Privacy Policy

Last Updated: February 2026

Best of the Year Media LLC ("Best of the Year," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website bestoftheyearmedia.com and use our services.

This Privacy Notice describes how Best of the Year (“Best of the Year,” “BOTY,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, discloses, and retains information in connection with our website, awards program, submission platform, and related services (collectively, the “Services”). By accessing or using the Services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Notice and consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of information as described herein.

Scope and Applicability

This Privacy Notice applies to information collected from companies and individuals submitting products or services for consideration, authorized representatives of submitting companies, judges, evaluators, expert contributors, partners and collaborators, and visitors to our website. All submissions are associated with a company, even when submitted by an individual representative.

Information We Collect

We collect information that you voluntarily provide in connection with your use of the Services. This may include identifying information such as your name, email address, title, and company affiliation; submission materials such as product descriptions, specifications, documentation, images, videos, and other supporting content; communications you send to us through email, forms, surveys, or feedback mechanisms; and payment-related information necessary to process submission fees. Payment information is processed by third-party payment processors, and Best of the Year does not store full payment card details.

Sensitive personal information is not required as part of the awards submission process. If, in the future, sensitive information is collected in connection with specific programs, such information will be collected only with explicit, separate consent and pursuant to additional disclosures applicable to those programs.

In addition, we may automatically collect certain technical information when you access the Services. This information may include your IP address or approximate location derived therefrom, browser type, device type, operating system, pages viewed, and interactions with the website. Such information may be collected through cookies or similar technologies, where permitted by applicable law, and is used for operational, security, and performance-related purposes.

If you opt in to receive newsletters or updates, we collect your contact information for that purpose and you may unsubscribe at any time.

Use of Information

We use the information we collect to operate, administer, and improve the Services and the Best of the Year awards program; to evaluate submissions and manage judging and evaluation processes; to communicate with submitters, judges, partners, and other users; to process payments and maintain business records; to conduct internal analysis and generate aggregated or anonymized insights; to comply with applicable legal, regulatory, and accounting obligations; to detect, prevent, and address fraud, security, or technical issues; to enforce our Terms of Service and other applicable policies; and to protect the security, integrity, and lawful operation of the Services.

Disclosure of Information

Best of the Year does not sell personal information. We may disclose information to service providers that perform services on our behalf, including payment processing, hosting, storage, analytics, and communications services, subject to contractual obligations regarding confidentiality and data protection. We may also disclose information if required to do so by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or if necessary to protect the rights, property, security, or integrity of Best of the Year, our users, or others. Submission-level information is not disclosed to advertisers, sponsors, or other commercial partners. We may also disclose information in connection with a merger, acquisition, restructuring, or sale of assets, provided that any recipient agrees to protect such information consistent with this Privacy Notice.

Judging, Anonymity, and Confidentiality

Submission materials are provided to judges in anonymized form whenever practicable. Access to submissions is limited to the evaluation period, and judges are subject to confidentiality obligations. Submission-level information is not shared outside the evaluation process except as expressly described in this Privacy Notice. While anonymization is applied wherever practicable, complete anonymity cannot be guaranteed in all circumstances.

Intellectual Property and Submitted Materials

Submitters retain ownership of all materials submitted to Best of the Year. Submitted materials may be reviewed, retained, referenced, and used by Best of the Year in connection with the awards program, including for evaluation, editorial, benchmarking, and promotional purposes in connection with the awards program and Best of the Year’s owned editorial and media channels. Submitters may designate specific materials as confidential, in which case such materials will not be used publicly. Use of submitted materials is governed by the applicable Terms of Service.

Children’s Privacy

Best of the Year does not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. Any future programs involving children will require explicit parental consent pursuant to a separate consent process. If we become aware that personal information from a child has been collected without appropriate consent, we will take steps to delete such information.

Data Retention

We retain information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Notice, unless a deletion request is made and honored in accordance with applicable law. Certain records may be retained for legal, accounting, or program integrity purposes.

Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information, or to object to or restrict certain processing. You may also opt out of non-essential communications at any time. Requests may be submitted by contacting us at hello@bestoftheyearmedia.com. We will respond within a reasonable time period consistent with applicable law.

Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures designed to protect information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

California Privacy Rights

California residents may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know, access, delete, or limit use of personal information. Best of the Year does not sell personal information. Requests may be submitted via hello@bestoftheyearmedia.com.

International Users

Information may be processed or stored in the United States or other jurisdictions where our service providers operate. Where required, we implement appropriate safeguards to protect personal information transferred internationally.

Changes to This Privacy Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised effective date. Continued use of the Services following the posting of updates constitutes acceptance of the revised Privacy Notice.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at hello@bestoftheyearmedia.com.