consent & cookies

TL;DR: Essential cookies are always on; the Meta ad pixel only runs if you say yes. Email marketing is opt-in with one-click unsubscribe. SMS ("Hacking Hours Alerts") requires you to check a box, message frequency varies, msg & data rates may apply, text STOP to quit and HELP for help.

Effective date: July 20, 2026. This page explains, in plain language, the choices you have about cookies, email, and text messages from Hacking Hours (operated by Digital Chair, Inc.). It supplements our Privacy Policy.

1. cookies

• Essential cookies keep the site working and remember your consent choice. They are always on and don't track you across the web.
• Advertising cookies come from the Meta (Facebook/Instagram) pixel, which helps us measure and run ads for Hacking Hours. The pixel is OFF by default. It loads only after you click "accept" in the cookie banner. If you decline or ignore the banner, no data is sent to Meta from your visit.
• Changing your mind: you can reset your choice at any time. Click here to change your cookie choice — the banner will reappear and your previous choice is cleared. Withdrawing consent stops the pixel from loading on future page views; it does not undo data already collected while consent was active (you can manage that in your Meta ad settings).
• We honor the Global Privacy Control (GPC) browser signal as a "decline" for advertising cookies.

2. email marketing

• You only get our emails if you signed up on hackinghours.com or RSVP'd to an event. We don't buy lists and we don't sell yours.
• Every marketing email includes a working unsubscribe link. Unsubscribing takes effect promptly and no later than 10 business days, as U.S. law (CAN-SPAM) requires.
• Even if you unsubscribe from marketing, we may still send essential transactional messages about an event you registered for (for example, a venue change or cancellation).
• To unsubscribe manually or fix a problem, email hello@hackinghours.com.

3. sms program: hacking hours alerts

Program name: Hacking Hours Alerts. Operated by Digital Chair, Inc. d/b/a Hacking Hours; messages are delivered through Twilio, our SMS provider.

• Opt-in is express and separate. You only receive texts if you enter your phone number AND check the unticked SMS consent checkbox on our form (or otherwise give express written consent). Consent to texts is not a condition of attending any event or receiving any other service.
• What you'll get: event invitations, RSVP confirmations, reminders, and day-of logistics for Hacking Hours events.
• Message frequency varies.
• Message and data rates may apply, depending on your mobile plan.
• To cancel: reply STOP to any message. You will receive a single confirmation text, and then no further messages. You can also email hello@hackinghours.com.
• For help: reply HELP to any message, or email hello@hackinghours.com.
• Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
• Your number stays ours to protect: we do not sell phone numbers, and we do not share them except with Twilio (to deliver messages) and as described in the Privacy Policy. Mobile opt-in data and consent are not shared with third parties for their own marketing.
• If you get a new phone number, please text STOP from the old one or tell us, so we don't text a stranger.

4. your data, generally

How we handle everything we collect — including retention, your rights, and how to reach us — is covered in the Privacy Policy. Questions or requests: hello@hackinghours.com.

This document was prepared with automated assistance and is not legal advice. Review by a licensed attorney is recommended before relying on it.