1. Introduction and Scope
1.1This Privacy Policy explains how New Media Academy LLC ("Organizer," "we," "us" or "our") collects, uses, discloses and protects personal data in connection with the 1 Billion Followers Summit AI Film Award 2027 (the "Award"), the application website (the "Website"), and related communications, screenings and events (together, the "Award Services").
1.2This Policy applies to anyone who visits the Website, registers an account, submits an Application, is shortlisted as a Finalist, or is declared the Winner (each, "you"). Capitalised terms not defined in this Policy have the meaning given in the Award's Terms and Conditions ("Terms"), which should be read together with this Policy.
1.3This Policy does not apply to any third-party website, application, or AI tool you may use to create your Film. Your use of such tools is governed by their own privacy terms, and you should review those separately.
2. Who Is Responsible for Your Data
2.1The Organizer is the controller responsible for deciding how and why your personal data is processed in connection with the Award.
2.2If you have any question about this Policy or how your data is handled, you can contact us using the contact details published on the Website.
3. Personal Data We Collect
We collect the following categories of personal data:
3.1Account and Application data: name, date of birth or age confirmation, email address, phone number, country of residence and nationality, language, social media handles, account credentials, and the content of your Application (including your Film, synopsis, AI Disclosure, and any statements or biography you provide).
3.2Film content data: any personal data contained within the Film itself, including images, voices, likenesses or names of any person appearing in or referenced by the Film (whether you or a third party).
3.3Communications data: records of emails, messages, support requests, and other communications between you and us.
3.4Verification data (collected only from Finalists and the Winner): copies of identity documents (such as passport or national ID), proof of address, signed declarations, consent and release forms, information provided to satisfy know-your-customer, anti-money-laundering and sanctions screening requirements, tax residency and taxpayer information, and bank account details.
3.5Media data: photographs, video and audio recordings of you made at the Summit or related events, and interviews or statements you give in connection with publicity for the Award.
3.6Technical data: IP address, device and browser information, log data, and similar identifiers collected automatically when you use the Website, including through the cookies described in clause 8. This does not include your in-progress Application draft, which is saved only in your browser's local storage as described in clause 8.4 and is not personal data that we collect or store.
3.7Special category or sensitive data. We do not ask you to provide special category data (such as data about health, religion, or racial or ethnic origin) and you should not include such data in your Application unless it is unavoidably part of the Film's creative content. If your Film contains such data about a real, identifiable person, you are responsible for ensuring that person's informed consent, as set out in the Terms.
4. How We Collect Your Data
We collect personal data: (a) directly from you, when you register, submit an Application, respond to communications, or complete Verification; (b) automatically, through your use of the Website (see clause 8); and (c) from third parties where relevant, such as identity verification providers, banks, or publicly available sources used for due diligence, sanctions or fraud checks.
5. Why We Process Your Data and Our Legal Basis
| Purpose | What this involves | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Operating the Award | Registering accounts, receiving and administering Applications, communicating with Applicants | Performance of the Terms you accept when you apply; our legitimate interest in running the Award |
| Judging and selection | Sharing Applications and Films with the Jury, running originality/AI-detection checks, shortlisting Finalists | Performance of the Terms; legitimate interest in a fair and credible judging process |
| Verification and prize payment | Identity, tax, KYC/AML and sanctions checks, and processing bank details | Performance of the Terms; compliance with legal and regulatory obligations |
| Screening, publication and promotion | Screening the Film, creating and publishing clips, using your name, image, voice and biography as described in clause 8 of the Terms | Your consent, given on submission of the Application, and our legitimate interest in promoting the Award and the Summit |
| Security, integrity and fraud prevention | Detecting plagiarism, vote or judging manipulation, fraud, and enforcing the Terms | Legitimate interest in protecting the integrity of the Award; compliance with legal obligations |
| Legal and compliance | Responding to claims, regulators, courts, or law enforcement; enforcing clawback rights | Compliance with legal obligations; legitimate interest in defending our legal rights |
| Marketing (optional) | Sending you news about future editions of the Award or the Summit, if you opt in | Your consent |
We only rely on "legitimate interest" where, having weighed our interests against your rights, we consider the processing to be reasonable, proportionate and expected in the context of applying for a public award of this kind.
6. Who We Share Your Data With
We may share your personal data with:
(a) our Affiliates, and any government entity, media office or authority that supports or organises the Summit; (b) Partners who support or collaborate on the Award, where relevant to the purposes in clause 5; (c) the Jury and any screeners or advisers engaged to evaluate Applications; (d) service providers who process data on our behalf, such as hosting and IT providers, identity verification providers, payment and banking partners, and customer support tools; (e) professional advisers, including our lawyers, auditors and insurers; (f) event partners, including Summit venues, production and broadcast partners, and media outlets covering the Award; and (g) regulators, courts, tax authorities and law enforcement, where required or permitted by law, or to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
We do not sell your personal data. Any sharing for promotional purposes (for example, publishing your name, country, biography, Film or image) is carried out as described in clause 8 of the Terms and clause 5 of this Policy, not as a sale of data.
7. International Data Transfers
7.1We are based in the United Arab Emirates, and the Award is international. Your personal data may therefore be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries other than your own, including the UAE and countries where our service providers, Partners, Jury members, or event venues are located.
7.2Where we transfer personal data internationally, we take steps required by applicable data protection law to protect it, which may include relying on contractual safeguards with recipients, or transferring only to jurisdictions recognised as providing adequate protection.
7.3By submitting an Application, you acknowledge and consent to this cross-border processing, which is necessary to operate an international award of this kind.
8. Cookies and Similar Technologies
8.1The Website does not use any advertising or retargeting cookies or pixels, and does not require you to log in or create an authenticated account to submit an Application.
8.2The Website uses analytics cookies or similar technologies solely to understand how the Website is used, so we can improve it.
8.3You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling analytics cookies does not affect your ability to use the Website or submit an Application.
8.4Application progress (local storage). While you are completing an Application, your in-progress answers are saved automatically in your browser's local storage on your own device. This information stays on your device, is used only to let you resume a draft in the same browser, and is not transmitted to, or stored on, our servers unless and until you submit the completed Application. It is not personal data that we collect, and it will be lost if you clear your browser data, switch device or browser, or use a different browser profile. We therefore recommend completing and submitting your Application in one session where possible.
9. Data Retention
9.1We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Policy, taking into account:
(a) Unsuccessful Applications: generally for up to 5 years after the close of the Award Period, to allow for review, legal defence, and analysis of the Award, after which it is deleted or anonymised, unless a longer period is required by law. (b) Verification, financial and tax records of the Winner: for up to 7 years, or such longer period required by applicable tax, anti-money-laundering or company record-keeping law. (c) Winner and Finalist public information (name, country, Film, biography, media coverage): retained indefinitely as part of the historical archive of the Award and the Summit, consistent with the perpetual licence described in clause 8 of the Terms. (d) Marketing consents: until you withdraw consent, after which we stop sending marketing communications but may keep a record of the withdrawal. (e) Records needed for an active legal claim or investigation: for as long as necessary to resolve that matter.
9.2Where we can no longer identify you, or where retention is no longer necessary, we will delete or anonymise the relevant personal data.
10. Your Rights
10.1Subject to applicable law and the exceptions in clause 10.3, you may have the right to:
(a) access the personal data we hold about you; (b) correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data; (c) request deletion of your personal data; (d) restrict or object to certain processing, including processing based on legitimate interest or for marketing; (e) receive a copy of personal data you provided to us in a structured, commonly used format, where technically feasible; and (f) withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
10.2To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details published on the Website. We may need to verify your identity before responding, and we will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.
10.3These rights are not absolute. We may decline or limit a request where, for example: the data forms part of the published archive or promotional material described in clause 8 of the Terms and clause 9.1(c) of this Policy; we are required to keep the data for legal, tax, or regulatory reasons; the request would reveal information about another person; or the request is manifestly unfounded or excessive.
10.4If you are not satisfied with how we handle your personal data or your rights request, you may have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent data protection authority in your jurisdiction, without prejudice to any other remedy.
11. Children's Data
The Award is not open to applicants under 18 years of age, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children through the Application process. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected data from a child in connection with an Application, we will take steps to delete it.
12. Data Security
We use administrative, technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or destruction. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for keeping your account credentials confidential.
13. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or in applicable law. The updated version will be published on the Website with a revised "Last updated" date. Material changes will be notified to registered Applicants by email where practicable. Your continued use of the Website or participation in the Award after publication constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.
14. Relationship to the Terms and Conditions
This Policy forms part of, and should be read together with, the Award's Terms and Conditions. In particular, clause 8 of the Terms describes the licence you grant us to use your name, image, voice, biography and Film for promotional and archival purposes, which is a form of processing of your personal data governed by both documents. In the event of any conflict between this Policy and the Terms on data protection matters, this Policy prevails.
15. Contact Us
If you have any questions, requests or complaints about this Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us using the contact details published on the Website.