Privacy Policy

PRIVACY POLICY

Effective Date: 2025

Introduction

Welcome. You have arrived at a website provided by The San Francisco Wine Competition ("SFWC") or its affiliated entities ("The Tasting Alliance," "we," "our," or "us"). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with all applicable U.S. federal and state privacy laws, including recently enacted comprehensive consumer privacy statutes across the United States.

This Privacy Policy governs The San Francisco Wine Competition and The Tasting Alliance's websites, their subdomains, and all portals, applications, products, goods, services, events, competitions, and any interactive features or services that link to this Privacy Policy ("Sites" or "Services"). It also applies to information we collect from you via web forms, email, phone, social media, or any other method of communication.

We are required by law to tell you what information we collect from you, why we collect it, how we use it, under what circumstances we may share it with third parties, how we protect that information, and your choices with respect to how your personal information is used. As a preliminary matter, we handle all information you provide us with the utmost confidentiality. At times, we may need to disclose your personal information to third parties outside The San Francisco Wine Competition and The Tasting Alliance who may be assisting us with providing Services to you, as set forth in this Policy. If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at hello@thetastingalliance.com.

Please note that if you voluntarily provide your information in the course of interacting with our Sites, speaking with one of our representatives on the phone or otherwise using our Services, we will take that as your agreement to our collection, use, and disclosure of your information as set forth in this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy is incorporated into our Terms of Use which govern your use of the Sites.

By accessing or using our Sites or Services, you consent to this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Sites and Services.

This Privacy Policy does not apply to products, services, or websites offered by third parties, which are governed by their own privacy policies.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information that identifies, relates to, describes, or can reasonably be associated with you ("Personal Information"). The categories of information we collect include:

a) Information You Provide Directly

Contact and shipping information: name, email address, telephone number(s), mailing and shipping address, telephone number(s) and mobile number(s)
Account & competition information: login credentials, submissions, entries, preferences
Age and identity verification: birthdate, age
Financial information: payment card details (processed securely by third-party payment processors), purchase history
Employment information: if you apply for a job or volunteer role, we may collect employment history, education, professional qualifications, and other related details
Social media information: handles, interactions, and content shared via third-party integrations
Any other information you choose to provide

The above is collectively referred to as "Personal Information." Your decision to provide us with information is voluntary, but if you choose not to provide requested information, you may not be able to take advantage of all of the Sites' features or our Services.

b) Information Automatically Collected (Usage Information)

In addition to information that you choose to submit to us, we and/or our service providers may automatically collect and/or store certain information when you visit or interact with the Sites ("Usage Information"). This Usage Information may be stored and/or accessed from your personal computer, laptop, tablet, mobile phone or other device (a "Device") whenever you visit or interact with our Sites. Usage Information may include:

Your IP address, IDFA, Android/Google Advertising ID, IMEI, or another unique identifier;
Your Device functionality (including browser, browser language, operating system, hardware, mobile network information);
Referring and exit web pages and URLs;
The areas within our Sites that you visit and your activities there, including remembering you and your preferences;
Your Device location or other geolocation information, including the zip code, state or country from which you accessed the Services;
Your Device characteristics; and
Certain other Device data, including the time of day you visit our Sites.

For location information, we may use this information to provide customized Services, content, promotional offers, and other information that may be of interest to you.

If you no longer wish for us or our service providers to collect and use location information, you may disable the location features on your device. Consult your device manufacturer settings for instructions. Please note that if you disable such features, your ability to access certain features, Services, content, promotions, or products may be limited or disabled.

c) Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We may use various methods and technologies to store or collect Usage Information ("Tracking Technologies"). Tracking Technologies may set, change, alter or modify settings or configurations on your Device. A few of the Tracking Technologies used on the Sites), include, but are not limited to, the following (as well as future-developed tracking technology or methods that are not listed here):

Cookies. A cookie is a file placed on a Device to uniquely identify your browser or to store information on your Device. Our Sites may use HTTP cookies, HTML5 cookies, Flash cookies and other types of cookie technology to store information on local storage.
Web Beacons. A Web Beacon is a small tag (which may be invisible to you) that may be placed on our Sites' pages and messages.
Embedded Scripts. An embedded script is programming code that is designed to collect information about your interactions with the Sites, such as the links you click on.
ETag, or entity tag. An Etag or entity tag is a feature of the cache in browsers. It is an opaque identifier assigned by a web server to a specific version of a resource found at a URL.
Browser Fingerprinting. Collection and analysis of information from your Device, such as, without limitation, your operating system, plug-ins, system fonts and other data, for purposes of identification.
Recognition Technologies. Technologies, including application of statistical probability to data sets, which attempt to recognize or make assumptions about users and devices (e.g., that a user of multiple devices is the same user).
We may use Tracking Technologies for a variety of purposes, including:
To allow you to use and access the Sites, including for the prevention of fraudulent activity and improved security functionality;
To assess the performance of the Sites, including as part of our analytic practices or otherwise to improve the content, products or services offered through the Sites;
To offer you enhanced functionality when accessing the Sites, including identifying you when you sign into our Sites or keeping track of your specified preferences or to track your online activities over time and across third-party sites; and
To deliver content relevant to your interests on our Sites and third-party sites based on how you interact with our content.

You can get more information about Cookies and Tracking Technologies, and instructions on how to opt out of cookies and certain tracking technologies, in our "Ads and Information About You" section below.

d) Sources of Personal Information

Additionally, we may obtain Personal Information from you where you expressly provide us with the information. Examples of sources from which we collect information include interviews and phone calls with you, letters, e-mails or other communications from you, information provided via web forms or inputs/uploads into our Sites or at events we attend or sponsor, documents you have provided to us, and employment applications.

**e) Information We Collect When You Interact with Third-Party Sites **

The Sites may include functionality that allows certain kinds of interactions between the Sites and your account on a third-party website or application. The use of this functionality may involve the third-party site providing information to us. For example, we may provide links on the Site to embedded content (e.g., videos, images, articles, etc.) from other websites, or we may use third parties to facilitate emails or postings to social media (like a "Share" or "Forward" button). These third parties may retain any information used or provided in any such communications or activities and these third parties' practices are not subject to our Privacy Policy. We may not control or have access to your communications or the tracking of your activity through these third parties. Further, when you use third-party sites or services, you are using their services and not our services and they, not we, are responsible for their practices. You should read the applicable third-party privacy policies before using such third-party tools on our Site. Please also see our Terms of Use for further information.

f) Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from:

Marketing partners
Event sponsors
Data enrichment providers
Social media platforms
Payment processors
Market research firms

We may combine this with information we collect directly from you.

2. Why We Collect Information

We may use your information for various purposes, including:

Responding to your requests for information;
Providing Services to you;
Verifying your age and identity, and for fraud prevention;
Fulfilling your orders and/or processing your payments;
Evaluating your employment or volunteer application;
Providing you with updates and information about products, services, and events we provide;
Evaluating your submission into one of our competitions;
Sending you marketing information about The San Francisco Wine Competition and The Tasting Alliance, our partners, and our affiliated entities;
Sending you email communications such as electronic newsletters about our Services and events and promotions which may be of interest to you, as well as those of our partners and/or sponsors;
Improving the effectiveness of our Sites, our marketing endeavors, and our product and service offerings;
Identifying your product and service preferences, providing personalized content and ads and informing you of new or additional information, products and services that may be of interest to you;
Helping us address problems with and improve our Sites and our products and services, including testing and creating new products, features, and services;
Providing mobile marketing messages and other communications and messages;
Protecting the security and integrity of the Sites, including understanding and resolving any technical and security issues reported on our Sites;
Administering employee benefits, such as medical, dental, commuter and retirement benefits, including recording and processing eligibility of dependents, absence and leave monitoring, insurance and accident management, rewards or discount programs offered to employees;
Engaging in analysis, research, and reports regarding the use of our Sites and Services;
For internal business purposes;
Complying with the law and protecting the safety, rights, property or security of The San Francisco Wine Competition and The Tasting Alliance,, the Services, and the general public;
For purposes disclosed at the time you provide your information or as otherwise set forth in this Privacy Policy; and
For other purposes.

3. When We Disclose Information

We may disclose your Personal Information to:

We may aggregate, de-identify, and/or anonymize any information collected through the Sites or Services such that such information is no longer linked to your personally identifiable information. We may use and share this aggregated and anonymized information (non-Personal Information) for any purpose, including without limitation, for research and marketing purposes, and may also share such data with our affiliates and third parties, including advertisers, promotional partners and others.

To the extent permitted by law and any applicable state Code of Professional Conduct, certain nonpublic information about you may be disclosed in the following situations:

To comply with a validly issued and enforceable subpoena or summons.
In the course of a review of The San Francisco Wine Competition and The Tasting Alliance's practices under the authorization of a state or national licensing board, or as necessary to properly respond to an inquiry or complaint from such a licensing board or organization.
In conjunction with a prospective purchase, sale, or merger of all or part of our practice, provided that we take appropriate precautions (for example, through a written confidentiality agreement) so the prospective purchaser or merger partner does not disclose information obtained in the course of the review.
As a part of any actual or threatened legal proceedings or alternative dispute resolution proceedings either initiated by or against us, provided we disclose only the information necessary to file, pursue, or defend against the lawsuit and take reasonable precautions to ensure that the information disclosed does not become a matter of public record.
To provide information to affiliates of The San Francisco Wine Competition and The Tasting Alliance and nonaffiliated third parties who perform services or functions for us in conjunction with our services to you, but only if we have a contractual agreement with the other party which prohibits them from disclosing or using the information other than for the purposes for which it was disclosed. Examples of such disclosures include using a payment processor, distributor, merchandise store, customer service provider, or an email marketing provider.

Finally, we also may share your information, including your Personal Information, with our affiliates and other third parties, such as companies with whom we have marketing or other relationships, for direct marketing purposes. You may opt out of this sharing at any time. (If you are a California resident, you have the right to request additional information regarding the "sale" of your information. Please see the Section entitled "Your California Privacy Rights" below about these rights.) In addition, we may share the information we have collected about you, including Personal Information, as disclosed at the time you provide your information and as otherwise described in this Privacy Policy.

4. Ads, Analytics & Information About You

We may partner with third-party advertising networks and analytics providers that use tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing behavior to provide:

Interest-based advertising
Performance measurement
Cross-site personalization

These third parties may treat this as a "sale," "share," or "targeted advertising" under certain state privacy laws.

You may see certain ads on our Sites because we may have sponsored content, and/or because we participate in advertising networks administered by third parties. These networks may track your online activities over time and across third party websites and online services by collecting information through automated means, including through the use of the Tracking Technologies described above, and they use this information to show you advertisements that are tailored to your individual interests. The information they collect includes information about your visits to our Sites, such as the pages you have viewed. This collection and ad targeting takes place both on our Sites and on third-party websites that participate in the ad network. This process also helps us track the effectiveness of our communications and marketing efforts.

Your opt-out rights are detailed in Your State Privacy Rights below.

5. Your Choices About the Information We Collect

If you would prefer that we not share your name and email address with third parties (other than with our affiliates) to receive promotional offers, you have the option to opt out of such sharing. To do so, please email us at hello@thetastingalliance.com. Your choice will not affect our ability to share information in the other ways described in this Privacy Policy.

If you do not wish to receive communications, please contact us as follows:

Email: Click the unsubscribe link in emails or email us at hello@thetastingalliance.com.

Postal address:
The San Francisco Wine Competition
1030 Amalfi Drive
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

Please include your full name, contact information and your communication preferences.

Please note that certain of your personal information, such as your name or other identifying information, may remain in our database even after a deletion request in order to service your account, maintain the integrity and historical record of our database and systems, or to comply with applicable laws and regulations.

If you are a resident of certain jurisdictions, such as California, the U.K., or the European Union, you may have additional rights as outlined below.

You have several choices regarding your Personal Information:

a) Opt-Out of Marketing Communications

You may opt out of promotional emails by clicking the "unsubscribe" link or contacting us at hello@thetastingalliance.com.

b) Opt-Out of Affiliate and Partner Sharing

You may request that we stop sharing your Personal Information with third-party marketing partners.

c) Control Over Cookies and Tracking

You may:

Adjust browser settings
Reject or delete cookies
Enable Global Privacy Control ("GPC") signals (honored where required by law)

d) Access, Correction & Deletion

Depending on your state of residence (see Section 10), you may have additional rights to:

Access your Personal Information
Correct inaccuracies
Request deletion
Opt out of profiling, targeted advertising, or data sales

6. Children's Privacy

Our Sites are not intended for use anyone under the age of 21 and we never request, or knowingly collect, any personally identifiable information from children. If you are the parent or guardian of a child under 16 who you believe inadvertently provided their information to us, please contact us at hello@thetastingalliance.com to request the immediate deletion of that information.

7. Do Not Track

Do Not Track ("DNT") is a web browser setting that requests that a web application disable its tracking of an individual user. When you choose to turn on the DNT setting in your browser, your browser sends a special signal to websites, analytics companies, ad networks, plug in providers, and other web services you encounter while browsing to stop tracking your activity. Various third parties are developing or have developed signals or other mechanisms for the expression of consumer choice regarding the collection of information about an individual consumer's online activities over time and across third-party websites or online services (e.g., browser do not track signals), but there is no universally agreed-upon standard for what a The Tasting Alliance should do when it detects a DNT signal. Currently, we do not monitor or take any action with respect to these signals or other mechanisms. You can learn more about Do Not Track here.

8. Visitors Outside the United States

Our Sites are intended for users in the United States. If you are visiting the Sites from a location outside of the U.S., your connection will be through and to servers located in the U.S. All information you receive from the Sites will be created on servers located in the U.S., and all information you provide will be maintained on web servers and systems located within the U.S. The data protection laws in the United States may differ from those of the country in which you are located, and your information may be subject to access requests from governments, courts, or law enforcement in the United States according to laws of the United States. By using the Sites or providing us with any information, you consent to the transfer to, and processing, usage, sharing and storage of your information in the United States and in other countries, as set forth in this Privacy Policy.

9. Updating Personal Information

We prefer to keep your Personal Information accurate and up to date. If you would like to change your contact information, please contact us at hello@thetastingalliance.com. We will make good faith efforts to make requested changes in our then active databases as soon as reasonably practicable (but we may retain prior information as business records).

10. Security

We implement commercially reasonable physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to help protect Personal Information.
However, no system can guarantee 100% security.

11. Links

For your convenience, the Sites and this Privacy Policy may contain links to other websites. The Tasting Alliance is not responsible for the privacy practices, advertising, products, services, or the content of such other websites. None of the links on the Sites should be deemed to imply that The Tasting Alliance endorses or has any affiliation with the links. Please see our Terms of Use for more information.

12. International Data Transfers

Because we work with global companies, we may transfer your Personal Information outside of the country in which it was originally provided. This may include transfers to third parties, such as service providers or affiliated entities who are located outside of the United States, where data protection laws may not offer the same level of protection as those in the U.S., U.K., E.U. or European Economic Area ("EEA"). When we transfer personal data outside of these areas, we take steps to make sure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your Personal Information.

13. Additional U.S. State Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA, CPA, CTDPA, VCDPA, UCPA, MHMDA, UDBNPA, TDPSA, ADPPA draft compliance, and others)

This section supplements the above information for residents of U.S. states with comprehensive privacy laws, including but not limited to:
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Montana, Delaware, Tennessee, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Kentucky, and any state that adopts similar protections.

You may have the following rights under applicable state law:

a) Right to Know / Access

You may request:

The categories of Personal Information we collect
The categories of sources
The purposes for collection
The categories of third parties with whom information is shared
Whether information is sold or shared for targeted advertising
Specific pieces of Personal Information collected about you

b) Right to Delete

You may request deletion of Personal Information, subject to legal exceptions.

c) Right to Correct

You may request correction of inaccurate Personal Information.

d) Right to Opt Out of:

Targeted advertising
Sale or sharing of Personal Information
Profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects

We will honor legally valid opt-out requests, including through Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals where required.

e) Right to Restrict Sensitive Personal Information

(Required under CA, CO, CT, OR, DE, TX, and others.)

We do not use sensitive Personal Information for purposes other than those permitted by law, such as verifying identity or ensuring the security of our systems.

f) Right to Appeal

If we deny your request, you may appeal by replying to our decision email with the subject line "Privacy Appeal."

14. How to Submit a Privacy Request

You may exercise your rights by contacting us:

Email: hello@thetastingalliance.com
Postal:
The San Francisco Wine Competition
1030 Amalfi Drive
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling your request.

Authorized agents may submit requests on your behalf where permitted by law.

15. Categories of Personal Information We Collect and Disclose

As required under various state privacy laws, we disclose the categories of Personal Information we collect and how we use and share that information.

Categories Collected

We may collect:

Identifiers: name, email, address, phone number, IP address
Commercial data: records of products or services purchased
Internet activity: browsing history, device information
Geolocation data: approximate location
Payment information: card details processed by third parties
User-generated content: submissions, competition entries
Professional or employment information (if you apply for a job or volunteer role)
Inferences: preferences and characteristics derived from your use of our Sites

We do not collect or process biometric information, precise geolocation data, genetic data, or protected classification information unless explicitly provided for employment-related purposes.

Sources of Information

We collect Personal Information from:

You directly
Your devices
Cookies and tracking tools
Payment processors
Social media platforms
Event partners
Service providers
Marketing and research firms

Purposes of Collection

We use Personal Information for:

Providing and improving our Services
Administering competitions
Personalizing experiences
Fraud prevention
Compliance with legal obligations
Advertising and analytics
Customer support
Internal business operations

16. Sensitive Personal Information Disclosure (Required in CA, CO, CT, VA, OR, DE, TX, and others)

"Sensitive Personal Information" may include:

Government-issued identifiers
Financial account credentials
Precise geolocation
Racial or ethnic origin
Health information
Sexual orientation
Citizenship or immigration status
Religious beliefs

We do not collect or use Sensitive Personal Information for inferring characteristics about consumers.
Any sensitive data collected in the context of employment or identity verification is used solely for legally permitted, limited purposes.

We do not sell or share Sensitive Personal Information.

17. Sale, Sharing, and Targeted Advertising Disclosures

Many U.S. privacy laws require businesses to disclose whether they:

"Sell" Personal Information
"Share" Personal Information for cross-context behavioral advertising
Use Personal Information for targeted advertising

Our Position:

We do not "sell" Personal Information for monetary consideration.
We may engage in "sharing" or "targeted advertising" as defined by CPRA, CPA, CTDPA, VCDPA, and similar laws, through our partnerships with analytics and advertising networks.

Consumers have the right to opt out of these uses (see Your State Privacy Rights in Part 2).

We honor:

Opt-out requests submitted via our contact methods
Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals, where required by law

18. Retention of Personal Information

We retain Personal Information only as long as reasonably necessary to:

Fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy
Provide our Services
Comply with legal, tax, accounting, or regulatory requirements
Protect the rights and security of The Tasting Alliance

We apply retention criteria based on:

The nature of the data
The purpose for processing
Legal requirements
Security considerations

When data is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it.

19. Profiling Disclosure (Required in CO, CT, VA, UT, OR, DE, TX, NJ, MN)

"Profiling" refers to automated processing used to analyze or predict personal preferences, interests, behavior, or location.

Our Position:

We do not use profiling to make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects.
Any automated processes used for analytics or personalization do not rise to the level of legally regulated profiling.
You may opt out of profiling where required by state law.

20. Employment and Applicant Privacy Notice

For job applicants, employees, contractors, or volunteers, we may collect:

Contact details
Employment history
Education information
Background check information (when required)
Benefit-related data

This information is used strictly for employment-related purposes and handled in accordance with applicable labor and privacy laws.

21. How We Protect Your Information

We use industry-standard administrative, physical, and technological safeguards to protect Personal Information, including:

Access controls
Encryption where appropriate
Secure servers and networks
Vendor due diligence
Incident detection and response protocols

No method of transmission or storage is completely secure.
You provide information at your own risk.

22. Data Minimization

We collect only the Personal Information reasonably necessary to:

Provide requested Services
Meet competition entry requirements
Conduct business operations
Comply with legal obligations

We do not intentionally collect excessive or irrelevant data.

23. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically.
When we make changes, we will update the "Effective Date" at the top of this page.

Continued use of our Sites constitutes acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.

24. Your California Privacy Rights (CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have the rights described in the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). These rights include:

a) Right to Know / Access

You may request that we disclose:

Categories of Personal Information collected
Categories of sources
Business or commercial purposes for collection
Categories of third parties with whom we share Personal Information
Specific pieces of Personal Information collected

b) Right to Delete

You may request deletion of Personal Information, subject to legal exceptions.

c) Right to Correct

You may request that we correct inaccurate Personal Information.

d) Right to Opt Out of "Sale" or "Sharing"

California residents may opt out of:

Sale of Personal Information
Sharing of Personal Information for cross-context behavioral advertising

We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals for California residents.

e) Right to Restrict Use of Sensitive Personal Information

We comply with CPRA's restrictions on the use of Sensitive Personal Information.

f) Right to Non-Discrimination

We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CPRA rights.

Submitting a CPRA Request

Requests may be submitted to:

Email: hello@thetastingalliance.com
Postal:
The San Francisco Wine Competition
1030 Amalfi Drive
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

We may require verification of your identity.

25. Your GDPR Privacy Rights (If You Are Located in the EEA/UK)

If you are located in the European Economic Area ("EEA") or the United Kingdom ("UK"), you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR") and the UK GDPR:

Right to access your Personal Data
Right to rectification of inaccurate data
Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
Right to restrict processing
Right to object to certain processing
Right to data portability
Right to withdraw consent

Legal Bases for Processing

We process Personal Data based on:

Your consent
Contractual necessity
Legitimate interests
Compliance with legal obligations

International Transfers

We use approved mechanisms such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) to transfer Personal Data outside the EEA or UK.

GDPR Contact

To exercise GDPR rights, contact hello@thetastingalliance.com.

You may also lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

26. Additional Updates

1. Data Controller Disclosure

The San Francisco Wine Competition and Tasting Alliance acts as the "data controller" (or "business") for all Personal Information processed under this Privacy Policy.

2. Consumer Request Authentication

We verify the identity of consumers submitting privacy requests by matching submitted information with existing records. If verification is not possible, we will notify you and deny the request.

3. Authorized Agent Requirements (California)

Authorized agents submitting requests must provide written permission from the consumer, proof of the consumer's identity, and confirmation from the consumer that the agent is authorized.

4. Children's Data Clarification

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 and do not sell or share personal information of consumers under 16.

5. Appeal Response Timeline

Appeals relating to consumer privacy requests will be answered within 45 days or a shorter period if required by applicable law.

6. Data Protection Assessments

We conduct Data Protection Assessments for processing involving targeted advertising, sale/sharing of data, Sensitive Personal Information, profiling, or other high-risk uses as required by law.

7. No Dark Patterns

We do not use dark patterns or manipulative interface designs to obtain consent or influence consumer choices.

8. Profiling Clarification

We do not engage in automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects as defined under state privacy laws.

9. Appeals Contact Method

Consumers may appeal decisions by emailing hello@thetastingalliance.com with the subject line "Privacy Rights Appeal."

10. De‑Identified Data Statement

We maintain and use de‑identified data in compliance with state law and do not attempt to re-identify such data.

27. How to Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, you may contact:

Email: hello@thetastingalliance.com

Postal Address:
The San Francisco Wine Competition
1030 Amalfi Drive
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

28. Copyright

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