Privacy Policy

Last Updated: July 17, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how IoThinkTank (“IoThinkTank,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) collects, uses, shares, and protects information obtained through our website, iothinktank.com, and related award submission, communication, judging, and program activities.

This policy is intended to address applicable privacy requirements, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), UK GDPR, the California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CCPA/CPRA), and other relevant privacy laws where applicable.

1. Information We Collect

Personal Information

We may collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when submitting an award entry, signing up for updates, contacting us, requesting information, or otherwise interacting with IoThinkTank. This may include your name, email address, phone number, company name, job title, website, billing details, and other information you choose to provide.

Award Submission Information

Award entries may include company descriptions, product information, supporting statements, customer examples, business results, technical details, marketing materials, website links, images, files, presentations, videos, and other materials submitted for award consideration.

Payment Information

When entry fees or other paid services are processed through the website, payment information may be collected and processed by a third-party payment provider. IoThinkTank does not store full payment card numbers on its own servers.

Automated Information

We may collect certain information automatically through cookies, analytics tools, server logs, security systems, and similar technologies. This may include your IP address, browser type, device information, referring page, pages visited, time spent on the website, approximate location, and general usage patterns.

2. How We Use Information

We may use collected information to:

• Process, review, and manage award submissions.
• Confirm eligibility and category fit.
• Communicate with entrants, nominees, winners, finalists, honorable mentions, and other program participants.
• Administer deadlines, judging, winner selections, announcements, and recognition assets.
• Provide newsletters, award announcements, deadline reminders, winner news, and program updates.
• Respond to inquiries and support requests.
• Process payments, issue receipts, and maintain related administrative records.
• Improve website performance, content, usability, accessibility, and security.
• Prevent misuse, fraud, unauthorized access, and other harmful activity.
• Maintain internal records and comply with legal obligations.

3. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

IoThinkTank may use cookies and similar technologies to support website functionality, remember visitor preferences, analyze website traffic, improve performance, and understand how visitors interact with the website.

Cookies may include:

• Necessary Cookies: Used for core website functionality, security, fraud prevention, session management, and consent preference management.
• Functional Cookies: Used to support optional website features, embedded content, and third-party integrations.
• Analytics Cookies: Used to understand website traffic, engagement, performance, and general usage patterns.
• Advertising Cookies: Used only where applicable and subject to relevant notice and consent requirements.

Nonessential cookies are not intended to load before consent where prior consent is required by applicable law. You can manage your preferences through the website’s cookie consent tool or through your browser settings. The cookie preference tool also allows you to review or change your choices later.

4. How We Share Information

We do not sell personal information.

We may share information with trusted service providers, contractors, consultants, judges, reviewers, payment processors, email platforms, analytics providers, website hosting providers, security providers, or other authorized partners that help us operate the website, manage submissions, communicate with participants, process payments, evaluate entries, or administer the awards.

These parties are expected to use information only as reasonably necessary to provide their services or support program operations. We may also disclose information when required by law, to comply with legal process, to investigate misuse, to enforce our rights, or to protect IoThinkTank, our users, or others.

We do not “share” personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising as defined under the CPRA without providing any notice, consent, or opt-out mechanism required by applicable law.

5. Award Submissions, Judging, and Public Recognition

Information submitted for award consideration may be reviewed by IoThinkTank team members, judges, reviewers, contractors, consultants, or authorized program partners involved in evaluating entries and administering the awards.

Submission materials should not include confidential, proprietary, regulated, or sensitive personal information unless the information is necessary for the entry and you are authorized to provide it.

If a company, product, solution, executive, or organization is selected as a winner, finalist, runner-up, or honorable mention, IoThinkTank may publish relevant public-facing information. This may include the company or organization name, product or solution name, award category, logo, website link, submitted descriptions, approved quotes, images, videos, and recognition details.

IoThinkTank will not intentionally publish materials clearly identified as confidential unless permission has been granted, disclosure is necessary to administer the program, or the information is otherwise publicly available.

6. Legal Bases for Processing

Where applicable law requires a legal basis for processing personal information, we may rely on one or more of the following:

• Your consent.
• Performance of a contract or steps taken at your request before entering into a contract.
• Our legitimate interests in operating, improving, securing, and administering IoThinkTank and its awards programs.
• Compliance with legal obligations.
• Protection of our rights or the rights and safety of others.

Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing that occurred before consent was withdrawn.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including award administration, judging, communications, payment records, recordkeeping, legal compliance, dispute resolution, fraud prevention, security, and general business operations.

Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information, the purpose for which it was collected, contractual obligations, legal requirements, and whether continued retention is reasonably necessary to document award history or recognition.

8. Data Security

We use reasonable technical, administrative, and organizational measures intended to protect information from unauthorized access, disclosure, misuse, alteration, loss, or destruction.

However, no method of transmission over the internet, website operation, or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, and users submit information electronically at their own risk.

9. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have rights regarding your personal information, including the right to:

• Request access to the personal information we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Request deletion of certain personal information.
• Request a copy of certain information in a portable format.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
• Object to or request restriction of certain processing activities.
• Opt out of certain marketing communications.
• Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information, where applicable.
• Appeal or challenge certain decisions where applicable law provides that right.
• Lodge a complaint with an appropriate data protection authority.

To exercise a privacy right, contact us at privacy@iothinktank.com. We may need to verify your identity, authority, or jurisdiction before fulfilling certain requests.

We will not unlawfully discriminate against you for exercising an applicable privacy right.

10. Email Communications

If you subscribe to IoThinkTank updates, enter an awards program, request information, or otherwise ask to hear from us, we may send award announcements, submission reminders, winner news, newsletters, and related program communications.

You may unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by using the unsubscribe link included in the message or by contacting us. We may still send nonmarketing communications that are reasonably necessary to administer an entry, process a payment, respond to a request, or provide important service information.

11. International Data Transfers

Information may be processed in the United States or in other countries where IoThinkTank or its service providers operate. These countries may have privacy and data protection rules that differ from those in your jurisdiction.

Where applicable law requires safeguards for international transfers, we will use appropriate measures intended to protect the transferred information.

12. Third-Party Links and Services

The website may contain links to third-party websites, payment services, platforms, embedded content, tools, or other external services. IoThinkTank is not responsible for the privacy practices, security, content, or policies of third parties.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of third-party services before providing personal information or using those services.

13. Children’s Privacy

IoThinkTank is intended for business and professional audiences. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

If you believe that a child has provided personal information to IoThinkTank, contact us so we can review the situation and take appropriate action.

14. Global Privacy Control

Where supported and legally required, IoThinkTank may recognize browser-based privacy preference signals, including Global Privacy Control. The effect of such a signal may depend on your browser, jurisdiction, and the technologies used by the website.

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our website, awards programs, service providers, technologies, practices, or legal obligations.

Updates will be posted on this page with a revised “Last Updated” date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

16. Contact Us

For questions about this Privacy Policy or privacy-related requests, contact:

IoThinkTank
Email: privacy@iothinktank.com
Website: https://www.iothinktank.com/