Fringefries.com ("we," "our," or "us") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting it through this Privacy Policy.

This Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, Fringefries.com (the "Site").

By accessing or using the Site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, you must refrain from using the Site.

Fringefries.com is run by a collective of U.S. hospitality pros—chefs, managers, critics, and ops folks—dedicated to fearless critique of the restaurant world.

Our Site is hosted in Malaysia and governed under the applicable laws of Malaysia, including the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 ("PDPA"), in addition to U.S. laws where applicable.

Our mission’s simple: spark debate, expose dogma, and keep anonymity tight so the ideas, not the faces, take center stage. This policy covers all interactions with our site, from reading essays to dropping comments (if we decide to enable them).

Users are prohibited from attempting to identify, disclose, or share any identifying information about fringefries.com or Company owners, authors, contributors, or agents without their prior written consent. Violation of this or any other provision in these Terms may result in account suspension, termination, or legal action.

We may collect the following categories of information:

• Device and Usage Data: Including but not limited to IP addresses, browser types, device identifiers, operating systems, referral URLs, pages viewed, and duration of visits.
  
  
• Cookies and Tracking Technologies: Data collected through cookies, web beacons, pixels, and similar technologies.
  
  
• Location Data: Approximate geographic location based on IP address (city-level only).
  
  
• Third-Party Sources: Public profile information from interactions on social media platforms (e.g., X/Twitter, Instagram).
  
  

We do not knowingly collect sensitive personal information such as Social Security numbers, financial information, or government identifiers. If such information is submitted unsolicited, we disclaim any responsibility for its security.

We may use your information for the following purposes:

• To operate, maintain, and improve the Site.
  
  
• To monitor usage and analyze trends.
  
  
• To communicate with you if you submit inquiries or feedback.
  
  
• To detect, prevent, and address technical issues or security threats.
  
  
• To comply with legal obligations or protect our rights.
  
  
• To send you promotional communications if you have opted in (limited and non-intrusive).
  
  

We do not sell your personal information under any circumstances.

We may disclose your information as follows:

• Service Providers: To third parties who perform functions on our behalf, such as hosting, analytics, or email delivery, bound by contractual confidentiality obligations.
  
  
• Legal Compliance: To comply with lawful requests, subpoenas, court orders, or applicable laws and regulations.
  
  
• Site Protection: To investigate or respond to security threats or unlawful activities.
  
  
• Aggregate Information: In anonymized and aggregated form, for reporting or operational purposes.
  
  
• Business Transfers: In the event of a sale, merger, acquisition, or similar corporate transaction, subject to the terms of this Policy.
  
  

We do not otherwise disclose your information without your consent.

We use cookies and similar technologies for several purposes:

• Essential Cookies: Necessary for basic functionality of the Site.
  
  
• Analytics Cookies: To understand usage patterns and improve our content.
  
  
• Third-Party Cookies: Set by analytics providers or social platforms. We do not control third-party cookies.
  
  

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings or via our cookie consent mechanism, if implemented.

For more information, see our Cookie Policy.

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to safeguard your information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alteration. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure.

In the event of a data breach involving your personal data, we will notify affected users as required under applicable law, including within 72 hours under the CCPA and within 30 days under Malaysia’s PDPA.

Our Site is intended for individuals over the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal data from anyone under the age of 13. If we become aware that we have inadvertently received data from a child under 13, we will delete such information promptly.

Parents or guardians who believe that we may have collected data from a minor may contact us at twitter/x @askfringefries. Responses at our discretion.

Our Site may contain links to external websites or services operated by third parties. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of such third parties. Users are encouraged to review the privacy policies of external sites before interacting with them.

The Site is hosted in Malaysia. By accessing the Site, you acknowledge and agree that your personal data may be transferred to, processed, and stored in Malaysia and other jurisdictions.

We do not specifically tailor our services to comply with GDPR, but we respect user rights where possible.

By using the Site, you consent to the jurisdiction and laws of Malaysia.

Our site might link to X, Instagram, or news articles from outside sources. Those sites have their own rules—we don’t control them, as much as we might like to or disagree with them.

Click at your own risk, and check their policies. We’re not liable for their data grabs.

Fringefries.com is globally-based, hosted in Malaysia to keep our anonymity tight and our takes free. No matter where you’re logging in—New York, London, or Timbuktu—these Terms and Malaysian law run the show. We don’t tweak the Site for foreign rules like GDPR or California’s CCPA (though we’ve got a nod to privacy rights where needed). By using the Site, you consent to Malaysia’s jurisdiction and data transfers to our offshore home.

You access this Site per our Terms of Use and other applicable policies as-outlined herein, so you’re eating on our terms.

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Policy, subject to legal obligations:

• Usage Logs: Retained for 1–2 years.
  
  
• Contact Information: Retained until the request or purpose is fulfilled or deleted upon request.
  
  
• Comment Content: Retained until removed by user request or at our discretion.
  
  

Outdated or unnecessary data is regularly purged where permitted by law.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, technology, operations, or practices. Changes are effective immediately upon posting.

Material changes will be notified via prominent notice on the Site or via email if contact information has been provided.

The "Effective Date" at the top of this Policy will indicate when it was last revised.

For our Golden State friends (CCPA compliance):

1. Categories Collected: Identifiers (IP, email), internet activity (browsing data), geolocation (city-level), user-generated content (submissions).
   
   
2. Sources: You, your device, third-party tools (analytics).
   
   
3. Uses: Site ops, analytics, replies, legal needs.
   
   
4. Disclosures: Only to service providers or if legally required—no sales.
   
   
5. Rights: Access, delete, opt-out (see Section 6).
   
   We don’t use your data for “targeted advertising” per CCPA, and we’ve got no financial incentives tied to it.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Fringefries.com, its affiliates, and contributors shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Site, including but not limited to data breaches or interruptions.

Your use of the Site is at your own risk.

Effective Date: 4/15/2025

Last updated: 4/15/2025

This Cookie Policy describes how FringeFries.com (“we,” “us,” or “our”) uses cookies and similar tracking technologies when you visit our website. It explains what these technologies are, why we use them, and your rights to control their use.

By continuing to use our website, you consent to our use of cookies as outlined in this Policy, subject to your cookie settings and applicable law.

If you do not agree with the use of cookies, you may disable them as explained below.

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. Cookies help websites function properly, improve user experience, analyze site performance, and provide security.

Some cookies are set directly by us (“first-party cookies”), while others are set by third parties (“third-party cookies”) providing services on our behalf (such as analytics).

We use the following types of cookies on FringeFries.com:

• Strictly Necessary Cookies:
  These cookies are essential for basic website functionality, such as page navigation, access to secure areas, and site stability. These cookies cannot be disabled.
  
  
• Performance and Analytics Cookies:
  These cookies collect aggregated, anonymous information about how visitors use the website (e.g., pages visited, time on page) to improve functionality and content.
  Example: [Google Analytics] or equivalent.
  
  
• Functionality Cookies:
  These cookies remember user choices (such as language preferences) to provide a more personalized experience.
  
  
• Third-Party Cookies:
  Some cookies are set by services we use (e.g., social media embeds, analytics tools) and are subject to the privacy policies of those third parties.

We do not use cookies for behavioral advertising or to sell personal data.

You have the right to accept or reject cookies. You can exercise this choice in several ways:

• Cookie Consent Tool (if implemented):
  We may display a banner or pop-up allowing you to accept or reject non-essential cookies when you first visit the site.
  
  
• Browser Settings:
  Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies through settings. Please consult your browser’s help menu for details.
  
  
• Third-Party Opt-Out:
  For some third-party cookies (e.g., Google Analytics), you can opt out directly via their tools (e.g., Google’s Opt-Out Add-on).

Note: Disabling cookies may impact certain website features and functionality.

Third-party services (e.g., analytics providers, content delivery networks) may set cookies on your device when you interact with our site. These cookies are governed by their respective privacy and cookie policies.

We are not responsible for third-party practices but strive to use reputable providers who respect privacy rights.

We may update this Cookie Policy periodically to reflect changes in cookies we use or for operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. Updates will be posted here with a new “Last Updated” date.

We encourage you to review this Cookie Policy regularly to stay informed.

Got a privacy beef or question? Slide into our dms at twitter/x @askfringefries.

Responses are at our discretion.