PRIVACY POLICY
Privacy Policy
How VirtObits handles information across memorial services, funeral-home partnerships, families, physical QR plates, and visitor scans.
Effective: January 1, 2025Last updated: August 16, 2026
01Introduction & Scope
VirtObits ("VirtObits", "Company", "we", "our", or "us") provides a compassionate, modern memorial platform comprising digital obituaries, interactive funeral flipbooks, 360°/VR memorial halls, and durable physical QR Headstone Plates & Medallions.
This Privacy Policy applies to funeral homes and cemetery partners using partners.virtobits.com, families and next of kin authoring tributes and managing memorials, and visitors scanning QR Headstone Plates, viewing flipbooks, or leaving tributes.
Data Controller vs. Data Processor Roles
Funeral Home as Data Controller
When a funeral home creates and manages a memorial on behalf of a client family, the funeral home remains the primary Data Controller. VirtObits operates as the Data Processor, processing information according to the partner’s instructions and terms.
VirtObits as Direct Controller
When a family member or customer registers an account directly with VirtObits, we act as the Data Controller for their account credentials, purchase history, and direct memorial configurations.
Information We Collect
Partner & Account Information
Funeral-home business name, license or tax ID where applicable, director name, corporate email address, phone number, physical address, and billing metadata processed securely through Stripe.
Memorial & Deceased Subject Information
The deceased’s name, dates of birth and passing, biographical narratives, career or military honors, portraits, photo albums, eulogies, service details, and pallbearer listings.
Physical QR Headstone Plate & Cemetery Metadata
Cemetery name, plot or section identification, shipping address for engraved plates, and optional GPS plot coordinates for cemetery wayfinding.
Tributes, Condolences & Guest Submissions
Condolence messages, guest names, virtual candle lightings, uploaded guest photos, and memorial guestbook signatures.
Technical & Scan Telemetry
Aggregated scan counts, browser type, device operating system, and IP address for security logging and rate limiting. We do not track the personal identities of cemetery visitors merely because they scan a QR plate.
How We Use Collected Information
- Memorial Hosting & Delivery: Generating responsive pages, interactive 3D WebXR environments, and flipbook programs accessible through unique URLs and QR codes.
- Laser Engraving & Manufacturing: Transmitting QR vector data and customized text to specialized manufacturing facilities for plate production.
- Partner Operations: Managing wholesale accounts, orders, partner reports, and support.
- Communication: Sending order updates, memorial links, and administrative notices to families and funeral directors.
- Security & Spam Moderation: Protecting memorial guestbooks and condolence walls from bots, spam, and offensive submissions.
AI Services & Generative Processing Safeguards
VirtObits provides optional AI-assisted tools, including obituary draft suggestions, portrait enhancement, and tribute video scripting powered by Google Gemini and professional imaging APIs.
Private family media and obituary text submitted to AI tools are processed only to provide the requested output and are never used by VirtObits to train, retrain, or improve public AI foundation models.
QR Headstone Plate Privacy & Scannability Controls
- Public vs. Protected Access: Memorial pages linked to plates are available to people with the QR or direct link by default. Where offered, funeral homes and families may enable password or PIN protection.
- No Visitor Registration: Visitors do not need an account or contact information to scan a plate, and VirtObits does not use invasive advertising cookies for scans.
- Tribute Moderation: Where guest tributes are enabled, administrators may require approval before condolences appear publicly.
Third-Party Service Providers
We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information or client-family records to data brokers or marketing agencies.
Google Cloud & Firebase
Cloud database storage, authentication, and content delivery.
Stripe Inc.
PCI-DSS Level 1 payment processing for retail and partner orders.
Heyzine Flipbooks
Interactive HTML5 page-turning memorial program rendering, when used for a memorial.
Engraving & Logistics Partners
Precision laser engraving and tracked shipping through carriers such as USPS, FedEx, or UPS.
Right of Sepulcher, Estate Authority & Memorial Succession
- Memorial Transfer Requests: Verified estate executors or lawful next of kin may request administrative transfer of a memorial created by a funeral-home partner or third party.
- Takedown & Privacy Requests: Legal representatives may request deletion, redaction, or access restriction with supporting documentation.
Data Retention & Preservation
Because memorials are created for enduring remembrance, paid digital memorial pages and QR destinations are hosted indefinitely under the purchased package or partner agreement, subject to platform operations and applicable law.
Account holders and funeral-home partners may request available memorial exports or complete account erasure. Limited records or protected backups may be retained when reasonably required for legal, payment, fraud-prevention, security, or disaster-recovery purposes.
Your Privacy Rights
- Right to Know & Access: Request copies of personal data we maintain about you.
- Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete personal or biographical records.
- Right to Erasure: Request deletion, subject to lawful recordkeeping requirements.
- Non-Discrimination: VirtObits will not discriminate against you for exercising applicable privacy rights.
Contact & Partner Governance
For privacy inquiries, partner Data Processing Agreements, or memorial-estate requests, contact the VirtObits Privacy & Compliance Team at privacy@virtobits.com or partners@virtobits.com.
