Who we are
Cosplay Contest is a website that runs cosplay contests for conventions. Each convention has its own address under cosplaycontest.ca. When you enter a contest or vote in one, the convention collects your details through our site, and we hold them for the convention.
Questions about this policy go to hello@cosplaycontest.ca.
What we collect
If you enter a contest:
- Your legal name and the name to announce you by.
- Your email address or mobile number.
- Your pronouns and a social handle, if you give them.
- Your character, where it is from, a short description, and a reference picture.
- Your answers to the contest's own questions, such as your division.
- A photo staff take at check-in, and a photo of your own if you add one for the crowd vote.
- Judges' scores and notes, and any award you win.
- A copy of each message the convention sends you.
If you vote:
- If you sign in by mobile number, we check the number with a text code and then keep only a scrambled copy of it.
- If you sign in with Google or Apple, we keep the email address and name they give us.
- Which entry you voted for.
If you are on a convention's staff: your name, email address and role, and a record of what you do on the site.
From everyone: a scrambled copy of your internet address, kept briefly to stop abuse. We use no analytics and no advertising trackers.
Why we collect it
To run the contest: registration, check-in, the line-up, judging, results, and messages about your call times. To show the public pages you choose to be on. To keep the site safe from abuse. Nothing else.
Who can see it
- Your legal name and contact details are seen only by the convention's admins. Moderators see a masked version. Judges never see them.
- Judges see your announced name, character, description, pronouns and reference picture.
- Your social handle is shown to moderators and judges only if you choose to show it.
- The public sees you only on the crowd-vote page, and only what you choose: your number, announced name and character always; where the character is from and your description unless you turn them off; your pronouns and handle only if you turn them on; and the photo you pick, or none.
- If the convention publishes a crowd favourite, that entry's number, name, character and photo are shown to anyone.
Your legal name and contact details are never public.
Who we share it with
We use a few services to run the site. Each gets only what it needs for its job.
- Cloudflare hosts the site, the database, the photos and the email we send.
- WorkOS handles sign-in for staff, and for voters who use Google or Apple.
- Twilio sends text messages and text codes.
- Google provides the map search an organizer uses to enter the venue. It runs only on that organizer's screen.
Our database is kept in North America. Some of these services work from the United States. We never sell your details, and we never share them for advertising.
Messages
We always send what the contest needs: sign-in codes, your private link, and a confirmation when you withdraw or come back. Call times and contest updates are sent only if you tick the box when you register. You can stop them at any time with the link at the foot of any email, or by replying STOP to a text.
Cookies
The site sets one cookie, which keeps you signed in for up to 18 hours. It is required to use the site. The vote page uses Cloudflare's Turnstile to tell people from bots, and it may set a cookie of its own. On a judge's device the browser keeps unsent scores until they reach us.
How long we keep it
Your entry stays in the convention's records after the show, so they can answer questions about results. Sign-in codes last 10 minutes and sessions 18 hours. To have your entry removed, ask the convention, or email us.
Children
When a contest asks for a parent or guardian, the parent registers the child and gives their own email or phone. The child's details are then handled as above, and the parent speaks for the child.
Your choices
- Your private link lets you see and change your entry, choose what the crowd-vote page shows, and withdraw.
- You can stop call-time messages at any time.
- You can ask us to correct or remove your details by email. We answer within 30 days.
- If you are not satisfied, you can complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
How we protect it
Everything travels over an encrypted connection. Contact details and internet addresses are also stored as scrambled copies where we can. Every uploaded picture is remade on our server, which strips the hidden details a camera adds, such as its location. Access is limited by role, and staff actions are logged.
Changes
If this policy changes, the date at the top changes with it. A change that matters is announced on the site.