Privacy Policy

Last Updated: July 17, 2026

Welcome to the Foodies Choice Awards (referred to as “we,” “us,” or “our”). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website https://thefcawards.com, vote for your favorite food spots, or submit an entry.

Please read this policy carefully. If you do not agree with its terms, please do not access the Site.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information about you in a few different ways when you interact with our Site:

Information You Give Us Directly:

- Voter Information: If you vote, we may collect your email address, IP address, and voting selections to prevent fraudulent or duplicate voting.
- Nominee/Contestant Information: If you or your business are nominated or apply for an award, we collect contact information (name, email, phone number), business details, social media handles, and any supporting media or documents you upload.
- Newsletter & Contact Forms: If you sign up for updates or message us, we collect your name, email address, and the content of your message.
  
  Information Collected Automatically:
  - Log Data: Like most websites, we collect details your browser sends whenever you visit, including your IP address, browser type, pages visited, and the time/date of your visit.
  - Cookies: We use cookies to keep track of voting sessions, analyze site traffic, and keep the platform running smoothly.

2. How We Use Your Information

We process your information to deliver a fair and exciting awards experience. Specifically, we use it to:

Manage, count, and verify votes to ensure competition integrity.
Process and evaluate award nominations and applications.
Communicate with you regarding your votes, nominations, or event updates.
Send you promotional newsletters (only if you have opted in; you can unsubscribe at any time).
Monitor and analyze website performance to prevent technical issues or malicious activity.

3. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell your personal data. We only share your information in the following limited circumstances:

Service Providers: We may share your data with trusted third-party vendors (such as web hosting providers, email delivery services, or database managers) who help us run the Site.
Public Winners/Finalists: If your business is nominated, selected as a finalist, or wins an award, your business name, logo, public photos, and category details will be shared publicly on our Site and social channels.
Legal Necessity: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, or to protect the safety, rights, and property of our users or the public.

4. Data Security & Retention

We use appropriate administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect your personal data.

Voting Data Retention: We only keep voting-related raw IP addresses and verification emails for as long as necessary to finalize the results and prevent duplicate votes.
Account & Marketing Data: We retain your contact information until you request deletion or opt-out of our marketing list.

5. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live (such as the UK, EU under GDPR, or California under CCPA), you have rights regarding your personal data, which may include:

The right to access the personal data we hold about you.
The right to request that we correct inaccurate data.
The right to request the deletion of your personal data.
The right to withdraw consent (where we rely on your consent to process data).

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below.

6. Cookies Policy

You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when websites set or access cookies. If you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of this Site (like voting functions) may become inaccessible or not function properly.

7. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last Updated” date.