Effective Date: 03/18/2026

This Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”) explains how The Melt Advertising Cooperative of Tampa Bay Inc. (“The Melt,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, shares, and protects information from or about you (“you” or “your”) when you access or use our websites, client software applications, communication tools, and related services (collectively, the “Services”) that link to or reference this Privacy Policy.

This Privacy Policy is governed by our Terms of Service and incorporates our Data Protection Addendum, where applicable. By using the Services, you consent to the data practices described in this Privacy Policy. As our technology, operations, and legal obligations evolve, we may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed of any changes.

We are committed to safeguarding the personal and business information we collect. All employees, contractors, service providers, and data processors with access to personal information are expected to respect and protect its confidentiality.

If you use our Services to interact with your customers, you are responsible for making sure your customers understand how you, and where applicable The Melt, collect and process their personal information. You are also responsible for posting an accurate, current, and accessible privacy policy that complies with laws applicable to your business and territory. If you collect sensitive personal information from your customers, you are responsible for obtaining any consent required by law before sharing or allowing access to such information.

Contents
1. Information We Collect

We may collect personal information, business information, technical information, and usage information from you, your use of the Services, and others who use the Services through your accounts.

We may collect personal information such as your name, company name, mailing address, email address, mobile number or other phone number, payment details, and other identifiers you provide to us. We may also collect personal information relating to your customers when you provide that information to us through the Services or when your customers submit information through websites, forms, or applications powered by our Services. The compliance report specifically noted that the Privacy Policy should clearly disclose personal information collected and the methods by which it is collected.

Information we collect may include:

  • Name, company name, address, email address, and phone number(s)
  • Payment and billing information, such as credit card-related details processed through secure payment providers
  • Information obtained through third-party authentication systems, such as Google authentication, including name and email address
  • Franchise inquiry details, support requests, submitted forms, uploaded documents, and other messages you send to us
  • Information about your customers that is shared with us or collected through your use of the Services
  • Other information you voluntarily provide, such as date of birth, photos, comments, feedback, or communications
  • Device information, including IP address, browser type, browser language, operating system, platform type, device type, and device identifiers
  • Usage information, including pages viewed, files downloaded, landing pages, browsing activity, forms completed or partially completed, access times, search terms, email interactions, and error logs
  • Location information, including city, state, ZIP code associated with your IP address, WiFi-derived location, and where permitted and enabled, precise GPS location
  • Offline information that may be stored while you are offline and transmitted when you next connect to the Internet
  • Information collected through cookies, web beacons, pixels, and similar tracking technologies

We collect information when you complete forms, request information, subscribe to communications, communicate with us by phone, text message, email, social media, or online form, access or use our website, authenticate through third-party login tools, or otherwise interact with our Services. We may also collect information automatically through cookies and related technologies when you browse or use our website and Services. The report specifically noted that collection method disclosure was missing and should be added.

2. How We Use Your Information

We may use the information we collect for business, operational, legal, security, support, marketing, and service-related purposes.

We may use your information to:

  • Provide, operate, maintain, and improve the Services
  • Confirm your identity and administer your account
  • Respond to customer service and support requests
  • Communicate with you about franchise opportunities, services, applications, products, updates, and account activity
  • Provide technical support, including detecting, preventing, and resolving technical and security issues
  • Process transactions, billing, and payment-related matters
  • Send marketing, promotional, or informational communications where permitted by law
  • Monitor usage, troubleshoot problems, and improve website functionality and user experience
  • Enforce our legal rights, Terms of Service, and other agreements
  • Comply with legal requirements, regulatory obligations, subpoenas, court orders, and lawful requests

We may also combine information collected from different sources for these purposes. We may aggregate or de-identify information and use, disclose, license, or otherwise process aggregated or de-identified information for any lawful purpose. The report noted that the Privacy Policy should clearly state general use of information, which is addressed in this section.

Credit Card and Sensitive Information: When you enter sensitive information, such as payment card details, we use reasonable security measures, including encryption during transmission where appropriate. However, standard email is not fully secure, and you should not send sensitive personal information through ordinary email unless specifically instructed through a secure method.

3. SMS Policy and Mobile Communications

If you provide your mobile phone number and opt in to receive text messages from us, you consent to receive SMS messages from The Melt. These messages may include franchise inquiry follow-ups, appointment reminders, account notifications, service updates, customer care messages, and occasional promotional messages. The compliance review noted that SMS-related purpose and use language should be clearly described.

Message frequency may vary depending on your interaction with us. Message and data rates may apply.

You may opt out of receiving text messages at any time by replying STOP to any message. For assistance, reply HELP or contact us using the contact information listed below.

By submitting your phone number through our forms or other communication channels, you authorize us to send you text messages in accordance with your consent and applicable law.

4. How We Share Your Information

We may share your information with trusted third parties only as necessary to operate our business, provide the Services, comply with legal obligations, or protect our rights and users.

We may share your information with:

  • Service providers performing business-related functions on our behalf, such as hosting, payment processing, communications, analytics, fraud prevention, platform support, and identity management
  • Law enforcement agencies, regulators, courts, public authorities, anti-fraud organizations, and similar parties when required by law or necessary to protect rights, safety, security, or legal interests
  • Parties involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, sale of assets, bankruptcy, or similar transaction, where information may be transferred as part of that transaction

Mobile Phone Numbers and SMS Consent: No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. All other categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties. The compliance report identified this explicit no-third-party-marketing-sharing statement as a key missing requirement and a major rejection risk.

We do not sell your personal information in the traditional sense, except as may occur as part of the sale or transfer of all or part of our business or assets, as permitted by law.

5. Liability for Acts of Third Parties

The Melt’s accountability for personal data transferred under applicable data privacy frameworks is subject to the requirements of those frameworks. Where we transfer personal data to third-party agents acting on our behalf, we may remain responsible if they process personal data in a manner inconsistent with applicable legal requirements, unless we prove that we are not responsible for the event giving rise to the damage.

Although we use reasonable efforts to safeguard personal information, no transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. We are not liable for disclosures caused by transmission errors or unauthorized acts of third parties beyond our reasonable control.

6. Children

Our Services are not directed to children under the age of 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information without appropriate consent, please contact us and we will take appropriate steps to investigate and, if necessary, delete the information.

7. Your Rights and Choices

You may have certain rights regarding your personal information, subject to applicable law.

These may include the right to:

  • Access your personal information
  • Correct or update inaccurate information
  • Request deletion of your personal information
  • Opt out of certain marketing communications
  • Limit certain uses of your information where permitted by law

You may unsubscribe from promotional emails by using the unsubscribe link in those emails. You may not be able to opt out of service-related, transactional, or legally required communications.

We use cookies and similar technologies to recognize you, improve functionality, analyze activity, and support internal operations. You may be able to manage cookies through your browser settings.

To request access, correction, update, or deletion of your personal information, please contact us at tellus@themelt.com. We will respond in accordance with applicable law.

8. Location of Your Information

The Melt is located in the United States. Your information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States or other countries where we or our service providers operate. We take reasonable steps to ensure that your information receives an appropriate level of protection consistent with applicable law.

Where required, we may rely on recognized legal mechanisms, such as contractual clauses, to support international data transfers.

9. Data Privacy Framework Notice for Individuals in the EU, UK, and Switzerland

The Melt states that it complies with the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework program (EU-U.S. DPF), the UK Extension to the EU-U.S. DPF, and the Swiss-U.S. Data Privacy Framework program (Swiss-U.S. DPF), as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce, as described in the client’s existing policy text.

The Melt has certified to the U.S. Department of Commerce that it adheres to the applicable Data Privacy Framework Principles with respect to personal data received from the European Union, the United Kingdom (and Gibraltar), and Switzerland, in reliance on those frameworks. If there is any conflict between the terms of this Privacy Policy and the applicable Data Privacy Framework Principles, the Principles shall govern.

To learn more about the Data Privacy Framework program and to view certification information, please visit the official program website.

Individuals covered by the applicable framework may request confirmation of whether we maintain personal information relating to them in the United States and may request access to, correction of, amendment of, or deletion of that information, subject to applicable law.

Requests regarding Data Privacy Framework rights may be directed to tellus@themelt.com.

We may be required to disclose personal data in response to lawful requests by public authorities, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements.

For unresolved complaints under the applicable framework, The Melt may refer complaints to an independent dispute resolution mechanism, as described in its applicable DPF commitments.

10. How We Protect Your Information / How Long We Keep Your Information

We maintain procedural, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect the information we collect against loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These safeguards vary based on the nature and sensitivity of the information.

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, and support legitimate business operations. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the nature of your relationship with us.

Our Services may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the content, terms, policies, or privacy practices of those third-party sites. You should review the privacy policy and terms of any third-party website before using it.

12. Social Media Features and Widgets

Our website may include social media features and widgets, such as social sharing buttons or interactive plug-ins. These features may collect your IP address, the page you are visiting, and may set cookies or use similar technologies to function properly. Your interactions with such features are governed by the privacy policy of the company providing them.

13. Updates to Our Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our business practices, technologies, legal requirements, or operational needs. If we make material changes, we may provide notice through the Services, by email, or by other appropriate means. Your continued use of the Services after any update constitutes acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.

14. Personal Data of California Residents

This section describes how The Melt manages personal information of California residents under the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”), to the extent applicable.

California residents may have the right to:

  • Know what categories of personal information we collect, use, disclose, or share
  • Request access to specific pieces of personal information
  • Request deletion of personal information, subject to legal exceptions
  • Request correction of inaccurate personal information
  • Opt out of certain disclosures or uses where applicable
  • Exercise privacy rights without unlawful discrimination

We may need to verify your identity before processing a privacy request. In some cases, we may require additional information, a signed declaration, or other lawful verification steps.

You may also authorize an agent to act on your behalf, subject to verification and applicable legal requirements.

The categories of personal information we collect, use, and disclose may include identifiers, contact details, payment-related information, commercial information, internet or network activity information, geolocation data, professional or employment information, customer records, sensory information, and inferences derived from such information.

15. Contact

If you have any questions, requests, or complaints regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

The Melt
ATTN: Legal Department
925 Market St
San Francisco, CA 94103
Email: tellus@themelt.com