Effective Date: April 1, 2026

Last Updated: April 28, 2026

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This Privacy Policy describes how Taste of Muskegon ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and protects information when you use our mobile application ("App") or our People's Choice voting website ("Voting Site"). Please read this policy carefully. By using our App or Voting Site, you agree to the practices described here.
 

1. Who We Are

Taste of Muskegon is an annual outdoor food and music festival held at Hackley Park, Muskegon, Michigan. Questions about this policy can be directed to:

 

Email: info@tasteofmuskegon.org

Organization: EventLAB - Taste of Muskegon
 

2. Information We Collect

We do not require you to create an account or provide your name, email address, or any other directly identifying personal information to use the App or cast a People's Choice vote.
 

Mobile App

Anonymous Device Identifier

When you install the App, a random identifier (UUID) is generated and stored on your device. This identifier is not linked to your name, email, or any personal account. It is used to:
 

• Associate your analytics activity anonymously across sessions

• Enforce the one-vote-per-device rule for People's Choice voting
   

Usage Analytics

If you have not opted out (see Section 5), we collect anonymous data about how you use the App, including:
 

• Screens you visit

• Actions you take (e.g., viewing a vendor, initiating or canceling a vote)

• Whether voting was open when you accessed the Voting screen
   

This data is processed by PostHog, a third-party analytics platform. No name, email, or contact information is attached to these events.

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Vote and Optional Comment

When you cast a People's Choice vote, we record your anonymous device identifier and your vendor selection. You may optionally submit a brief text comment alongside your vote. Comments are stored on our servers and reviewed by festival staff.
 

Voting Website 

When you cast a vote via the Voting Site (accessed by scanning a QR code at the festival), we collect and store the following to verify your ballot and prevent duplicate voting:
 

• IP address — used to associate the ballot with a network connection

• Browser session identifier — a temporary token used to validate that your ballot was generated in the same browser session

• Browser fingerprint — a value derived from your browser's characteristics, used to detect and prevent duplicate votes

• User agent string — information about your browser and device type

• Mobile device detection — whether your device is classified as a mobile device

• Your vendor selection — the food vendor you voted for

• Optional comment — a text comment you may choose to submit
   

We do not collect your name, email, payment information, or precise GPS location through the Voting Site.

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3. How We Use This Information

Purpose : Data Used

Provide People's Choice voting : Device ID, IP, session ID, fingerprint, user agent, vendor selection

Prevent duplicate votes : Device ID, IP, session ID, fingerprint

Improve the App experience : Anonymous analytics events and screen views

Review voting feedback : Optional vote comments
 

We do not use your information for advertising, marketing profiling, or sale to third parties.
 

4. Third-Party Services

PostHog — We use PostHog to process anonymous in-app analytics. PostHog receives your anonymous device identifier and usage events. PostHog's privacy policy is available at posthog.com/privacy.

Google Maps — The App links to Google Maps for festival directions. If you follow that link, Google's privacy policy applies to your use of their service.

Social Media — The App displays links to our Facebook and Instagram pages. Visiting those pages is subject to Meta's privacy policy.
 

We do not otherwise share your information with third parties except as required by law.
 

5. Your Choices

Analytics Opt-Out (Mobile App)
You can opt out of anonymous analytics at any time. Open the App, go to More → Settings, and toggle off Analytics. Your preference is saved on your device and honored on every subsequent launch. Opting out stops all future event and screen-view collection; it does not affect your ability to vote.

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Votes and Comments

Once a vote and optional comment are submitted, they cannot be retracted, as vote totals are used for the official People's Choice award.

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6. Data Retention

Analytics event data is retained in PostHog for up to 12 months after the festival.

Vote records — including IP address, session data, fingerprint, and optional comments — are retained for a minimum of one year following the festival for auditing purposes, then deleted or anonymized.

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7. Children's Privacy

Our App and Voting Site are not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has submitted a vote or comment, please contact us at the address in Section 1 and we will delete that record.

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8. Data Security

We use industry-standard measures to protect the information we store, including encrypted transmission (HTTPS) and server-side session validation. No method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security.

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9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy as the App or Voting Site evolves. When we do, we will update the "Last Updated" date above. Continued use of the App or Voting Site after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
 

10. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this policy, please contact us:

Email: info@tasteofmuskegon.org