Privacy

This privacy statement describes how McDonald’s in the countries listed below – collect, use, protect and share the personal information of our customers. Customers include those who visit our restaurants, use our websites and mobile apps, and otherwise interact with us.

Some of the countries in which we operate have laws that require us to share specific privacy information with our customers in those countries. As such, this privacy statement is comprised of two sections – a globally applicable statement and country specific addendum.

This initial section describes how McDonald’s collects, uses, protects and shares customer information. Where there are variations for a specific country or additional information that is required to be provided under applicable country law, customers in that country can refer to the applicable country specific addendum:

AustriaBelgiumItalySwitzerland
HungaryIrelandSpainGermany
PortugalSlovakiaFrancePoland
United StatesCzech RepublicNetherlandsUnited Kingdom

The data controller of your personal information is the McDonald’s entity in the jurisdiction where your personal information is collected. Please note that in some countries, there may be an additional entity that is the data controller. Please refer to the applicable country specific addendum for more information regarding the data controller of your personal information.

If you are a customer in a country not listed above, please visit the country’s McDonald’s website for the applicable privacy statement.

Many of our restaurants are owned and operated by franchisees, who are independent businessmen and women. This privacy statement does not apply to our franchisees or to websites or mobile apps they operate. Please review our franchisees’ privacy notices for information on how they use customer information.

  1. Information We Collect
  2. How We Use The Information We Collect
  3. How We Share The Information We Collect
  4. Children's Privacy Notice
  5. Your Choices
  6. Use Of Our Online Services And Other Technology
  7. Links To Other Websites And Social Media
  8. Information Security
  9. Retention
  10. International Data Transfers
  11. Changes To Our Privacy Statement
  12. How To Contact Us

1. Information we collect

We may collect personal information about you when you visit our restaurants, use our websites or mobile apps (“online services”), and otherwise interact with us (collectively, “services”). The information we collect falls into three categories: (a) information you provide us; (b) information we collect through automated methods, and (c) information we collect from other sources.

Generally, your providing of your personal information is voluntary. However, there may be situations where your providing of personal information is necessary to provide a service or is required by law. Please note that in certain cases, we may be unable to provide you with our services unless you provide the information. We will let you know when the providing of your personal information is necessary.

We may combine the information you provide us with information that we collect through automated methods, and with information we receive from other sources. For example, when you add a method of payment to your profile in our mobile app, we may combine your profile with information we receive from our payment processors or other providers regarding transactions made with the same payment credentials in our restaurants.

We collect information you provide us

You may provide the following information to us, depending on how you interact with us:

We collect information through automated methods

We may use automated technology to collect information from your computer system or mobile device when you visit our restaurants, use our online services, or in-restaurant technology. Automated technology may include cookies, local shared objects, and web beacons. There is more information below about cookies and other technologies in Section 6.

We may collect information about your:

Our online services and in-restaurant technology may collect information about the exact location of your mobile device or computer using geolocation and technology such as GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cell tower proximity. For most mobile devices and computer systems, you are able to withdraw your permission for us to collect this information by using the device or web-browser settings. If you have any questions about how to prevent us from collecting exact information about your location, we recommend you contact your mobile-device service provider, the device manufacturer, or your web-browser provider. Some online services and in-restaurant technology may not work properly without information about your location. If you would like us to delete information we have collected which could identify your location, please contact us at the address, phone number or email address below. By law, we may need to keep certain information.

We collect information from other sources

We may collect information about you from other companies and organizations. We may also collect information that is publicly available. For example, we may collect information about you when you interact with us through social media.

2. How We Use The Information We Collect

We may use the information we collect in the following ways.

To provide our services and contract with you:

To market to you, improve our services, and the following additional legitimate business interests:

To comply with applicable law:

With your consent (where required by applicable law), we may use the information we collect for the following purposes:

We may use the information we collect about you in other ways, which we will tell you about at the time we collect it or for which we will seek your consent.

3. How We Share The Information We Collect

We do not sell your personal information and only share your information as described in this privacy statement. Please note that some state statutes may define a “sale” to include sharing of personal information with third parties for valuable consideration. Many companies have common arrangements with online advertising networks and analytics companies that may potentially be considered sales under these definitions. Please review our Additional Notice for California Consumers below for more information.

We may share your personal information within the McDonald's Family. The McDonald's Family includes McDonald’s Corporation, our affiliates, our subsidiaries, and our franchisees. A list of these entities, or where you can find more information, is available at the country's McDonald's website for the applicable privacy statement. Members of the McDonald’s Family who receive this information from us are not authorized to use or share the information, except as set out in this privacy statement.

We may share your personal information with vendors who provide services to us, such as fulfilling orders, providing data processing and other information technology services, managing promotions, contests, prize draws and sweepstakes, carrying out research and analysis, and personalizing individual McDonald’s customer experiences. We do not allow these vendors to use this information or to share it for any purpose other than to provide services on our behalf. We may also share your personal information with vendors and partners who use the information to detect or prevent fraud for McDonald’s, and who may use the information to provide fraud detection and prevention services to others.

We may, for strategic or other business reasons, decide to sell or transfer all or part of our business. As part of that sale or transfer, we may pass information we have collected and stored, including personal information, to anyone involved in the sale or transfer.

There may be times where we may share information when it does not directly identify you. For example, we may share anonymous, aggregated statistics about your use of our online services. Or we may combine information about you with other customers and share the information in a way that does not link to a specific customer.

We have the right to use or share personal information as necessary to keep to any law, regulation or legal request, to protect our online services and in-restaurant technology, to bring or defend legal claims, to protect the rights, interests, safety and security of our organization, our employees or franchisees, or members of the public, or in connection with investigating fraud or other crime, or violations of our policies.

4. Children's Privacy Notice

We understand how important it is to protect your privacy when you use our online services. We are especially committed to protecting the privacy of children who visit or use our online services. For more information on how a specific country protects children’s privacy, please review the country specific addendum below.

We urge parents to regularly monitor and supervise their children's online activities. If you have any questions about our children’s privacy practices, please contact us at our Global or Local Data Protection Office using the contact information provided below. If you are contacting a Local Data Protection Office, please choose the office in the country in which you are a customer.

5. Your Choices

Marketing Communications

If you have agreed to receive marketing communications from us, you can later opt out by following the opt-out instructions in the marketing communications we send you. You can also generally find your communication preferences with instructions on how to opt out in the profile section of the online services that you use. You may also have the ability to change your communication preferences using your device settings. You can also opt out by contacting us at our Global or Local Data Protection Office using the contact information provided below. If you are contacting a Local Data Protection Office, please choose the office in the country in which you are a customer.

If you do opt out of receiving marketing communications from us, we may still send communications to you about your transactions, any accounts you have with us, and any contests, competitions, prize draws or sweepstakes you have entered. Opting out of one form of communication does not mean you have opted out of other forms as well. For example, if you opt out of receiving marketing emails, you may still receive marketing text messages if you have opted in to receiving them. Please note that if you are receiving communications from a McDonald’s franchise, then you will need to opt out from them directly.

We do not share personal information with third parties for their own direct marketing purposes, unless you give us permission to do so. When we give you notice, and you consent, we will share your personal information as you direct us to.

Your Personal Information Rights

In certain countries, individuals are entitled to the right to access, correct, transmit, restrict, delete and object to processing of the personal information we have collected. In these certain countries, individuals are also entitled to withdraw consent to processing of personal information. For more information regarding these rights, and the countries where these rights are available, please see the country specific addendum below. You can also visit the GDPR Rights Center.

6. Use of Our Online Services and Other Technology

We, and our vendors who provide services to us, may use cookies, web beacons and other similar technologies on our online services and in other areas related to our business, such as online advertising, to collect information and provide you with the services or products that you have requested.

Cookies and other technologies

A “cookie” is a small text file that is placed onto an Internet user’s web browser or device and is used to remember and/or obtain information about the user. Some countries in which we operate may have a cookies policy. That specific information, by country, is provided below.

A “web beacon” is a small object or image that is embedded into a web page, application, or email and is used to track activity. They are also sometimes referred to as pixels and tags.

Please note the following:

We use cookies, web beacons and other similar technology, to collect information for the purposes described in this privacy statement. We may also combine the information collected by these technologies with information we have collected about you by other means that are described in this privacy statement.

We may use these technologies to:

For example, we may use certain technologies to determine whether you have opened an e-mail or selected a link contained in an e-mail, how you use the pages and content in our mobile apps, or whether you have selected a McDonald’s online advertisement.

Both we and others (such as our advertising networks) may use these technologies to collect information about your online activities, over time and across third-party websites and devices, and when using our online services to further personalize your experience with us.

Use the options in your web browser if you do not wish to receive a cookie or if you wish to set your browser to notify you when you receive a cookie. Select the “Help” section of your browser to learn how to change your cookie preferences. If you disable all cookies, you may not be able to take advantage of all the features available on a website.

Some newer web browsers may have a "Do Not Track" preference that transmits a "Do Not Track" header to the websites you visit with information indicating that you do not want your activity to be tracked. McDonald’s does not currently take actions to respond to Do Not Track signals because a uniform technological standard has not yet been developed. We continue to review new technologies and may adopt a standard once one is created.

Where video is available on our online services, we may target and track the videos you view. You consent to our tracking of your video viewing through online services or third-party social media for up to two years, or as otherwise permitted by applicable law, or until you withdraw your consent.

More information regarding how cookies and technology are used in a country in which you are a customer may be available in the country specific addendum.

Targeted advertising

When you use our online services, we (and our vendors who provide services to us) may collect information about your activities so that we can provide you with advertising tailored to your interests.

Because we take part in advertising (“ad”) networks, you may see certain ads on other websites. Ad networks allow us to target the information we send you based on your interests, other information related to you, and contextual means. These ad networks track your online activities over time by collecting information through use of cookies, web beacons, and web-server logs. The ad networks use this information to show you advertisements that may be of particular interest to you. The ad networks we take part in may collect information about your visits to websites that also take part in the relevant ad network, such as the pages or advertisements you view and how you use the websites. We use this information, both on our online services and on third-party websites that take part in the ad networks, to provide you with advertising tailored to you, and to help us assess how effective our marketing is.

You can opt out of targeted advertising by visiting the Digital Advertising Alliance website or the Network Advertising Initiative website . If you choose to opt out, you will continue to receive advertisements but they will not be tailored to your interests.

7. Links to Other Websites and Social Media

Our online services may offer links to websites that are not run by us but by third parties. If you visit one of these linked websites, you should read the website’s privacy policy, terms and conditions, and their other policies. We are not responsible for the policies and practices of third parties. Any information you give to those organizations is dealt with under their privacy policy, terms and conditions, and other policies.

We may also have providers of other apps, tools, widgets and plug-ins on our online services, such as Facebook “Like” buttons, which may also use automated methods to collect information about how you use these features. These organizations may use your information in line with their own policies.

8. Information Security

We are committed to taking appropriate measures designed to keep your personal information secure. Our technical, organizational and physical procedures are designed to protect personal information from accidental, unlawful or unauthorized loss, access, disclosure, use, alteration, or destruction. While we make efforts to protect our information systems, no website, mobile application, computer system, or transmission of information over the internet or any other public network can be guaranteed to be 100% secure.

9. Retention

We keep your information for the length of time needed to carry out the purposes outlined in this privacy statement and to adhere to our policies on keeping records (unless a longer period is needed by law). Our records policies reflect applicable laws. We will retain and use your information to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if we are required to retain your information to comply with applicable tax/revenue laws), resolve disputes, enforce our agreements, and as otherwise described in this statement.

10. International Data Transfers

McDonald’s is a global organization with business processes, management structures and technical systems that cross borders. As such, we may share information about you within the McDonald’s Family and transfer it to countries in the world where we do business in connection with the uses identified above. Any international data transfers will be in accordance with this Privacy Statement and in compliance with applicable laws. Some countries in which we operate may have requirements pertaining to international data transfers. That specific information, by country, is provided below in the country specific addendum, where applicable.

McDonald’s Corporation and McDonald’s Global Markets LLC’s participation in the EU-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Frameworks

On 16 July 2020, the European Court of Justice ruled that the Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/1250 on the adequacy of the protection provided by the EU-US Privacy Shield is invalid.

Notwithstanding the above, McDonald’s Corporation and McDonald’s Global Markets LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary, participate in the EU-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Frameworks (“Privacy Shield”) administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use and retention of personal information from European Union member countries and Switzerland. For purposes of this Privacy Shield section only, McDonald’s Corporation and McDonald’s Global Markets LLC are each individually and collectively referred to as “McDonald’s Global”. McDonald’s Global participation in the Privacy Shield subjects it to the investigatory and enforcement power of the Federal Trade Commission. You can view a complete list of all Privacy Shield participants, including McDonald’s Global, at the Privacy Shield participants page.

As a Privacy Shield participant, McDonald’s Global is committed to and has certified that it adheres to the Privacy Shield Principles for all personal information received from the European Union and Switzerland in reliance on the Privacy Shield. Please note the following:

McDonald’s Global privacy practices are provided in this Privacy Statement. McDonald’s Global encourages you to contact it at any time with questions, concerns or complaints about its privacy practices and participation in the Privacy Shield; simply use the address, phone number or email address provided below. You may also refer a complaint to your local data protection authority and McDonald’s Global will work with them to resolve your concern.

If McDonald’s Global is unable to resolve your concern regarding your personal information received by McDonald’s Global under the Privacy Shield, you have the right to direct your unresolved concern to JAMS, an independent dispute resolution service based in the United States, to provide recourse at no charge to you. To seek recourse for an unresolved concern, visit JAMS' Privacy Shield Dispute Resolution page . If JAMS is unable to resolve your concern, you may have the right to invoke binding arbitration under certain conditions. To learn more about this option, visit the Privacy Shield "How to Submit a Complaint" page.

Please note that the foregoing processes apply only to the resolution of disputes regarding personal information received by McDonald’s Global under the Privacy Shield. All other disputes that you may have with McDonald’s Global or any other members of the McDonald’s Family, or any agents, representatives, agencies, officers, directors, or employees, must be resolved in accordance with the terms and conditions of any applicable websites, mobile apps, email newsletters, email subscriptions or other digital properties owned or controlled by a member of the McDonald’s Family.

For more information about the Privacy Shield program, and to view McDonald’s Global certification, please visit the Privacy Shield website.

11. Changes To Our Privacy Statement

This privacy statement is in effect as of the date noted at the top of the statement. We may change this privacy statement from time to time. If we do, we will post the revised version here and change the “last updated date” (the date it applies from) at the top of the statement. You should check here regularly for the most up-to-date version of the statement.

12. How To Contact Us

You can contact us at any time about McDonald’s privacy practices at our Global or Local Data Protection Offices. Our Local Data Protection Offices can assist with country-specific queries or information. Contact information for our Local Data Protection Offices can be found in the country specific addendum.

Global Data Protection Office
Attention: Global Data Protection Office
Privacy at McDonald's, Dept. 282
110 North Carpenter Street
Chicago, IL 60607-2101, USA
contact.privacy@us.mcd.com

United States

Last updated: July 01, 2020

McDonald’s USA is committed to protecting the information of our customers. The below is meant to provide additional information regarding our privacy practices in the United States.

Children’s Privacy Notice

We understand how important it is to protect your privacy when you use our online services. We are especially committed to protecting the privacy of children who visit or use our online services. This section (children's privacy notice) is designed to answer your questions about how we use the personal information we collect from children under the age of 13 when they use our online services.

A. What personal information do you collect?

We offer many features on our sites, such as games and coloring books, which children do not have to provide any personal information. However, sometimes we may collect personal information, such as an email address, a postal address or phone number, from your child as part of an activity.

Here are two examples of information we collect.

We will not collect other personal information from a child under the age of 13 without the permission of a parent or guardian. If we need this permission, we will collect your email address so we can tell you how we use information and get your permission to collect information from your child.

We will only ask a child for information that is reasonably necessary for them to take part in any online activity.

B. How do you use the personal information you collect?

We use the email address your child gives us to respond to requests or to tell them if they have won or lost a contest, competition, prize draw or sweepstake they have entered. We will use your email address to give you details about how we use personal information or to get your permission.

C. How do you share personal information?

We may share your child's personal information with other people or organizations if it is reasonably necessary, in the following circumstances.

We also may share your child’s personal information with vendors (those who provide services for us). These services may include hosting our sites, providing technical services, meeting requests or managing a contest, competition, prize draw, or sweepstake. We do not allow these vendors to share the personal information we give them unless it is necessary for them to carry out the service for us.

D. Requests from parents about protecting children's privacy

You can review personal information we have collected from your child that has not been deleted, and can ask us to delete personal information from our records if we have not already done so. You can also refuse to allow us to further collect or use your child's personal information, even if you have previously given us your permission. To do this, please email or write to us (our contact details are below).

E. Who should I contact with questions about children’s privacy?

We urge parents to regularly monitor and supervise their children's online activities. If you have any questions about our children’s privacy practices, please contact us at:

Privacy at McDonald's, Dept. 282
110 North Carpenter Street
Chicago, IL 60607-2101, USA
contact.privacy@us.mcd.com

Notice to California residents under 18 years of age

If you are a registered user of online services under the age of 18, and we have actual knowledge of your age, then under California law you may request and obtain removal of certain content or information you have posted on our online services. To do so, please contact us at the address, phone number or email address below. Please note that removal does not ensure complete or comprehensive removal of the content. For example, removal may not be possible or permitted if another provision of law requires the content to be maintained, if it was posted or reposted by others, or if we paid compensation to you in exchange for the posting.

Additional Notice for California Consumers

This part of our Privacy Statement applies to consumers who reside in the State of California.

1. Personal information we collect about California consumers

We describe the personal information we have collected about California consumers in the twelve (12) months preceding the “Last Updated” date of this Privacy Statement in the part titled, “Information we collect.” The information we have obtained includes the following: