Photo Submission Terms

Last updated: October 5, 2026

These Photo Submission Terms apply when you send a photo to The Great Cookie Contest ("we," "us," "our") through the photo form on our website. They are part of, and should be read with, our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. By sending a photo, you agree to these terms.

1. Who can send a photo

You must be at least 18, or be a child sending a photo with the knowledge and permission of a parent or legal guardian. If a child is shown in the photo, a parent or legal guardian should be the person who sends it, or must have approved it before it was sent. By sending a photo, you confirm that you are that adult or that you have that adult's permission.

2. What you confirm when you send a photo

  • You took the photo or otherwise have the right to share it.
  • Everyone who appears in the photo, or a parent or legal guardian of anyone under 18 who appears in it, has agreed to the photo being shared and shown as described below.
  • The photo does not break any law or anyone else's rights, including copyright, privacy, and publicity rights.
  • The information you give us (such as the name you want shown) is accurate and does not include anyone's last name, home address, school, or other private details.

3. Permission you give us

You keep ownership of your photo. You give The Great Cookie Contest a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, resize, crop, display, and share the photo, along with the display name and the name of the cookie you provide, on our website, in our emails, and on our social media channels and marketing materials, for the purpose of showing and promoting The Great Cookie Contest and the baking community around it. We will not sell your photo or use it to advertise products that are not ours.

This license continues until you ask us to remove the photo (see Section 7). Removing a photo stops future use. It may not be possible to recall copies already shared by others or content already published and archived by third-party platforms.

4. Review and approval

We look at every photo before it appears on our website. Sending a photo does not guarantee that we will show it. We may decline, edit (for example, by cropping), or remove any photo at any time and for any reason, including photos that do not follow these terms. We are not required to tell you why.

5. What not to send

Please do not send photos that are unlawful, offensive, misleading, or unsafe; that show nudity or violence; that include brand logos or copyrighted artwork as the main subject; that show a person's face when you do not have permission; or that include personal details such as addresses, school names, or license plates. Photos should show cookies, baking, and cookie-contest fun.

6. Your information

  • Display name. Name is the only required field. We show the name exactly as you type it next to your photo. Please use a first name, a nickname, or a family name such as "Matt & Family." Do not include last names or addresses for children.
  • Email (optional). If you give an email address, we use it only to tell you about your photo, such as when it goes live. If you are under 13, please use a parent or guardian's email address.
  • News and recipes (optional). We send occasional cookie news and recipes only if you tick the box to say so. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email.
  • Photo data. Photos are resized in your browser before they are sent, which also removes hidden data such as location. Photos and your details are stored in private, access-controlled files that only our team can open until a photo is approved.
  • We do not sell your personal information. For more detail on how we handle information, see our Privacy Policy.

7. Asking us to remove a photo

You, or a parent or legal guardian of a child who appears in a photo, can ask us at any time to remove a photo from our website and from social channels we control. Email us at the address below with the name you used and the recipe or page where the photo appears. We will remove it within a reasonable time, normally within 10 business days.

8. Children's privacy

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without a parent or guardian's consent. If you believe a child has sent us personal information without that consent, please email us and we will delete it.

9. No payment

You will not be paid for, and have no right to any compensation for, the use of your photo. Sending a photo is not a contest entry and does not give you any prize or other benefit unless we expressly say so in a separate set of rules.

10. Responsibility

You are responsible for the photos you send. To the fullest extent allowed by law, The Great Cookie Contest is not responsible for photos sent by others, and our responsibility to you in connection with your photo is limited as set out in our Terms of Service. Nothing in these terms limits any rights you have under applicable law that cannot be limited.

11. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top shows when they last changed. Photos you sent before a change remain covered by the terms in effect when you sent them, unless you agree otherwise.

12. Contact us

Questions or removal requests: contact+cookie@socialgrowtha.com, or write to The Great Cookie Contest, 6350 Old Virginia Ln, Cleveland OH 44130, United States.