European Freediving Photography Award® — Edition I 2026

1. Data Controller

The Controller of the personal data collected in the context of the European Freediving Photography Award® (EFPA) is:

ASD La Parola del Mare Club

Via di Chiadino 58, 34141 Trieste (TS), Italy

Email: info@freedivingphotoaward.com

Website: www.freedivingphotoaward.com

No Data Protection Officer (DPO) has been appointed, as the Association does not fall within the mandatory appointment cases set out in Article 37 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR).

2. Data Collected and Purposes

2.1 Contact Form

Through the contact form we collect: first and last name, email address, country of residence, subject, and message. The data is processed solely to respond to the request, on the basis of legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).

2.2 Contest Registration

When registering for EFPA we collect: first and last name, email, country, submitted photographic works, EXIF/IPTC metadata, and payment information. Processing is necessary for the management of the contest and the performance of the contractual relationship (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR).

2.3 Payments

Payment data is processed through Stripe (credit/debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay), a secure third-party payment provider. ASD La Parola del Mare Club does not directly store payment card data. Processing is based on the performance of the contract (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) and compliance with legal obligations (Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR).

2.4 Newsletter

If you subscribe to the newsletter, we collect your email address and, optionally, your name. Processing is based on explicit consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). You may withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any newsletter or by writing to info@freedivingphotoaward.com.

2.5 Submitted Photographs

Photographs submitted to the contest are processed for the purposes of Jury evaluation, publication on official EFPA channels, exhibition, inclusion in the EFPA Charity Calendar, and promotional use, in accordance with the license granted under Article 11 of the Official Regulations.

3. Cookies

Our website uses the following types of cookies:

Technical cookies — strictly necessary for the proper functioning of the website.

Google Analytics cookies — used to analyze website traffic in anonymized form. You may opt out via: tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

Meta Pixel — used to measure and optimize promotional activity on Meta channels (Facebook and Instagram), active only upon consent.

Google reCAPTCHA — used to protect forms from spam and automated abuse.

You may manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings or through our consent banner.

4. Data Retention

Contact form data: retained for 2 years from the date of the request.

Contest registration data: retained for 5 years from the closing of the contest, as required by law and the Official Regulations.

Payment data: retained for 10 years in compliance with Italian tax and accounting obligations.

Newsletter data: retained until unsubscription or withdrawal of consent.

Submitted photographs: retained for the duration of the three-year license period and, if published online, may remain accessible thereafter for archival purposes.

5. Data Sharing and Third Parties

Personal data will not be sold or transferred to third parties for commercial purposes. Data may be shared with:

Jury members — exclusively for the anonymous evaluation of submitted works.

IT service providers and platforms — acting as Data Processors under appropriate agreements.

Payment processors — for the secure management of entry fees.

Public authorities — where required by law.

Some providers (e.g. Google, Meta) may transfer data outside the European Economic Area. Such transfers are governed by Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission.

6. Your Rights

Under the GDPR you have the right to:

Access — obtain confirmation of processing and receive a copy of your data.

Rectification — request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.

Erasure — request deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”), where applicable.

Restriction — request restriction of processing in certain circumstances.

Portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.

Objection — object to processing based on legitimate interest.

Withdrawal of consent — at any time, where processing is based on consent.

To exercise these rights, write to: info@freedivingphotoaward.com. We will respond within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Italian Data Protection Authority (Garante per la protezione dei dati personali): www.garanteprivacy.it.

7. Security

ASD La Parola del Mare Club implements appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data against unauthorized access, loss, destruction, or alteration, in accordance with Art. 32 GDPR.

8. Updates to This Notice

This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically to reflect regulatory changes or changes in processing practices. The updated version is always available at www.freedivingphotoaward.com/privacy. The date of the last update is indicated below.

⚠️ Last updated: 24 August 2026