Organizer: Vanguard Creative Platforms Inc.
Platform: Vanguard Platform
Effective Date: April 30, 2026
Version: 1.0
Privacy Contact: connect@vanguardnetwork.org
Jurisdiction / Headquarters: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Vanguard Creative Platforms Inc. runs Vanguard Music Championship — Season 1: Open Signal and also operates the Vanguard Platform used for the Event.
This Notice explains how Vanguard handles personal information for this specific Event.
We may use Participant information to register Participants, receive Submissions, administer judging, communicate about the Event, publish results, maintain Event records, verify eligibility, deliver prizes, prevent abuse, and comply with legal obligations.
The Event is a public professional music competition. This means some Event-related information may be public, including names, stage names, usernames, rankings, placements, winner or finalist status, badges, Submission excerpts, Event reviews, and Event records, as described in the Event Terms and Event Materials.
Participants keep ownership of their music and creative work.
Broader promotional use outside the ordinary Event context is governed separately by the Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License or another clearly accepted permission.
Participation is open to individuals aged 14 and older. Participants aged 14–17 may participate only with parent or legal guardian authorization and supervision.
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This Event-Specific Privacy Notice explains how Vanguard Creative Platforms Inc. (“Vanguard,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, discloses, stores, protects, and retains personal information in connection with:
Vanguard Music Championship — Season 1: Open Signal
(the “Event”).
This Notice applies to personal information handled for Event-related purposes, including personal information connected to:
* registration;
* participation;
* Submissions;
* credits and disclosures;
* AI/tool-use disclosures;
* judging and review;
* rankings, placements, badges, and results;
* Event records and archives;
* Event-related communications;
* eligibility verification;
* parent or legal guardian authorization for minor Participants;
* prize verification and delivery;
* support, complaints, disputes, safety, security, audit, and Event integrity.
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This Notice applies only to personal information handled by Vanguard for the purposes of administering and operating this Event.
It does not replace the general Vanguard Privacy Policy, which applies to platform-level personal information handling, including account management, platform security, Pathfinder functionality, ecosystem navigation, service operation, and general use of the Vanguard Platform.
This Notice should be read together with:
* the Vanguard Terms of Service;
* the Vanguard Privacy Policy;
* the Vanguard Music Championship — Season 1: Open Signal Event Terms;
* the Universal Event Operations Framework;
* the Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License, where accepted;
* the Event page and applicable Event Materials.
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The full name of the Event is:
Vanguard Music Championship — Season 1: Open Signal
For clarity:
* Vanguard Music Championship is the competition series;
* Season 1: Open Signal is the first season of that series;
In this Notice, the full event name is referred to as the “Event.”
Short public labels such as “VMC Season 1” or “Vanguard MC Season 1” may be used in Event pages, platform displays, communications, rankings, badges, and public Event records.
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Vanguard is headquartered in Canada and handles Event-related personal information in accordance with applicable Canadian privacy laws, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), where applicable.
If the Event is accessed by Participants from outside Canada, additional privacy or data protection laws may apply depending on the Participant’s location, the nature of the processing, and the way the Event is made available.
Vanguard’s privacy approach is based on the following principles:
* accountability;
* clear identification of purposes;
* meaningful consent where required;
* limiting collection to what is reasonably necessary;
* limiting use, disclosure, and retention;
* protecting personal information with appropriate safeguards;
* openness about privacy practices;
* access and correction rights where applicable;
* complaint handling.
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For this Event, Vanguard Creative Platforms Inc. is the Organizer.
In its Organizer role, Vanguard is responsible for handling personal information for Event-related purposes, including:
* registering Participants;
* administering participation;
* receiving and managing Submissions;
* appointing Judges, Reviewers, Experts, or Evaluators where applicable;
* administering judging and result formation;
* publishing Event results and Event records where applicable;
* verifying eligibility and compliance;
* handling parent or legal guardian authorization where required;
* coordinating prize verification and delivery;
* responding to Event-related questions, complaints, disputes, and rights claims;
* protecting the fairness, safety, security, and integrity of the Event.
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Vanguard Creative Platforms Inc. also operates the Vanguard Platform and, where enabled, the Pathfinder navigation module.
In its platform-operator role, Vanguard may handle personal information for platform-related purposes, including:
* account registration and login;
* identity and profile management;
* platform security;
* technical logs;
* audit records;
* submission infrastructure;
* judging tools;
* notification systems;
* Pathfinder navigation, achievements, statuses, and participation history where enabled;
* platform support and service administration.
Platform-level personal information handling is described in the Vanguard Privacy Policy.
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For this Event, Vanguard is not transferring Event data from one company to another company when it acts as both Organizer and platform operator.
The distinction between Organizer and Platform Operator is a functional distinction inside the same legal entity:
Vanguard Creative Platforms Inc.
This means that authorized Vanguard personnel, systems, contractors, service providers, Judges, Reviewers, Experts, or other Event roles may access Event-related personal information only where reasonably necessary for Event administration, platform operation, judging, support, security, compliance, prize delivery, recordkeeping, or Event integrity.
Access is limited by role, purpose, and reasonable need.
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Event-related personal information may be accessed only by persons or systems that reasonably need access for Event or platform purposes.
This may include, where applicable:
* Vanguard personnel;
* Event administrators;
* Judges, Reviewers, Experts, or Evaluators;
* technical support personnel;
* platform operations personnel;
* security, audit, or compliance personnel;
* contractors or service providers acting on Vanguard’s behalf;
* payment or prize-delivery support providers, where needed;
* legal, regulatory, or law-enforcement recipients where required or permitted by law.
Access to Submissions and Participant information is limited to what is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.
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The Vanguard Privacy Policy governs platform-level personal information handling.
This includes personal information handled for:
* account creation and authentication;
* platform security;
* system logs and audit trails;
* platform support;
* Pathfinder functionality, where enabled;
* general use of the Vanguard Platform;
* service administration;
* platform-level communications;
* legal and compliance obligations connected to the Vanguard ecosystem.
This Event-Specific Privacy Notice governs Event-level personal information handling for Vanguard Music Championship — Season 1: Open Signal.
Both documents apply within their proper scope.
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The Vanguard Music Championship — Season 1: Open Signal Event Terms explain the legal and operational rules of participation in the Event.
Those Event Terms describe, among other things:
* eligibility;
* age and minor-participation rules;
* Submission requirements;
* judging and results;
* public display;
* Event records;
* prizes;
* intellectual property;
* Content Promotion & Media License boundaries;
* enforcement and disqualification;
* technical issues and legal terms.
This Notice explains how personal information is handled in connection with those Event activities.
If there is a conflict:
* the Event Terms govern participation rules and contractual obligations;
* this Event-Specific Privacy Notice governs Event-level personal information handling;
* the Vanguard Privacy Policy governs platform-level personal information handling;
* applicable law prevails where required.
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The ordinary operation of the Event may involve public Event display, rankings, placements, winner records, finalist records, Event reviews, Submission excerpts, profile markers, badges, and Event archives, as described in the Event Terms and Event Materials.
Broader promotional, editorial, showcase, marketing, advertising, partner, sponsor, press, social media, demo, portfolio, or ecosystem-wide use outside the ordinary Event context is governed separately by the Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License or another clearly accepted permission.
This means:
* Event participation and Event records are governed by the Event Terms and this Notice;
* broader promotional use is governed by the Content Promotion & Media License where that License is accepted.
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The Event page and applicable Event Materials may provide practical details about:
* what information is collected during registration;
* what must be submitted;
* what disclosures are required;
* how judging works;
* what results may be public;
* what prize information may be required;
* what communication channels may be used;
* what public display applies to a Round or stage.
Event Materials must be consistent with this Notice, the Event Terms, the Vanguard Privacy Policy, and applicable law.
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Vanguard does not use Event-related personal information for unrelated purposes unless:
* the purpose has been clearly disclosed;
* the Participant has provided any consent required by applicable law;
* the use is permitted or required by law; or
* the use is reasonably necessary for legal, security, compliance, safety, dispute, or Event-integrity purposes.
Vanguard does not sell Participant personal information.
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This Notice may apply to personal information relating to the following individuals, where applicable to the Event:
* Participants wh* r*gister for, join, submit to, or otherwise participate in the Event;
* prospective Participants who begin registration, submit questions, or interact with Event materials;
* finalists, winners, ranked Participants, disqualified Participants, or other Participants whose status is recorded as part of the Event;
* Participants aged 14–17 and their parents or legal guardians, where parent or legal guardian authorization is required;
* Judges, Reviewers, Experts, Evaluators, moderators, administrators, contractors, or other persons involved in operating, judging, supporting, or administering the Event;
* individuals who contact Vanguard about the Event, including support requests, complaints, rights claims, privacy requests, or legal notices;
* individuals whose name, voice, likeness, image, personal information, or contribution is included in a Submission, credit, disclosure, or supporting material provided by a Participant.
Participants are responsible for ensuring that they have the right to include personal information about other people in their Submissions, credits, disclosures, or supporting materials.
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Vanguard may collect Event-related personal information directly from the Participant, including through:
* Event registration forms;
* account or profile fields used for Event participation;
* Submission forms;
* uploaded files;
* links and supporting materials;
* credits and disclosures;
* AI/tool-use disclosures;
* eligibility confirmations;
* parent or legal guardian authorization confirmations;
* prize verification and delivery forms;
* support requests;
* complaints, disputes, or review requests;
* emails, messages, or other communications with Vanguard.
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Vanguard may generate or record personal information as part of Event administration, including:
* registration status;
* participation status;
* Round status;
* submission timestamps;
* acceptance logs;
* checkbox records;
* document version records;
* judging assignments;
* scores;
* rankings;
* placements;
* finalist or winner status;
* badges or recognition markers;
* disqualification or enforcement records;
* Event archive entries;
* prize status;
* integrity review records;
* audit logs and technical logs.
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Where applicable, Vanguard may receive or create information from Judges, Reviewers, Experts, Evaluators, moderators, administrators, support personnel, or other Event roles, including:
* judging notes;
* scores;
* comments;
* ranking inputs;
* eligibility or compliance observations;
* rights, authorship, or AI-use concerns;
* conflict-of-interest information;
* technical or administrative issue reports;
* integrity or safety reports.
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For Participants aged 14–17, Vanguard may collect information from or about a parent or legal guardian where reasonably necessary to confirm authorization, supervision, eligibility, communication, or compliance with Event requirements.
This may include:
* parent or legal guardian name;
* contact details;
* confirmation of authorization;
* relationship to the minor Participant;
* communication records related to the minor’s participation;
* any other information reasonably necessary to confirm lawful participation.
Vanguard does not intentionally collect more parent or legal guardian information than reasonably necessary for this purpose.
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Vanguard may receive limited information from third parties where reasonably necessary for Event purposes, including:
* rights complaints or takedown notices;
* plagiarism, impersonation, or AI-use reports;
* information from service providers acting on Vanguard’s behalf;
* payment or prize-delivery confirmation from payment providers;
* legal, regulatory, or law-enforcement communications;
* publicly available information relevant to eligibility, rights, fraud, safety, or Event integrity.
Vanguard does not purchase Participant personal information from data brokers for this Event.
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Vanguard collects, uses, discloses, stores, and retains Event-related personal information only for purposes reasonably connected to the Event, platform operation, legal compliance, security, or Participant consent where required.
Vanguard may use personal information to:
* register Participants;
* confirm participation;
* manage Event access;
* verify account or contact details;
* administer Rounds, stages, battles, or submission windows;
* track participation status;
* send Event-related confirmations, reminders, and updates;
* manage Event pages, Participant pages, and platform workflows.
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Vanguard may use personal information to:
* confirm eligibility;
* verify age where reasonably required;
* confirm parent or legal guardian authorization for Participants aged 14–17;
* verify identity where reasonably required for eligibility, prize delivery, rights claims, fraud prevention, or legal compliance;
* confirm that participation is not prohibited by law, sanctions, platform restrictions, or Event-specific rules;
* check compliance with Event Terms and Event Materials.
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Vanguard may use personal information and submitted materials to:
* receive Submissions;
* store and organize Submissions;
* make Submissions available to authorized Judges, Reviewers, Experts, or Event personnel;
* review Submissions for completeness, format, eligibility, rights, AI-use compliance, and Event-rule compliance;
* process credits, descriptions, disclosures, and supporting materials;
* communicate with Participants about incomplete, inaccessible, non-compliant, or disputed Submissions.
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Vanguard may use personal information to:
* assign Submissions to Judges, Reviewers, Experts, or Evaluators;
* administer judging workflows;
* collect scores, comments, rankings, assessments, or review notes;
* calculate or form results under the published Event rules;
* record Round status, advancement, finalist status, winner status, placement, badges, or recognition;
* publish Event results where applicable;
* maintain Event records and archives.
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Because the Event is a public professional music competition, Vanguard may use personal information to create and display public Event records, where described in the Event Terms and Event Materials.
This may include:
* name;
* stage name;
* username or handle;
* Submission title;
* Submission description;
* Submission excerpts, clips, previews, thumbnails, or other Event-context displays;
* ranking;
* placement;
* finalist or winner status;
* badges or recognition markers;
* Judge comments or Event reviews where applicable;
* public Event pages;
* winner pages;
* rankings;
* archive records.
Public Event records may remain available as part of the Event history, subject to the Event Terms, this Notice, the Vanguard Privacy Policy, and applicable law.
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If a Participant becomes eligible for a monetary prize or other prize, Vanguard may use personal information to:
* confirm the winner’s identity;
* confirm eligibility;
* confirm compliance with Event rules;
* confirm that the winner may lawfully receive the prize;
* request payment or delivery details;
* process prize delivery;
* maintain prize records;
* comply with tax, accounting, reporting, banking, sanctions, anti-fraud, or legal obligations where applicable.
Prize delivery information is used only for prize administration, legal compliance, fraud prevention, recordkeeping, and related support.
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Vanguard may use personal information to send:
* registration confirmations;
* submission confirmations;
* Event updates;
* deadline reminders;
* Round updates;
* clarification requests;
* judging or result notices;
* prize coordination messages;
* support responses;
* rights, authorship, AI-use, or eligibility verification requests;
* safety, security, fraud, or compliance notices;
* legal or policy update notices related to the Event.
Event-related communications are part of Event administration.
Marketing, newsletter, promotional, partner, showcase, or opportunity-related communications are addressed separately in this Notice.
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Vanguard may use personal information and submitted materials to:
* verify authorship;
* review credits and contributor disclosures;
* assess rights, licensing, beat, sample, loop, vocal, likeness, or third-party-material issues;
* review AI/tool-use disclosures;
* investigate prohibited AI voice or artificial vocal performance;
* respond to takedown notices, complaints, or rights claims;
* investigate plagiarism, impersonation, fraud, cheating, manipulation, or abuse;
* enforce Event Terms and platform rules;
* protect the fairness, safety, legality, and integrity of the Event.
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Vanguard may use personal information to:
* respond to support requests;
* handle complaints or review requests;
* manage disputes;
* preserve relevant records;
* enforce Event Terms;
* comply with applicable laws;
* respond to lawful requests from courts, regulators, law enforcement, or other authorities;
* establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
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Vanguard may use personal information, technical data, and logs to:
* secure accounts;
* detect unauthorized access;
* prevent fraud, abuse, spam, manipulation, or attacks;
* protect the Vanguard Platform;
* maintain audit trails;
* investigate incidents;
* enforce security restrictions;
* maintain reliable Event operation.
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Vanguard may use Event-related information to understand and improve:
* Event design;
* submission flows;
* judging workflows;
* Participant experience;
* platform usability;
* communications;
* documentation;
* safety and integrity controls;
* future Vanguard events.
Where possible and appropriate, Vanguard may use aggregated or de-identified information for analytics, reporting, and improvement.
Vanguard does not use Participant Submissions to train AI models by default unless this is clearly disclosed and separately accepted where required.
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Vanguard collects and handles only the personal information reasonably necessary for the Event, platform operation, Event integrity, prize administration, legal compliance, and related purposes described in this Notice.
The exact information collected may vary depending on how the Participant interacts with the Event.
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Vanguard may handle identification and contact information, including:
* name;
* stage name;
* username or handle;
* email address;
* phone number, where provided or reasonably required;
* country, region, or time zone;
* account identifier;
* profile identifier;
* platform username;
* contact preferences;
* other contact details provided by the Participant.
For public Event display, Vanguard may use the Participant’s stage name, username, handle, profile name, or other attribution information provided for the Event, as described in the Event Terms and Event Materials.
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Where the Participant uses the Vanguard Platform, Vanguard may handle account and platform information, including:
* account registration data;
* login or authentication records;
* account status;
* platform profile information;
* Pathfinder-linked profile information, where enabled;
* participation history connected to the Event;
* Event access status;
* badges, achievements, statuses, or recognition markers connected to the Event;
* communication preferences and notification settings.
Platform-level account information is primarily governed by the Vanguard Privacy Policy.
This Notice applies where such information is used for Event-related purposes.
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Vanguard may handle Event registration and participation information, including:
* Event registration status;
* date and time of registration;
* Round participation status;
* submission status;
* eligibility confirmations;
* age-related confirmations;
* parent or legal guardian authorization confirmation, where applicable;
* acceptance of Event Terms and other required documents;
* checkbox records;
* participation history within the Event;
* advancement, finalist, winner, disqualification, or other Event status.
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Vanguard may handle information connected to Submissions, including:
* audio files;
* tracks;
* demo recordings;
* vocal recordings;
* lyrics;
* toplines;
* melodies;
* beat, instrumental, production, or arrangement materials;
* Submission titles;
* Submission descriptions;
* credits;
* contributor information;
* links to external materials, where permitted;
* supporting files;
* artwork, images, video, or other supporting materials where submitted;
* upload timestamps;
* file names, formats, sizes, and technical metadata;
* Submission review status.
Submissions may include personal information if the Participant includes names, voices, images, likenesses, credits, collaborator details, or other identifiable information.
The Participant is responsible for ensuring they have the right to include personal information about other people in a Submission.
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Vanguard may handle information needed to understand authorship, rights, and credits, including:
* writer credits;
* producer credits;
* performer credits;
* vocalist credits;
* beatmaker or instrumental source information;
* collaborator names or handles;
* rights holder information;
* license information;
* sample, beat, loop, or third-party material disclosures;
* confirmations of permissions, releases, licenses, or authority;
* rights-claim correspondence;
* takedown or dispute information.
Vanguard may request this information where reasonably necessary to verify eligibility, respond to complaints, administer judging, protect Event integrity, or address legal risk.
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Vanguard may handle information about AI tools, production tools, external software, or other creative assistance used in connection with a Submission, where disclosure is required by the Event Terms or Event Materials.
This may include:
* whether AI tools were used;
* what tools were used;
* what parts of the process involved AI or external tools;
* whether tools were used for non-vocal production, editing, arrangement, brainstorming, mixing, mastering, or other permitted purposes;
* confirmation that prohibited AI voice, AI vocals, AI rap delivery, AI singing, AI voice cloning, AI voice conversion, or artificial vocal performance were not used;
* supporting explanations or evidence where reasonably requested.
Vanguard may use this information to verify compliance with the Event’s AI and tool-use rules.
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Vanguard may handle judging, review, and result information, including:
* judging assignments;
* Judge, Reviewer, Expert, or Evaluator notes;
* scores;
* rankings;
* comments;
* review records;
* evaluation status;
* advancement decisions;
* finalist status;
* winner status;
* placement;
* badges or recognition markers;
* disqualification records;
* correction or review records;
* public Event result records;
* archive records.
Some judging, review, ranking, placement, and result information may be publicly displayed where described in the Event Terms and Event Materials.
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If a Participant becomes eligible for a monetary prize or other prize, Vanguard may collect and handle information reasonably necessary to verify eligibility and deliver the prize.
This may include:
* legal name, where required;
* stage name or account identifier;
* contact information;
* country or region;
* payment method preference;
* payment account details, where applicable;
* bank transfer details, PayPal details, wallet details, or other prize-delivery information, where applicable;
* tax, reporting, or withholding information where required by law;
* identity or eligibility verification information where reasonably required;
* prize communication records;
* confirmation of prize delivery.
Vanguard uses prize delivery information only for prize administration, eligibility verification, fraud prevention, legal compliance, accounting, recordkeeping, and related support.
Vanguard does not collect more prize delivery information than reasonably necessary for these purposes.
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For Participants aged 14–17, Vanguard may handle parent or legal guardian information where reasonably necessary to confirm authorization, supervision, or lawful participation.
This may include:
* parent or legal guardian name;
* email address;
* phone number, where provided or reasonably required;
* relationship to the Participant;
* confirmation of authorization;
* communication records;
* verification records, where reasonably required.
Vanguard limits collection of parent or legal guardian information to what is reasonably necessary for minor-participation compliance and Event administration.
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Vanguard may handle communications connected to the Event, including:
* emails;
* support messages;
* complaint messages;
* rights-claim communications;
* prize coordination messages;
* verification requests and responses;
* Event-related notifications;
* Pathfinder or messenger-connected communications, where enabled;
* records of communication delivery or response.
Communications may be retained where reasonably necessary for support, Event administration, dispute handling, legal compliance, security, or recordkeeping.
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When Participants use the Vanguard Platform or interact with the Event, Vanguard may automatically collect or generate technical, security, and audit information, including:
* IP address;
* device information;
* browser information;
* operating system;
* session identifiers;
* login timestamps;
* upload timestamps;
* submission timestamps;
* acceptance timestamps;
* checkbox logs;
* document version records;
* access logs;
* error logs;
* security logs;
* fraud or abuse signals;
* integrity review records;
* platform activity logs.
This information is used to operate the Event, secure the Vanguard Platform, verify submissions and acceptances, prevent fraud or abuse, investigate incidents, and maintain reliable records.
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Because the Event is a public professional music competition, certain information may become public as part of the ordinary Event context.
This may include:
* stage name;
* username or handle;
* profile name;
* Submission title;
* Submission description;
* Submission excerpts, previews, clips, or thumbnails;
* ranking;
* placement;
* finalist or winner status;
* badges or recognition;
* public Event review or commentary;
* public Event pages;
* winner pages;
* rankings;
* archive entries.
Public Event information is handled as described in the Event Terms, Event Materials, this Notice, and the Vanguard Privacy Policy.
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Vanguard does not intentionally request sensitive personal information for this Event unless it is reasonably necessary for a specific disclosed purpose.
Participants should not include sensitive personal information in Submissions, descriptions, credits, messages, or supporting materials unless it is required and they have the right to provide it.
Sensitive personal information may include, depending on context:
* government identification numbers;
* detailed financial information;
* health information;
* precise location;
* private family information;
* information about minors;
* confidential third-party information;
* other information that may create heightened privacy or safety risk.
If sensitive personal information is provided, Vanguard will handle it with safeguards appropriate to its sensitivity and will limit use to the purpose for which it was provided or as otherwise permitted or required by law.
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For this Event, Vanguard does not intentionally collect:
* full payment card numbers from Participants;
* paid-entry billing information, because participation in this Event is intended to be free unless clearly stated otherwise;
* government ID documents unless reasonably required for prize, eligibility, age, legal, fraud, or compliance verification;
* unrelated medical, political, religious, or similarly sensitive information;
* data for resale to data brokers;
* information for unrelated third-party advertising marketplaces.
Vanguard does not sell Participant personal information.
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For this Event, we may handle basic contact details, your stage name, your account information, your Submission, credits, AI/tool-use disclosures, judging records, rankings, prize delivery details if you win, support messages, and technical logs.
We do not need paid-entry payment data because this Event is intended to be free.
We may need prize payment information only if you become eligible to receive a prize.
Do not upload private or sensitive information unless it is required for participation and you have the right to provide it.
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The Event is a public professional music competition.
This means that participation may create public Event records, including rankings, placements, finalist status, winner status, badges, recognition markers, Event pages, winner pages, Submission excerpts, Event reviews, commentary, and archive entries.
Participants should understand that some Event-related information may be visible to other Participants, platform users, Judges, audiences, partners, visitors, and the general public, depending on the Event format and Event Materials.
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Where described in the Event Terms and Event Materials, Vanguard may publicly display or refer to:
* Participant name, stage name, username, handle, or profile name;
* Submission title;
* Submission description;
* Submission excerpts, previews, clips, thumbnails, waveform images, or other Event-context representations;
* rankings;
* placements;
* scores, where applicable;
* finalist or winner status;
* badges or recognition markers;
* Event reviews, Judge comments, recap notes, or public commentary, where applicable;
* public Event pages;
* Round pages;
* rankings pages;
* winner pages;
* showcase pages;
* archive records.
Public display will be limited to the ordinary Event context unless broader promotional use is separately authorized.
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Vanguard may display or publish Submissions, excerpts, descriptions, previews, clips, or other representations of submitted materials where public display is part of the Event format or clearly described in the Event Materials.
Unless clearly stated in the Event Terms, Event Materials, or separately authorized by the Participant, Vanguard does not intentionally publish:
* private files not intended for public display;
* raw project files;
* stems;
* multitracks;
* unpublished drafts;
* private links;
* passwords;
* access credentials;
* sensitive personal information;
* private contact details;
* third-party personal information not reasonably necessary for Event display;
* materials restricted by law, confidentiality obligations, or third-party rights;
* materials submitted only for verification, judging, support, compliance, or prize delivery.
Participants are responsible for not including unnecessary private, sensitive, confidential, or third-party personal information in Submissions or supporting materials.
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Where review, critique, recap, battle discussion, judging explanation, or public commentary is part of the Event format, Vanguard may publicly discuss the Submission and Event result.
This may include discussion of:
* vocal performance;
* rap delivery;
* lyrics;
* flow;
* originality;
* musicality;
* production choices;
* arrangement;
* creative direction;
* technical quality;
* compliance with the Event brief;
* strengths and weaknesses;
* reasons for advancement or non-advancement;
* comparison to published judging criteria.
Such discussion is part of the ordinary Event context and may be included in Event pages, Round pages, rankings, recaps, public reviews, winner pages, or Event archive records.
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Vanguard may retain Event records as part of the Event history and platform archive.
Event records may include:
* registration records;
* participation records;
* acceptance and checkbox logs;
* submission records;
* judging records;
* scores and rankings;
* placements;
* finalist and winner records;
* badges and recognition markers;
* public Event pages;
* winner pages;
* archive pages;
* public reviews or recaps;
* prize records;
* dispute, complaint, takedown, enforcement, and integrity records.
Event records may remain available after the Event ends where reasonably necessary to preserve competition history, document results, protect Event integrity, resolve disputes, comply with legal obligations, maintain archives, or support platform records.
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A Participant may request access, correction, deletion, anonymization, or restriction of certain personal information, subject to applicable law and the limitations described in this Notice.
However, deletion or withdrawal requests may not require Vanguard to remove or erase:
* official Event results;
* rankings;
* placements;
* winner or finalist records;
* badges;
* Event archive records;
* records needed for dispute handling;
* records needed for legal compliance;
* records needed for fraud, abuse, security, or integrity protection;
* records connected to valid Event operation or public Event history;
* materials already lawfully published within the ordinary Event context, where removal is not legally required or technically reasonable.
Where appropriate, Vanguard may de-identify, anonymize, limit, or modify certain personal information instead of deleting the entire Event record.
---
The ordinary Event context includes personal information handling and public display reasonably connected to:
* Event registration;
* participation;
* Submissions;
* judging;
* scoring;
* rankings;
* results;
* winner or finalist recognition;
* public Event pages;
* Round pages;
* Event reviews;
* Event recaps directly connected to the Event;
* Event archive records;
* prize administration;
* Event integrity and recordkeeping.
This ordinary Event context is governed by the Event Terms, this Notice, the Vanguard Privacy Policy, and the applicable Event Materials.
---
Broader promotional, editorial, showcase, marketing, advertising, partner, sponsor, press, social media, demo, portfolio, or ecosystem-wide use outside the ordinary Event context is governed separately by:
* the Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License, where accepted; and/or
* another clearly presented and accepted permission.
Such broader promotional use may include, where authorized:
* highlight clips;
* trailers;
* teasers;
* social posts;
* newsletters;
* press materials;
* sponsor decks;
* partner presentations;
* paid ads promoting Vanguard or the Event;
* case studies;
* “best of” selections;
* showcase compilations;
* demo reels;
* recap edits;
* media campaigns.
If a Participant does not accept the Content Promotion & Media License or another broader promotional permission, Vanguard may still handle and display information within the ordinary Event context, but may not rely on this Notice alone for broader promotional use outside that context.
---
Where a Participant has accepted the Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License or another promotional permission, any withdrawal or limitation of future promotional use is handled under that License or permission.
Withdrawal from future promotional use does not automatically require removal of ordinary Event records, rankings, winner pages, Event archives, public Event results, judging records, integrity records, or materials already used within the ordinary Event context.
Promotional use and Event recordkeeping are separate.
---
Vanguard limits access to Event-related personal information to persons and systems that reasonably need access for Event, platform, legal, security, compliance, support, judging, prize, or integrity purposes.
Access may be provided to:
* Vanguard personnel;
* Event administrators;
* Judges, Reviewers, Experts, or Evaluators;
* moderators or support personnel;
* technical operations personnel;
* security, audit, or compliance personnel;
* contractors and service providers acting on Vanguard’s behalf;
* payment or prize-delivery providers where needed;
* legal, regulatory, or law-enforcement recipients where required or permitted by law.
Access is limited to the purpose for which it is granted.
---
Where Judges, Reviewers, Experts, or Evaluators are involved in the Event, Vanguard may provide them with access to personal information and Submissions reasonably necessary to perform their Event role.
This may include:
* Participant stage name, username, or profile information;
* Submission files or links;
* Submission descriptions;
* credits and disclosures;
* AI/tool-use disclosures;
* judging forms;
* scoring interfaces;
* prior Round status, where relevant;
* eligibility or compliance information where necessary for evaluation;
* communications related to judging or review.
Judges, Reviewers, Experts, and Evaluators may use this information only for Event-related review, judging, scoring, commentary, verification, and administration.
They may not use Participant information or Submissions for unrelated purposes.
---
Vanguard may use contractors and service providers to operate the Event and Vanguard Platform.
These may include providers of:
* hosting and cloud infrastructure;
* platform operations;
* email delivery;
* notification systems;
* file storage;
* security and monitoring;
* analytics, where enabled;
* customer support;
* payment or prize delivery support;
* legal, accounting, tax, or compliance support.
Service providers may process personal information only as reasonably necessary to provide services to Vanguard, subject to appropriate contractual, confidentiality, privacy, and security obligations.
Vanguard remains responsible for personal information under its control, including personal information processed by service providers on Vanguard’s behalf.
---
If a Participant becomes eligible for a prize, Vanguard may share or process information with payment providers, banks, transfer services, tax or accounting providers, or other prize-delivery support providers where reasonably necessary to verify eligibility and deliver the prize lawfully.
This may include:
* winner identity or contact information;
* payment account information;
* country or region;
* prize amount;
* transaction confirmation;
* tax, reporting, or compliance information where required.
Prize delivery providers may process information under their own terms and privacy policies where they act independently.
---
Vanguard may disclose personal information where reasonably necessary or legally required to:
* comply with applicable law;
* respond to lawful requests from courts, regulators, law enforcement, or public authorities;
* protect the rights, safety, or property of Vanguard, Participants, Judges, service providers, or third parties;
* investigate fraud, abuse, cheating, manipulation, security incidents, rights violations, or unlawful activity;
* enforce the Event Terms, Vanguard Terms of Service, Event Materials, or other applicable rules;
* establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
---
Vanguard does not sell Participant personal information.
Vanguard does not disclose Event-related personal information to data brokers.
Vanguard does not use Event-related personal information for unrelated third-party advertising marketplaces.
---
Vanguard Creative Platforms Inc. is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The Event is administered by Vanguard from Canada.
The primary Event-related privacy responsibility remains with Vanguard Creative Platforms Inc. as the Organizer of the Event and operator of the Vanguard Platform.
---
To operate the Event and the Vanguard Platform, Vanguard may use service providers for hosting, file storage, email delivery, notifications, security, monitoring, support, analytics where enabled, payment or prize delivery support, legal, accounting, tax, or compliance services.
Some service providers may process, store, or access personal information from outside Canada where reasonably necessary to provide services to Vanguard.
Where Vanguard uses service providers, Vanguard takes reasonable steps to require appropriate confidentiality, privacy, and security safeguards.
Vanguard remains responsible for personal information under its control, including personal information processed by service providers on Vanguard’s behalf.
---
Participants may choose to use external platforms or channels in connection with the Event, such as:
* email providers;
* messenger platforms;
* social networks;
* music platforms;
* file-sharing services;
* payment or transfer providers;
* other third-party services linked or used by the Participant.
These external platforms may process personal information under their own terms, privacy policies, infrastructure, and legal jurisdictions.
Vanguard is responsible only for personal information that Vanguard collects, receives, controls, or processes for Event or platform purposes.
Vanguard does not control the independent privacy practices of third-party platforms selected or used by Participants.
---
Where Pathfinder or another Vanguard communication feature is enabled through a messenger or third-party communication platform, certain identifiers, messages, metadata, or communication records may pass through that third-party platform.
Use of such external communication channels may be voluntary, depending on the Event configuration.
The third-party platform may process information under its own terms and privacy policy.
Vanguard processes only the information made available to Vanguard for platform, Event, communication, support, security, or navigation purposes.
---
If personal information is processed or accessed outside Canada, it may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction where it is processed, including lawful access by courts, regulators, law enforcement, national security authorities, or public authorities.
Vanguard uses reasonable contractual, technical, and organizational safeguards for service providers that process personal information on Vanguard’s behalf.
Participants should understand that cross-border processing may occur where necessary for platform operation, communication, file hosting, security, support, prize delivery, or external-channel use.
---
Vanguard runs this Event from Canada.
Some tools or service providers may involve other jurisdictions.
If you choose to use external platforms, messengers, social networks, music services, file-sharing tools, or payment providers, those services may also process your information under their own rules.
---
Vanguard retains Event-related personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Notice, unless a longer period is required or permitted by applicable law.
Retention depends on:
* the type of information;
* the purpose for which it was collected;
* Event recordkeeping needs;
* prize administration;
* legal, tax, accounting, or compliance obligations;
* dispute or complaint handling;
* security and integrity needs;
* platform archive and Event history needs;
* applicable limitation periods.
---
Event records may be retained as part of the Vanguard Platform and Event archive.
This may include:
* registration records;
* participation records;
* acceptance logs;
* checkbox records;
* document version records;
* submission records;
* judging records;
* rankings;
* placements;
* finalist or winner records;
* badges;
* recognition markers;
* public Event pages;
* winner pages;
* archive entries;
* public Event reviews or recaps;
* complaint, dispute, enforcement, takedown, or integrity records.
Event records may be retained where reasonably necessary to preserve competition history, maintain rankings, document results, resolve disputes, prevent fraud, respond to rights claims, protect Event integrity, or comply with legal obligations.
---
Submissions and related materials may be retained where reasonably necessary for:
* judging;
* result formation;
* Event display;
* Event records;
* rankings;
* winner or finalist pages;
* public Event archives;
* dispute handling;
* rights claims;
* fraud or AI-use investigations;
* legal compliance;
* platform integrity.
Where a Submission or excerpt has been lawfully displayed as part of the ordinary Event context, it may remain available as part of the Event record, subject to applicable law, the Event Terms, and this Notice.
---
Prize-related information may be retained where reasonably necessary for:
* winner verification;
* prize delivery;
* tax, accounting, banking, sanctions, anti-fraud, or legal compliance;
* proof of prize fulfillment;
* dispute handling;
* audit and recordkeeping.
Prize delivery information that is no longer needed will be deleted, de-identified, or retained only where required or permitted by law.
---
Security logs, technical logs, access logs, acceptance logs, and audit records may be retained for a period reasonably necessary to:
* protect the Vanguard Platform;
* verify acceptances and submissions;
* prevent fraud, abuse, manipulation, or unauthorized access;
* investigate incidents;
* support dispute handling;
* comply with legal obligations;
* maintain Event integrity.
Retention periods for logs are limited to what Vanguard reasonably considers necessary for security, integrity, legal, and operational purposes.
---
Unless a longer period is required or permitted by applicable law, Vanguard’s standard retention period for Event-related personal information is up to 5 years after the end of the applicable Event, season, Round, prize process, dispute, or participation cycle, depending on the type of record and the reason for retention.
Some public Event records, rankings, winner records, finalist records, badges, archive entries, and historical Event materials may remain available for longer as part of the Vanguard Platform’s Event history, subject to applicable law.
---
When personal information is no longer reasonably necessary, Vanguard may delete, erase, de-identify, anonymize, or archive it in accordance with applicable law and operational requirements.
Where deletion of an entire Event record would undermine competition history, integrity, rankings, public results, or lawful archive purposes, Vanguard may instead remove or de-identify certain personal information while retaining the underlying Event record.
---
Personal information may remain in secure backup systems for a limited period after deletion from active systems until those backups are overwritten or retired through routine backup cycles.
Vanguard does not use backup copies for active Event administration unless restoration is necessary for security, continuity, legal, or operational reasons.
---
Vanguard uses reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the personal information and the nature of the Event.
These safeguards may include:
* access controls;
* role-based access;
* least-privilege access practices;
* account authentication;
* secure storage practices;
* secure transmission where appropriate;
* logging and monitoring;
* confidentiality obligations;
* service provider safeguards;
* incident detection and response;
* backup and recovery practices;
* internal access limitations;
* review of suspicious activity;
* integrity controls.
---
Access to Event-related personal information is limited to persons and systems that reasonably need access for Event, platform, judging, support, security, compliance, prize, or integrity purposes.
Judges, Reviewers, Experts, contractors, service providers, and Event personnel may access only the information reasonably necessary for their role.
---
Participants also play a role in protecting their information.
Participants should:
* use accurate contact information;
* protect account credentials;
* avoid sharing login access;
* avoid uploading unnecessary private or sensitive information;
* avoid including third-party personal information unless authorized;
* remove private credentials, passwords, private links, or sensitive details from Submissions unless required;
* submit only materials they are comfortable sharing under the Event rules.
---
No online system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Vanguard takes reasonable steps to protect personal information, but cannot guarantee that unauthorized access, loss, misuse, disclosure, alteration, or destruction will never occur.
Where required by applicable law, Vanguard will assess privacy or security incidents and provide notices to affected individuals, regulators, or other parties where legally required.
---
If Vanguard becomes aware of a privacy or security incident affecting Event-related personal information, Vanguard may take steps such as:
* investigating the incident;
* limiting or suspending affected access;
* securing affected systems;
* preserving relevant logs;
* notifying affected individuals where required;
* notifying regulators or authorities where required;
* taking remedial measures;
* updating safeguards where appropriate.
For security reasons, Vanguard does not publicly disclose detailed internal security architecture or sensitive security procedures unless required by law.
---
Subject to applicable law, Participants may have the right to:
* request access to personal information Vanguard holds about them;
* request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information;
* ask questions about how personal information is handled;
* withdraw consent where processing is based on consent, subject to legal and contractual limits;
* request deletion, de-identification, anonymization, or restriction of certain personal information where applicable;
* make a complaint about Vanguard’s privacy practices.
Requests may be submitted to:
Vanguard Creative Platforms Inc.
Privacy Contact: connect@vanguardnetwork.org
Vanguard may request reasonable information to verify the identity of the person making the request before responding.
---
Vanguard will respond to privacy requests within the time required by applicable law.
Where Canadian privacy law applies, Vanguard generally aims to respond within 30 days, unless an extension is permitted or required due to the nature of the request, verification needs, legal obligations, or complexity.
If additional time is required, Vanguard will provide notice where required by applicable law.
---
Access or deletion requests may be limited where permitted or required by law.
For example, Vanguard may decline, limit, redact, delay, or condition a request where disclosure or deletion would:
* reveal personal information about another person;
* reveal confidential judging notes, internal deliberations, security information, or legal advice;
* interfere with fraud, cheating, abuse, security, rights, or integrity investigations;
* undermine Event records, rankings, winner records, or public Event history;
* affect legal claims, dispute handling, audit, or compliance obligations;
* conflict with contractual obligations, valid Event records, or lawful archive purposes;
* be technically unreasonable or disproportionate in the circumstances;
* be prohibited by law.
Where appropriate, Vanguard may provide partial access, redacted records, summaries, corrections, de-identification, or other reasonable alternatives.
---
Participants may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
This may include, where appropriate:
* name;
* stage name;
* contact details;
* profile information;
* credits;
* attribution;
* public display details;
* prize delivery details;
* other Event-related records.
Vanguard may request supporting information before making a correction.
Correction of personal information does not require Vanguard to change judging decisions, scores, rankings, placements, or Event outcomes unless the correction reveals a material administrative or eligibility error under the Event Terms.
---
Where Vanguard relies on consent to process certain personal information, a Participant may withdraw that consent, subject to legal, contractual, operational, and Event-recordkeeping limits.
Withdrawal of consent may affect the Participant’s ability to continue participating in the Event, receive communications, remain eligible for prizes, or use certain platform features.
Withdrawal of consent does not automatically require Vanguard to delete or stop using personal information where continued use or retention is reasonably necessary for:
* Event records;
* rankings;
* winner or finalist records;
* Event archives;
* prize administration;
* legal compliance;
* dispute handling;
* security, fraud, abuse, or integrity protection;
* rights claims or takedown handling;
* contractual obligations under the Event Terms;
* ordinary Event-context display already made under the Event rules.
Promotional use outside the ordinary Event context is handled separately under the Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License or another accepted promotional permission.
---
Participants may request deletion, anonymization, de-identification, or restriction of certain personal information, subject to applicable law and the limits described in this Notice.
If a request is approved, Vanguard may take steps such as:
* deleting certain contact details;
* correcting or removing inaccurate information;
* anonymizing or de-identifying certain records;
* limiting future use of certain information;
* replacing a public name with a stage name, username, or anonymized label where appropriate;
* removing optional promotional material controlled by Vanguard where required or appropriate.
However, Vanguard may retain information where reasonably necessary for Event records, legal compliance, prize administration, dispute handling, security, fraud prevention, rights claims, platform integrity, or public Event history.
---
Participants may submit privacy complaints to Vanguard at:
connect@vanguardnetwork.org
A complaint should include:
* the Participant’s name or account identifier;
* the Event name;
* a description of the concern;
* relevant dates, links, screenshots, or supporting materials;
* the requested outcome.
Vanguard will review privacy complaints in good faith and respond in accordance with applicable law.
Participants may also have the right to contact the relevant privacy regulator, depending on applicable law and jurisdiction.
---
Participation in this Event is permitted from age 14.
Participants aged 14–17 may participate only with parent or legal guardian authorization and supervision, as described in the Event Terms and Event Materials.
Vanguard may collect and use limited information about the parent or legal guardian where reasonably necessary to confirm authorization, communicate about the minor’s participation, respond to privacy requests, or comply with legal obligations.
---
A parent or legal guardian may contact Vanguard regarding a minor Participant’s personal information.
Vanguard may request reasonable information to verify:
* the identity of the requesting person;
* their relationship to the minor Participant;
* their authority to act on behalf of the minor Participant;
* the minor Participant’s account, Submission, or Event participation details.
Vanguard will handle such requests in accordance with applicable law, the Event Terms, this Notice, and the Vanguard Privacy Policy.
---
Where a minor Participant takes part in the Event, certain Event-related information may still be displayed as part of the ordinary Event context, as described in the Event Terms and Event Materials.
This may include, where applicable:
* stage name;
* username or handle;
* Submission title;
* ranking;
* placement;
* finalist or winner status;
* badges;
* public Event records;
* Submission excerpts or Event-context displays.
Broader promotional, publicity, showcase, marketing, or media use of a minor Participant’s name, likeness, Submission, or identifying information may require parent or legal guardian consent where required by law or by Vanguard’s internal requirements.
If required consent is not provided, Vanguard may restrict or decline broader promotional use of the minor Participant’s content or identifying information.
---
Vanguard does not intentionally collect more personal information from minor Participants than reasonably necessary for:
* registration;
* participation;
* parent or legal guardian authorization;
* submission handling;
* judging;
* results;
* Event records;
* prize administration, where applicable;
* safety, security, legal compliance, and Event integrity.
Minor Participants should not provide sensitive personal information unless it is required and authorized.
---
Vanguard may send Event-related communications that are reasonably necessary to operate and administer the Event.
These may include:
* registration confirmations;
* submission confirmations;
* deadline reminders;
* Round updates;
* judging or result notices;
* clarification requests;
* rights, authorship, AI-use, or eligibility verification requests;
* prize coordination messages;
* safety, security, legal, or compliance notices;
* support responses;
* document or rule updates related to the Event.
These communications are part of Event participation and are not treated as optional marketing communications.
---
Vanguard may send marketing, promotional, newsletter, showcase, partner, sponsor, media, opportunity-related, or similar electronic communications only where permitted by applicable law and, where required, with the Participant’s consent.
Such communications may include:
* Vanguard news;
* future Event announcements;
* showcases;
* community updates;
* partner or sponsor opportunities;
* promotional campaigns;
* newsletters;
* platform updates not strictly required for the current Event.
Where required by law, marketing or promotional messages will identify the sender and include an unsubscribe mechanism.
Participants may unsubscribe from marketing or promotional communications at any time.
Unsubscribing from marketing communications does not prevent Vanguard from sending Event-related, account-related, security-related, transactional, legal, prize-related, or platform-operation communications that are reasonably necessary.
---
Vanguard may contact selected Participants, finalists, winners, or strong performers about possible future opportunities where such follow-up is reasonably connected to the Event or clearly disclosed to Participants.
Such opportunities may include discussions about:
* future collaborations;
* sponsorship;
* representation;
* publishing;
* distribution;
* performance opportunities;
* media features;
* partner introductions;
* future Vanguard events.
Any such discussion is optional.
No Participant is required to accept any opportunity.
Any future commercial, professional, publishing, distribution, sponsorship, management, label, performance, or collaboration arrangement requires a separate written agreement.
Where applicable law requires consent for such follow-up, Vanguard will obtain consent or rely on another lawful basis permitted by applicable law.
---
Vanguard does not disclose Event-related personal information to third parties for their own unrelated marketing purposes.
Vanguard does not sell Participant personal information.
Vanguard does not use Event-related personal information for unrelated third-party advertising marketplaces.
---
Vanguard may update this Notice from time to time to reflect:
* Event changes;
* operational changes;
* platform changes;
* legal or regulatory requirements;
* privacy practice changes;
* security or integrity needs;
* clarification of existing practices.
The most current version will be posted on the Event page or otherwise made available through official Vanguard or Event channels.
---
Where changes are material, Vanguard will take reasonable steps to notify Participants through appropriate channels, which may include:
* the Event page;
* the Vanguard Platform;
* email;
* Pathfinder or messenger-connected channels where enabled;
* other official Event communication channels.
Where required by applicable law, Vanguard may request renewed consent or acknowledgement.
---
Unless required by law or clearly stated otherwise, updates to this Notice apply prospectively.
Updates do not automatically change completed Event steps, validly recorded Event records, or past processing that was lawful under the notice in effect at the time.
---
For questions, requests, or complaints about this Notice or Vanguard’s handling of Event-related personal information, contact:
Vanguard Creative Platforms Inc.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Privacy Contact: connect@vanguardnetwork.org
Please include:
* your name or stage name;
* your account email or account identifier, if applicable;
* the Event name: Vanguard Music Championship — Season 1: Open Signal;
* a clear description of your request or concern;
* any relevant links, screenshots, dates, or supporting information.
---
For Event-related support that is not primarily a privacy request, Participants may also contact:
connect@vanguardnetwork.org
Event support may include questions about registration, Submissions, judging, results, prize coordination, technical issues, or Event rules.
---
Vanguard Creative Platforms Inc. runs Vanguard Music Championship — Season 1: Open Signal and also operates the Vanguard Platform.
We use personal information to run the Event: registration, Submissions, judging, results, public Event records, prize delivery, support, safety, security, legal compliance, and Event integrity.
The Event is public. Rankings, placements, winner status, badges, Submission excerpts, reviews, and Event records may be displayed as part of the Event.
Your music remains yours.
Broader promotional use outside the ordinary Event context is handled separately under the Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License or another clear permission.
We do not sell Participant personal information.
We do not use Event-related personal information for unrelated third-party advertising marketplaces.
You can contact Vanguard about access, correction, deletion, withdrawal of consent where applicable, or privacy complaints at:
connect@vanguardnetwork.org
