Privacy Policy
This policy explains how Darwish Guitar (“we”, “us”) handles personal data when you visit darwishguitar.com, send a booking request, join our mailing list, or write to us on WhatsApp or by email. We are a music ensemble that performs worldwide, so this policy is written to meet the EU/UK GDPR, the Israeli Privacy Protection Law (including Amendment 13), US state privacy laws (including California’s CalOPPA and CCPA/CPRA), Canada’s PIPEDA and CASL, and South Korea’s PIPA.
1. Who is responsible (data controller)
Darwish Guitar · email [email protected] · WhatsApp +1 (260) 346-7218. Full contact details are in the legal notice. Write to us about any privacy question or request — we reply within 30 days (usually much sooner).
2. What we collect and why
| Data | Purpose | Legal basis (GDPR) | Kept for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booking form: name, phone/WhatsApp, email, event type, date, guests, place, your message | To answer your request, send an offer, plan and perform the show | Steps before a contract / contract (art. 6(1)(b)) | 24 months after our last contact; if a show is booked, invoices and contracts as required by tax law (up to 7 years) |
| Mailing list (“Inner Circle”): name, email | A few emails a year about shows and releases | Your consent (art. 6(1)(a)); express consent under CASL and the Israeli Communications Law §30A | Until you unsubscribe (reply “unsubscribe” or email us) |
| WhatsApp and email messages: phone number, name, message content | To talk with you about bookings. On WhatsApp, an automated assistant may answer first; a person from our team takes over on request | Steps before a contract / our legitimate interest in answering you (art. 6(1)(b),(f)) | 24 months after the last message |
| Technical data: IP address, browser, pages visited (server and security logs) | Running the site securely, blocking abuse | Legitimate interest (art. 6(1)(f)) | Short-term logs kept by our host (Cloudflare) |
| Analytics and advertising cookies — only if you click “Accept” | Measuring visits; showing our ads to people who visited the site (retargeting) | Your consent (art. 6(1)(a) and ePrivacy rules) | See the cookie table |
We do not collect sensitive data, we do not make decisions about you by automated means that have legal effects, and we do not knowingly collect data from children under 16. The site is not directed to children.
3. Who receives the data (service providers)
- Cloudflare (website hosting, security, cookie-free visit statistics) — USA/global.
- Google (Apps Script, Sheets and Gmail store booking requests and the mailing list; Google Calendar for intro calls; Gemini AI helps draft and translate WhatsApp replies) — USA/global.
- Twilio and Meta (WhatsApp) — deliver WhatsApp messages — USA/global.
- YouTube and Apple Music — embedded players (YouTube loads only when you press play, in “privacy-enhanced” mode). Links to Spotify, Anghami, Instagram and TikTok open those services, which have their own policies.
- Only with your consent: Google Analytics / Google Ads and Meta Pixel (Facebook / Instagram ads).
We do not sell personal data. We never rent or share our mailing list.
3a. Automated WhatsApp assistant (AI)
When you write to us on WhatsApp, the first replies may come from an automated assistant, not a person. To write those replies, the text of your messages (and your first name if you give it) is sent to Google’s Gemini AI service. Under Google’s terms, depending on the service tier, Google may keep this content for a limited time to prevent abuse and may use it to improve its services. The assistant does not make any decision about you; prices and bookings are always confirmed by a person from our team. Please do not send sensitive information (health, ID or payment details) on WhatsApp. Ask for a person at any time and we will connect you with a member of our team. You can also email us instead.
4. International transfers
Our providers process data in the United States and other countries. For transfers from the EU/UK/Switzerland we rely on the EU–US Data Privacy Framework (where the provider is certified) and the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses. Israel and many other countries are recognised by the EU as providing adequate protection.
For users in South Korea (PIPA art. 28-8): personal data you send us is transferred overseas, via the internet when you submit it, to the recipients listed in section 3 (located mainly in the USA), for the purposes and retention periods in section 2. You can refuse by not using the forms and contacting us by phone instead; if you refuse, we may not be able to answer a booking request online.
4a. Country-specific information
We apply the same high standard to everyone, wherever you live. In addition:
- United Kingdom and Switzerland — the UK GDPR and the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) apply with the same rights as above. Authorities: ICO (UK), FDPIC (Switzerland).
- China (PIPL) — if you are in mainland China, your data is transferred to the recipients listed in section 3, outside China, for the purposes in section 2. By submitting a form or writing to us you give your separate consent to this transfer; you may withdraw it at any time. You have the rights to know, access, copy, correct, delete and ask us to explain our processing. Some of our providers (Google, Meta, WhatsApp) may not be available in mainland China — email works everywhere.
- Japan (APPI) — your data is provided to the third parties listed in section 3, located mainly in the United States. The US has no single national privacy law equivalent to the APPI; our providers protect data through contracts, certifications (such as the EU–US Data Privacy Framework) and security measures. You may ask us to disclose, correct, stop using or delete your data.
- South Korea (PIPA) — see the overseas-transfer notice in section 4. You may request access, correction, deletion or suspension of processing; authority: Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC).
- Canada (PIPEDA, CASL, Quebec Law 25) — we only email you with your express consent and every email lets you unsubscribe. Our privacy contact (privacy officer) is reachable at the email below.
- Brazil (LGPD) — you have the rights of art. 18 LGPD (confirmation, access, correction, anonymisation, deletion, portability, information about sharing, withdrawal of consent); authority: ANPD.
- Australia (Privacy Act 1988) — we handle your information under the Australian Privacy Principles; complaints may go to the OAIC.
- India (DPDP Act 2023) — you may access, correct and erase your data and nominate another person; our grievance contact is the email below.
- United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf — we process data in line with the UAE PDPL and the Saudi PDPL, including your rights to access, correct and delete, and we transfer data abroad only to the providers listed above.
- Turkey (KVKK) — you have the rights of art. 11 KVKK; data is transferred abroad to the providers listed above.
- Russia — our site is available in Russian for Russian speakers worldwide. We do not operate in the Russian Federation, do not direct our services to it and do not store data there. If you are located in Russia, please contact us only by email.
Privacy contact (also our privacy officer / grievance officer where a law requires one): [email protected].
5. Your rights
Depending on where you live you may: access your data; correct it; delete it; restrict or object to processing; receive a copy (portability); withdraw consent at any time (this does not affect earlier processing); and complain to a data protection authority — for example your EU/UK supervisory authority, the Israeli Privacy Protection Authority, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, or the Korean Personal Information Protection Commission.
US residents (California and other states): you have the right to know, delete, correct, and opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal data for cross-context behavioural advertising. We only share data for advertising if you accept advertising cookies; you can opt out at any time via Cookie settings. We honour the Global Privacy Control signal as an opt-out. We do not discriminate against anyone who uses these rights. Do Not Track: because our site loads no tracking without your consent, DNT signals do not change how the site behaves.
To use any right, email [email protected]. We may ask you to confirm your identity.
6. Security
The site is served only over HTTPS with strict security headers. Booking data is stored in password-protected Google accounts, accessible only to our team.
7. EU representative
We are based outside the EU and do not sell goods or services to consumers through this site. Our processing of data about people in the EU is limited to answering occasional booking requests and a small optional mailing list, does not involve sensitive data, and is in our assessment low-risk; on that basis we rely on the exemption in GDPR art. 27(2)(a) and have not appointed an EU representative. We review this assessment whenever our activity changes (for example, if we open an online shop) and will appoint a representative if required. You can always contact us directly at the address above.
8. Changes
We will post any change on this page with a new date. If a change is important, we will tell mailing-list members by email.
Accessibility Statement
We want everyone to enjoy our music and be able to book us. This site aims to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, level AA, which is the reference for Israeli Standard SI 5568, the European standard EN 301 549 (European Accessibility Act), the US ADA and Section 508, Canada’s AODA/Accessible Canada Act, Korea’s KWCAG, Japan’s JIS X 8341-3 and China’s GB/T 37668. Some of these laws apply only to larger organisations; we follow them voluntarily because we want everyone to be able to enjoy our music.
What we have done
- Works on phones, tablets and computers, and with zoom up to 200% without losing content.
- Full keyboard navigation with a visible focus outline; links and buttons have text labels.
- Text alternatives for images; clear headings and landmarks for screen readers.
- Strong colour contrast on a dark background; motion is reduced when your device asks for it (“reduce motion”).
- Background music can be switched off with one button (🔊/🔇) and stays off; it stops automatically when a video plays.
- The site is available in 15 languages, including right-to-left Hebrew and Arabic.
- Forms have labels, error messages and an alternative channel (WhatsApp, email).
- An accessibility menu (♿ button on the right side of every page) lets you enlarge text, raise contrast, highlight links, switch to a plain readable font, stop animations, stop the music and enlarge the cursor. Your choices are saved on your device only. The menu is our own code and does not replace the accessible design of the site itself.
Known limitations
- Our music videos are instrumental; some short clips have no captions or description yet. We are adding text descriptions.
- Embedded third-party players (YouTube, Apple Music) and PDF documents (technical rider) are not fully under our control.
Feedback and accessibility coordinator
If something is hard to use, tell us and we will fix it or give you the information another way: [email protected] · WhatsApp +1 (260) 346-7218. We reply within 5 business days. Live shows: tell us your needs and we will coordinate with the venue.
Statement prepared: 7 October 2026 · Reviewed by self-assessment.
Terms of Use
- Content and copyright. All music, recordings, videos, photos, artwork, logos and texts on this site belong to Darwish Guitar or are used with permission. You may listen, watch and share links. Downloading, copying, re-uploading or using any content commercially requires our written permission. Press may use the photos and texts in the press kit for coverage of Darwish Guitar, with credit.
- Bookings. Information on the site (line-ups, availability, prices) is not a binding offer. A booking is confirmed only by a signed agreement, which then governs fees, payment, cancellation and the technical rider.
- Merchandise. The merch page shows design previews only. Nothing is offered for sale on this site at present and no orders are accepted. When a shop opens, full terms of sale (prices including taxes and shipping, the 14-day right of withdrawal where it applies, returns, warranty and seller details) will be published before any purchase.
- Links. Links to other services (Spotify, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) are for convenience; we are not responsible for their content or policies.
- Liability. We take care that the site is accurate and available, but provide it “as is”. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited by law.
- Copyright complaints (incl. US DMCA). If you believe something here infringes your rights, email [email protected] with the details and we will act promptly.
- Law. These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Israel, without removing any mandatory consumer protection of the country where you live.
Legal Notice · Impressum
Darwish Guitar — Mediterranean instrumental ensemble
Email: [email protected]
Phone / WhatsApp: +1 (260) 346-7218
Website: darwishguitar.com
Responsible for content: the management of Darwish Guitar (contact above). EU online dispute resolution: we are not obliged and not willing to take part in consumer arbitration proceedings.
פרטיות, עוגיות ונגישות — בעברית
פרטיות
אנחנו אוספים רק את מה ששולחים לנו: פרטים בטופס ההזמנה, כתובת לרשימת התפוצה, והודעות בוואטסאפ ובמייל. המטרה היא לענות לפניות, לתאם הופעות ולשלוח מדי פעם עדכונים למי שנרשם. המידע נשמר אצל ספקי שירות (Google, Cloudflare, Twilio, Meta), גם מחוץ לישראל. איננו מוכרים מידע. אפשר לבקש עיון, תיקון או מחיקה במייל [email protected]. אפשר גם לפנות לרשות להגנת הפרטיות. ההסרה מרשימת התפוצה מתבצעת בתשובה אחת, בהתאם לסעיף 30א לחוק התקשורת. בוואטסאפ, התשובות הראשונות יכולות להגיע מעוזר אוטומטי שמבוסס על בינה מלאכותית (Google Gemini). תוכן ההודעות נשלח לגוגל לצורך ניסוח התשובה. אל תשלחו בוואטסאפ מידע רגיש. בכל שלב אפשר לבקש לדבר עם אדם. אין כרגע מכירה של מוצרים באתר.
עוגיות
עוגיות סטטיסטיקה ופרסום (Google, Meta) נטענות רק אחרי שלוחצים "אישור". אפשר לשנות את הבחירה בכל רגע: הגדרות עוגיות.
הצהרת נגישות
האתר שואף לעמוד בתקן הישראלי ת"י 5568, המבוסס על WCAG ברמה AA. יש בו ניווט מלא במקלדת, תמיכה בקוראי מסך, ניגודיות גבוהה, התאמה לנייד, כפתור להשתקת המוזיקה והפחתת אנימציות לפי הגדרות המכשיר. בכל עמוד יש תפריט נגישות (כפתור ♿ בצד ימין): הגדלת טקסט, ניגודיות גבוהה, הדגשת קישורים, גופן קריא, עצירת אנימציות, עצירת מוזיקה וסמן גדול. עדיין אין כתוביות לחלק מהסרטונים, שהם אינסטרומנטליים. רכז הנגישות זמין במייל [email protected] ובוואטסאפ +1 (260) 346-7218. אנחנו עונים בתוך 5 ימי עסקים. ההצהרה עודכנה ב-7.10.2026.