Last updated: November 1, 2026
Who we are
Battle of the Bulbs is a holiday decorating contest run by the Downtown Business Alliance of Wilmington, NC (the “DBA,” “we” or “us”). This policy explains what information this website collects, how we use it, and the choices you have. We do not sell your information.
What we collect
When you register a business
- Your email address and contact name.
- Your business name, business address, and the downtown district you are in.
- Whether your business is a DBA member.
- Where your light display will be, and anything else you choose to tell us.
- Your business logo, and your Instagram, Facebook and website links if you provide them.
When you vote
- The business you voted for, the date and time, and a random code saved on your device. We use the code to limit voting to one vote per day.
- We do not ask for your name or email address to vote.
Automatically
- Basic technical information, such as your IP address and browser type, is processed by the services that deliver this site and its security checks (see “Services we use”).
How we use it
- To review your registration, place your business on the map, and run the contest.
- To count votes, keep voting fair, and block spam and automated sign-ups.
- To contact you about the contest and DBA programs. Registering a business adds the contact email to the DBA's email list in Mailchimp, and the registration form tells people so before they submit. We send contest reminders, deadlines and other DBA updates to that list. Every email includes an unsubscribe link.
What is public and what is private
Shown publicly once your business is approved: business name, address, district, where your display is, website, Instagram, Facebook and logo.
Never shown publicly: your email address, your contact name, and any notes you send us.
Services we use
This site depends on other companies. Each handles some information on our behalf or to deliver the page to you.
- Google Workspace (Sheets, Drive and Apps Script): stores registrations, votes and logo files, and turns business addresses into map points. Logo files are viewable by anyone with the link so they can appear on the site.
- Cloudflare Turnstile: a security check that tells people from bots on the registration form. Its privacy addendum is reproduced in full below.
- OpenStreetMap (Photon search): as you type a business address, the text you type is sent to a public address search service based on OpenStreetMap data to suggest matches.
- OpenFreeMap and MapLibre: supply the map. Your browser requests map images and code from them, which reveals your IP address to those services.
- Google Fonts: supplies the typefaces on this site.
- Netlify: hosts this website and keeps standard server logs.
- Mailchimp: sends DBA emails to registered contacts and to anyone who joins the list from the home page signup box.
Cookies and local storage
We save a random code in your browser's local storage so we can limit voting to one vote per day and so the registration thank-you page can show your business name. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies. Cloudflare Turnstile may use cookies that are strictly necessary for its security check, as described in its addendum below.
How long we keep information
We keep registration and voting records for as long as we need them to run the contest and keep the DBA's business records. You can ask us to correct or remove your information at any time.
Your choices
Children
This site is for businesses and the community members who support them. It is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from them.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy, we will post the new version here and update the date at the top.
Contact us
Cloudflare Turnstile privacy addendum
Our registration form uses Cloudflare Turnstile. Cloudflare publishes the following addendum, which is reproduced here in full. It supplements Cloudflare's main Privacy Policy.
Turnstile Privacy Addendum
Last updated: JUNE 18, 2025
1. INTRODUCTION
Turnstile, developed by Cloudflare, Inc. (Cloudflare), is a pro-privacy website security tool that processes minimal Signals (as defined below) solely to protect web properties against malicious activity by distinguishing human users from bots and blocking bot traffic.
Cloudflare does not control whether a website chooses to use Turnstile; instead, we make Turnstile available to any website that is looking for a way to detect and block bot traffic.
2. SCOPE OF THIS ADDENDUM
This Turnstile Addendum is supplemental to Cloudflare's main Privacy Policy. It provides additional information specific to your use and interaction with Turnstile. This Addendum also applies to the personal data processed using Cloudflare’s Challenge Platform, and any reference to “Turnstile” in this addendum applies equally to the Challenge Platform.
The Cloudflare Privacy Policy continues to apply to your use and interaction with Turnstile, except where this Turnstile Addendum provides more specific information. In those cases, the more specific information will apply instead.
3. INFORMATION WE COLLECT
Cloudflare Turnstile processes a variety of client-side signals (“Signals”) such as client IP address, TLS Fingerprint, User-Agent Header and Sitekey and associated origin. Cloudflare does not have the ability to directly identify any individuals from any of the Signals Turnstile collects, including IP addresses.
4. HOW WE USE INFORMATION WE COLLECT
(i) Bot detection and blocking
Turnstile is a tool to protect web properties by distinguishing human users from bots and blocking any detected bot traffic that could otherwise harm the safety and security of that property.
It does so by evaluating the Signals listed above specific to both the website visitor and the website visited. The purpose of collecting these Signals is not to identify, profile or target any individuals but solely to detect and block bots. The Signals collected by Turnstile are strictly necessary for this purpose (i.e. detecting and blocking bots to enable visitors to enjoy a safe and secure experience when visiting websites that have implemented Turnstile).
Cloudflare is a data processor of Signals that we process to provide the Turnstile service to our customers, that is, securing our customers’ websites. This means that we process Signals for this purpose on behalf of, and pursuant to instructions issued by, our website operator customers (who are the data controllers of any data processed for this purpose). If you have questions, or wish to exercise any data protection rights, regarding Cloudflare’s processing of Turnstile data to provide our service, please contact the relevant website operator.
(ii) Improving Turnstile’s bot detection capabilities
Cloudflare also processes the Signals described in this Privacy Notice to improve Turnstile. This is necessary to refine and improve our bot detection algorithms in order to respond to evolving bot threats, and to maintain the security of the web properties that website visitors choose to visit.
Cloudflare is a data controller of Signals that we process to improve Turnstile’s bot detection capabilities. This Turnstile Privacy Notice (in conjunction with Cloudflare's main Privacy Policy) governs our processing of Signals for this purpose.
5. NOTICE TO EU AND UK RESIDENTS
To the extent that the data described in the Turnstile Privacy Notice qualifies as personal data, then:
When processing this personal data as a processor to protect our customers' websites, our customers, as controllers, determine the lawful basis of this processing, and we process this data under their instruction and on their behalf; and
When processing this personal data as a controller, we rely on our legitimate interests in improving the effectiveness of Turnstile's bot detection capabilities to process this Turnstile data.
6. COOKIES
The Signals collected by Turnstile are strictly necessary for the purpose of detecting and blocking bots to enable visitors to enjoy a safe and secure experience when visiting websites that have implemented Turnstile.
For more information about the cookies used by Cloudflare, please check our Cookie Policy and our Turnstile Developer Docs.
CONTACT FOR PRIVACY CONCERNS
If you have questions or concerns about this Turnstile Privacy Notice or your personal data processed through Turnstile, please contact Cloudflare’s Data Protection Officer at dpo@cloudflare.com.