We rely on our legitimate interests or those of a third party where they are not outweighed by your interests and fundamental rights.

To show you content that’s relevant, interesting and personal to you, we: 

• Identify you when you use our Services.
• Recommend Pins, boards, topics or content you might like based on your activity on our Services. For example, if you engage with cooking-related content on Pinterest, we may suggest food-related Pins and boards. 
• Customise your Pinterest experience based on your offsite behaviour. For example, if you visit websites that sell electric guitars, we may suggest guitar-related Pins to you.

Legitimate interests relied on

It is in our interest and in the interest of Pinterest users to receive a personalised, unique and relevant offering, as this is why users come to the Service.

Information categories used

• Account information (excluding race or ethnicity)
• Content 
• Location information 
• Log data 
• Information from cookie data and similar technologies – to find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Policy
• Device information 
• Usage data and inferences
• User choices 
• Data from other sources (third-party platforms, technical service partners, advertisers and other partners)

To build your community on our Services, we:

• Suggest other people who have similar interests. For example, if you follow interior design boards, we may suggest interior designers that you might like.
• Help your friends and contacts find you on Pinterest. For example, if you sign up using a Facebook account, we can help your Facebook friends find you on Pinterest when they first sign up for Pinterest. Or people can search for your account on Pinterest using your email address. If you choose to sync your contacts with your Pinterest account, we will access contacts stored on your device to help you find out if your contacts are on our Services.

Legitimate interests relied on

It is in our interest to help you make connections you may know in order to deliver a relevant and unique Service.

Information categories used

• Account information (excluding race or ethnicity)
• Content
• Location information 
• Your contacts 
• Log data
• Information from cookie data and similar technologies – to find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Policy
• Device information 
• Usage data and inferences
• User choices
• Data from other sources (third-party platforms, technical service partners, advertisers and other partners)

To make and keep Pinterest safe, we:

• work with law enforcement and keep Pinterest safe. We may get requests for account information from law enforcement, for example, the police or courts. To find out more about how we respond to law enforcement requests, please see our Law Enforcement Guidelines.
• Analyse users’ log data and device information to identify and investigate suspicious behaviour or violations of our policies or Terms.
• Review your activity and messages on our Services to detect spam or activity that poses a risk to the safety of you, our community and/or members of the public.

Legitimate interests relied on

• It is in our interest and in the interest of Pinterest users to secure Pinterest systems and fight spam, threats, abuse or infringement activities, and promote safety and security on Pinterest. 
• It is also in our interest and the interests of other users to ensure that our Services are used in accordance with our Terms.

Information categories used

The actual information used depends on the factual circumstances, but could include any of the following:

• Account information (excluding race or ethnicity)
• Content 
• Location information 
• Your communications with us
• Log data 
• Information from cookie data and similar technologies – to find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Policy
• Device information 
• Usage data and inferences
• User choices 
• Data from other sources (third-party platforms, technical service partners, advertisers and other partners)

To improve, innovate and develop our Services, we:

• Conduct analytics and research on who is using Pinterest and what they are doing. For example, by logging how often people use two different versions of a feature on Pinterest, we can understand which version is better.
• Improve the products and services of our family of companies and offer new features. For example, using information to train, develop and improve our technology such as our machine-learning models.  Some of this information may be aggregated or de-identified.

Legitimate interests relied on

It is in our interest and the interests of Pinterest’s users that we improve, promote and develop the Service in an informed way. 

Information categories used

• Account information (excluding race or ethnicity)
• Content 
• Location information 
• Your communications with us
• Log data 
• Information from cookie data and similar technologies – to find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Policy
• Device information 
• Usage data and inferences
• User choices 
• Data from other sources (third-party platforms, technical service partners, advertisers and other partners)

To seek legal advice or protect Pinterest in litigation or other disputes, we: 

• Preserve and share information when we seek legal advice or seek to protect ourselves in the context of litigation and other disputes. This includes violations of our Terms and policies.

Legitimate interests relied on

• It is in our interest and in the interest of Pinterest users to respond to complaints and prevent and address fraud, unauthorised use of Pinterest, violations of our Terms and policies, or other harmful or illegal activity.
• It is in our interest to seek legal advice and protect ourselves (including our rights, personnel, property or products), our users or others, including as part of investigations or regulatory enquiries and litigation or other disputes.

Information categories used

The actual information used depends on the factual circumstances, but could include any of the following: 

• Account information (excluding race or ethnicity)
• Content 
• Location information 
• Your communications with us
• Log data 
• Information from cookie data and similar technologies – to find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Policy
• Device information 
• Usage data and inferences
• User choices 
• Data from other sources (third-party platforms, technical service partners, advertisers and other partners)

To communicate with you, we:

• Respond to your questions or comments.
• Send you updates (such as when certain activity, like saves or comments, happens on Pinterest) and news by email or push notification, depending on your settings. For example, we send weekly updates that include Pins you may like. Depending on where you live, this may be marketing and in certain cases we will obtain your consent. You can decide to stop getting these notifications by updating your settings.

Legitimate interests relied on

• It is in our interest and in the interest of Pinterest users to continuously improve and develop the customer support we provide. 
• It is in our interest and in the interest of Pinterest users to learn about new features and elements that may be of interest to them. 

Information categories used

• Account information (excluding race or ethnicity)
• Content 
• Location information 
• Your communications with us
• Log data 
• Information from cookie data and similar technologies – to find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Policy
• Device information 
• Usage data and inferences
• User choices 
• Data from other sources (third-party platforms, technical service partners, advertisers and other partners)

To deliver advertising that is relevant, interesting and personal on our Services, we:

• Decide which ads to show you based on information on our Services. For example, if you show an interest in tents on Pinterest, we may show you ads for other outdoor products. 

Legitimate interests relied on

It is in our interest and in the interest of Pinterest users to receive relevant and interesting adverts for products or services they are interested in, as opposed to receiving randomised and generic ads that they may have no interest in. This is also the primary funding of the service and allows users to continue enjoying the service free of charge and allows Pinterest to generate revenue.

Information categories used

• Account information (excluding race or ethnicity)
• Content 
• Location information 
• Your communications with us
• Log data 
• Information from cookie data and similar technologies – to find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Policy
• Device information 
• Usage data and inferences
• User choices 
• Data from other sources (third-party platforms, technical service partners, advertisers and other partners)

To provide measurement and ad analytics, we:

• Use aggregated information from our measurement providers to tell our ad partners how their Pinterest ads are performing and how to make them better. For example, we would report to an advertiser that a certain percentage of people who viewed a Pin went on to visit that advertiser's site. To find out more about reporting on ads, please visit the Help Centre.

Legitimate interests relied on

It is in our interest to enable business accounts and advertisers to view and understand how their ads or content performed and the audience that viewed or interacted with their ads or content. This is so that they can make informed decisions (such as what kinds of ad campaigns they may want to run, the type of audience they want to reach and the types of content that users enjoy the most). This is also in the interest of other users as this helps keep the advertising and other content we show users relevant and entertaining, and keeps the Service free for all users.

Information categories used

• Account information (excluding race or ethnicity)
• Content 
• Location information 
• Log data 
• Information from cookie data and similar technologies – to find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Policy
• Device information 
• Usage data and inferences
• Data from other sources (third-party platforms, technical service partners, advertisers and other partners)

To deliver ads outside Pinterest that are relevant, interesting and personal to you about Pinterest, we: 

• Advertise Pinterest products and services to you on other sites. To do this, we disclose information such as cookie IDs, your IP address and a hashed version of your email address to services we use to market Pinterest to you on sites and apps other than Pinterest, such as Facebook Ads and Google Marketing Platform.

Legitimate interests relied on

We have a legitimate interest in delivering ads that are relevant, interesting and personal to you in order to generate revenue. 

Information categories used

• Account information (excluding race or ethnicity)
• Content 
• Location information 
• Log data 
• Information from cookie data and similar technologies – to find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Policy
• Device information 
• Usage data and inferences
• User choices 
• Data from other sources (third-party platforms, technical service partners, advertisers and other partners)

Why and how we use your info

To comply with legal and regulatory obligations

• Accessing, storing, preserving or sharing information when doing so in response to a court order, search warrant, production order, subpoena or similar legal request. 
• Accessing, storing, preserving or sharing information when we think it is reasonably necessary to comply with legal or regulatory obligations, including sharing with law enforcement or other authorities. 
• To deal with and resolve requests and complaints. We retain correspondence relating to data subject requests under GDPR for two years, in case those requests are not resolved and this correspondence is required in order to handle any resulting complaints. In such cases, the correspondence is then retained while those complaints are being resolved.

Examples of laws that can require us to process information in the above way include:

• Regulatory matters: To comply with regulatory obligations such as under privacy laws (GDPR).
• Civil, commercial, criminal or consumer protection matters: Where we are in receipt of a court order to disclose information for the purposes of court proceedings or regulatory enquiries (e.g. orders or mandatory requests under the Irish Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014, GDPR).
• Corporate and taxation matters: Obligations such as the Irish Companies Act 2014 and the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997.

Issues relating to the safety of our Service and to protect rights, property and users

• We keep information where it is necessary to investigate misuse of our Services, such as spam and other bad experiences. If we disable an account due to violation of our Terms, we also preserve information about that user for safety, security and integrity purposes.

Information categories used

Any of the categories of information listed in 'We collect information in a few different ways' except for precise location information (which we don’t collect from users in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK).

How and why we use your info

Where you have given us consent (for example through your device settings):

• Allowing searching with photos. For example, if you take a photo of a pair of shoes or a piece of furniture you like, you can ask us to show you similar items. You can opt in to this in your device operating system settings.
• Ads on Pinterest based on offsite activities. We customise the ad content we show you by identifying your interests based on your offsite activities, as well as by using information we receive from ad partners or other third parties. Where ad partners or other third parties share information with us about you, we rely on the consent they have already obtained.
• Lead ads. If you submit information via a lead ad form (for example, to sign up for an advertiser’s mailing list or for a consultation), we will share that information with the advertiser as described on the form.
• Promotion of creators. If you choose to provide race or ethnicity information, we will use it to promote you as a creator, for example during Black History Month, or to contact you about events.

Information categories used

Any of the categories of information listed in 'We collect information in a few different ways' except for precise location information (which we don’t collect from users in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK).

If you live in the EEA, the UK or Switzerland, you also have some additional rights: 

• Right to object or restrict processing: You can object to direct marketing from us or where we rely on legitimate interests to process your information. You can object using this form.
• Right to withdraw consent: Where we rely on consent as a legal basis for processing your data, you can withdraw your consent at any stage. The lawfulness of Pinterest’s processing before you withdraw your consent will not be affected by such withdrawal.
• Right to portability: You can have the information you provided to us sent to another organisation, where we hold this information with your consent or for the performance of a contract with you and where it's technically feasible for us to do so.
• Right to lodge a complaint: If you reside in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority of your country. 
  • In the UK, the relevant data protection authority is the Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, tel: 0303 123 1113, email: casework@ico.org.uk. 
  • In Ireland, the relevant data protection authority is the Data Protection Commission, 21 Fitzwilliam Square South, Dublin 2, D02 RD28, tel: 01 765 0100/1800 437 737, email: info@dataprotection.ie or by using the following online form: Forms for Data Protection.

If you live in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK, we take additional steps related to data transfers. Information controlled by Pinterest Europe Limited will be transferred or transmitted to, or stored and processed in, the United States or other countries outside of where you live for the purposes as described in this policy. Please note these data transfers are necessary to provide the services set forth in our Terms and to operate globally.  

Because Pinterest is a worldwide service, we may transfer the personal data of EEA, Switzerland and UK residents to a country outside the EEA, Switzerland or the UK. Where we transfer information from the EEA, Switzerland or the UK to a country that doesn't provide an adequate level of protection, we’ll only do so with appropriate safeguards to protect your information.

Safeguards that we rely on when ensuring that your information benefits from an adequate level of protection include the following:  

• Adequacy decisions. These are decisions issued from the European Commission under Article 45 GDPR (or equivalent decisions under other laws) where they recognise that a country offers an adequate level of data protection. We transfer your information as described in 'How we use the info we collect' to some countries with such adequacy decisions, such as the countries listed here. 
• Standard contractual clauses (“SCCs”). The European Commission has approved contractual clauses under Article 46 of the GDPR allowing companies in the EEA to transfer data outside the EEA. These (and their approved equivalent for the UK and Switzerland) are called standard contractual clauses. We rely on standard contractual clauses to transfer information as described in 'How we use the info we collect' to certain entities in our family of companies and third parties in countries without an adequacy decision. 
• While transfers to countries that don’t have an adequacy decision typically take place on the basis of SCCs, in certain circumstances, transfers can also take place on the basis of exemptions provided under data protection law. For example, sharing with law enforcement, in emergency situations where we learn that a person’s life is at risk. 

We also identify and use additional protections as appropriate for each data transfer. For example, we use:

• Technical protections, such as encryption and pseudonymisation. 
• Policies and processes to challenge disproportionate or unlawful government authority requests.

For a copy of these adequacy decisions or SCCs, please contact us via the details provided in the Contact us section below.