Information;
• appeal rights; and

27. EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA, UNITED KINGDOM, AND SWITZERLAND

This section applies only where European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or Swiss data-protection law governs the relevant processing.

27.1 Controller

Unless otherwise stated, Emerald & Oak Design, LLC is the controller of Personal Information processed for its own purposes.

27.2 Legal Bases

Applicable legal bases are described in the “Legal Bases for Processing” section.

27.3 International Transfers

Emerald & Oak Design is located in the United States.

If you are located outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States and other countries whose data-protection laws may differ from those in your country.

Where required, we may rely on:

• standard contractual clauses;
• other approved transfer mechanisms.

27.4 Rights

Subject to applicable law, you may have rights to:

• withdrawal of consent; and
• complaint to a supervisory authority.

27.5 Objection to Legitimate Interests or Direct Marketing

Where processing is based on legitimate interests, you may have a right to object based on your particular situation.

You may object to direct marketing at any time.

27.6 Supervisory Authority

You may lodge a complaint with the data-protection authority in the country where you reside, work, or believe an infringement occurred.

27.7 Representative and Data Protection Officer

Emerald & Oak Design has not appointed a European representative or Data Protection Officer unless legally required and separately identified on the Site.

Nothing in this Privacy Policy represents that such an appointment is legally required.

28. INTERNATIONAL USERS

The Site is operated from the United States.

If you access the Site from outside the United States, you understand that information may be processed in the United States and other jurisdictions.

You are responsible for determining whether use of the Site is lawful in your location.

Where nonwaivable local privacy laws apply, we will seek to process information consistently with those laws.

29. CHILDREN’S PRIVACY

The Site and Services are intended for adults and are not directed to children under thirteen years of age.

We do not knowingly collect Personal Information online from children under thirteen without legally required parental consent.

We also do not knowingly sell or share Personal Information concerning individuals under sixteen.

If you believe a child has submitted Personal Information to us, contact us promptly.

We may request reasonable information to identify the relevant record and will take appropriate steps to delete or otherwise address the information where required.

Parents and guardians should not submit information concerning children unless reasonably necessary for a legitimate design project and authorized by the parent or guardian.

30. THIRD-PARTY LINKS, EMBEDS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA

The Site may contain:

Third parties may collect information when you interact with their content, even when it appears within the Site.

Their collection and processing are governed by their own privacy policies, terms, and consent mechanisms.

We do not control and are not responsible for third-party privacy, security, accuracy, availability, or data practices.

A link or embed does not necessarily imply endorsement, affiliation, or responsibility.

• links to third-party websites;
• review platforms; and
• other third-party content.

31. EMAIL AND MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

You may opt out of promotional email by:

Even after opting out of marketing, we may continue to send nonpromotional communications relating to:

Please allow a reasonable period for an opt-out request to be processed.

We may retain a limited suppression record to ensure that your preference is honored.

• selecting the unsubscribe link in the email; or
• contacting us using the information below.
• privacy requests; and
• other service-related matters.

32. TELEPHONE AND TEXT COMMUNICATIONS

If you provide a telephone number, we may use it to respond to your inquiry or communicate about a requested or ongoing business relationship.

We will not interpret the mere provision of a telephone number as consent to automated promotional calls or text messages where separate express consent is legally required.

If we implement promotional text-message programs, separate disclosures and consent terms may apply.

Standard carrier charges may apply to text communications.

You may ask us to stop promotional text messages using the method stated in the applicable message.

33. AUTOMATED DECISION-MAKING

Emerald & Oak Design does not presently make decisions producing legal or similarly significant effects about individuals solely through automated processing.

We may use ordinary tools to:

Human personnel remain involved in material client-acceptance and project decisions.

If our use of legally significant automated decision-making changes, we will update this Privacy Policy and provide rights required by applicable law.

• identify malicious traffic;
• analyze Site performance; or
• support internal administrative tasks.

34. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS

Emerald & Oak Design may use artificial-intelligence-assisted tools for limited business purposes, such as:

Where we use such tools, we seek to apply reasonable review and confidentiality practices appropriate to the information involved.

We do not intentionally submit highly sensitive client information to public artificial-intelligence systems without authorization or an appropriate business reason and safeguard.

Artificial-intelligence providers may process information under their own terms, enterprise agreements, or service-provider commitments.

AI-generated or AI-assisted output may contain errors and is subject to human review where used in material business decisions.

• grammar or formatting review;
• image or design visualization;
• research assistance; or

35. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect:

The revised policy will identify its effective or last-updated date.

Where required by law, or where a change materially affects how previously collected Personal Information is used, we may provide additional notice and obtain consent where required.

A revised Privacy Policy applies prospectively from its effective date unless applicable law permits otherwise.

Your continued use of the Site does not waive privacy rights or constitute consent where applicable law requires a more specific affirmative choice.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

• changes in law;
• changes in our Services;
• changes in technology;
• changes in vendors;
• changes in data practices;
• security developments; or

36. CONFLICTS WITH OTHER AGREEMENTS

This Privacy Policy is intended to operate together with:

If a separate signed agreement contains a specific privacy or confidentiality provision that directly conflicts with this Privacy Policy, the signed agreement will control for the subject matter and parties it governs, except where applicable law requires otherwise.

• the Terms of Use;
• the Cookie Policy;
• the Editorial Standards;
• consent forms; and
• other applicable notices.

37. CONTACT INFORMATION

For questions, concerns, complaints, or privacy requests, contact:

Emerald & Oak Design, LLC

4401 Barclay Downs Drive, Suite 132

Charlotte, North Carolina 28209

When contacting us, please provide enough information for us to understand and respond to your request, but do not send highly sensitive information unless we specifically request it through an appropriate channel.

38. PRIVACY REQUEST SUMMARY

You may use the contact information above to request, where applicable:

We will evaluate and respond to requests in accordance with the law applicable to the request.

• access to your Personal Information;
• correction of inaccurate information;
• deletion of information;
• a portable copy of information;
• restriction or objection;
• withdrawal of consent;
• information regarding disclosures;
• an appeal of a denied privacy request; or
• assistance with cookie preferences.