Legal
Privacy Policy
Effective 1 May 2026
01 — Who we are
matte is operated by the legal entity identified in the imprint at the bottom of every page. We are the data controller for the personal data described below, within the meaning of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Questions about this policy: privacy@matte.film.
02 — What we collect
Account
Email address, display name, optional avatar, optional bio, social links you choose to add. Provided by you when you sign up or edit your profile.
Authentication
Google account identifier when you sign in with Google. We do not store your Google password.
Application data
If you apply as a filmmaker or curator: the contents of your application form (film metadata, links, statements, picks).
Watch history
Which films you have started or finished watching, and when. Used to power the “Watch again” affordance and to allocate your subscription revenue to filmmakers.
Ratings and Q&A
Ratings you give and questions or replies you post on film pages.
Curations
If you are an approved curator, the public review you submit alongside the film.
Technical
Standard server logs (IP address, user-agent, timestamps) for security and debugging. Retained no longer than 30 days.
03 — Lawful basis
We process the data above on the following bases under GDPR Art. 6:
Contract (Art. 6(1)(b))
Account, application, watch history, ratings — required to deliver the service you signed up for.
Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c))
Tax records, DAC7 reporting for filmmakers earning above the EU threshold, accounting.
Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f))
Server logs for fraud prevention and platform security.
Consent (Art. 6(1)(a))
Optional cookies and analytics. You can withdraw at any time via the cookie banner or your browser settings.
04 — Who else processes your data
We use a small number of carefully chosen processors. Each is bound by a Data Processing Agreement and only processes data for the purpose described.
Supabase (database, authentication, storage)
EU region (Frankfurt). Stores your account, profile, and content. Privacy.
Mux (video hosting and streaming)
United States. Stores and serves film files. Standard Contractual Clauses apply for the EU–US transfer. Privacy.
OpenAI (subtitle generation)
United States. The audio track of accepted films is sent to OpenAI Whisper to generate English subtitles. Standard Contractual Clauses apply. Privacy.
Vercel (hosting)
United States and EU regions. Serves the matte web application. Privacy.
Stripe (payments — when active)
United States. Processes subscription payments and filmmaker payouts. Standard Contractual Clauses apply. Privacy.
05 — Cookies
We use a small number of cookies. Essential cookies authenticate you and remember your session — these cannot be disabled. Optional analytics or marketing cookies, if present, run only after you accept them via the cookie banner.
06 — Your rights
Under GDPR you have the right to access, rectify, port, restrict, and erase your personal data, and to object to processing. You can exercise most of these directly from your matte account:
Access and portability
Visit your studio dashboard. Email privacy@matte.film to request a machine-readable export.
Rectification
Edit your profile at any time.
Erasure
Use “Delete my account” in your profile settings. We delete your account row, profile, watch history, ratings, Q&A, and any films you submitted, including the underlying Mux assets and stored materials.
Complaint
You have the right to lodge a complaint with your supervisory authority. In Finland: Tietosuojavaltuutettu.
07 — Retention
We retain account data for as long as your account is active. After deletion, we remove personal data from live systems immediately and from automated backups within 30 days. Tax and accounting records are retained for the statutory minimum period (typically six years under Finnish law).
08 — Children
matte is not directed to children under 16. Do not use the service if you are under 16. If you believe a child has created an account, email privacy@matte.film and we will remove it.
09 — Changes
We may update this policy as the service evolves. Material changes will be announced on the platform. The effective date at the top of this page reflects the current version.