1. Introduction
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our news aggregation service. Please read this policy carefully.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Information You Provide
- Account Information: Email address, name, and password when you create an account
- Email Subscriptions: Email address and county preferences for newsletter subscriptions
- Contractor Submissions: Business information including name, email, phone, website, categories, and counties served
2.2 Automatically Collected Information
- Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, and interaction patterns
- Device Information: Browser type, operating system, and device identifiers
- Location Data: General location information based on county selection
2.3 Third-Party Platform Data
We collect publicly available content from social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter) through their official APIs. This includes:
- Public posts and their content
- Author names and handles
- Media attachments (images, videos)
- Publication timestamps
3. How We Use Your Information
We use collected information to:
- Provide and maintain our service
- Create and manage user accounts
- Send email newsletters and updates based on your county preferences
- Display relevant local news and social media content
- Process contractor submissions and display business information
- Improve and personalize user experience
- Analyze usage patterns and service performance
- Communicate with you about service updates
- Detect and prevent fraud or abuse
4. Data Sharing and Disclosure
4.1 We Do Not Sell Your Data
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.
4.2 Service Providers
We may share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in:
- Database hosting (Supabase)
- Email delivery services
- Analytics and performance monitoring
4.3 Social Media Platforms
We access social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, X) through their APIs to display public content. This access is governed by their respective privacy policies and platform terms.
4.4 Legal Requirements
We may disclose information if required by law or in response to valid legal requests.
5. Facebook and Instagram Integration
Our service uses Facebook and Instagram APIs to display public content. We comply with Meta's Platform Terms and Policies:
- We only access publicly available content
- We do not access private user data without explicit permission
- Content is cached temporarily and refreshed periodically
- We respect content removal requests from original authors
- API tokens are securely stored and never exposed to end users
6. Data Security
We implement appropriate security measures to protect your information:
- Encrypted data transmission (HTTPS)
- Secure password hashing
- Row-level security on database access
- Regular security audits and updates
- Restricted access to personal information
However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
7. Data Retention
We retain your information for as long as necessary to:
- Provide our services to you
- Comply with legal obligations
- Resolve disputes and enforce agreements
Social media content is refreshed periodically, and older posts may be removed from our system.
8. Your Privacy Rights
You have the right to:
- Access: Request a copy of your personal data
- Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information
- Deletion: Request deletion of your account and data
- Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from email communications
- Data Portability: Receive your data in a portable format
To exercise these rights, contact us through the information provided below.
9. Cookies and Tracking
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to:
- Maintain user sessions and authentication
- Remember user preferences
- Analyze site traffic and usage patterns
You can control cookies through your browser settings, but this may affect service functionality.
10. Children's Privacy
Our service is not intended for users under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If we discover we have collected such information, we will delete it immediately.
11. Third-Party Links
Our service contains links to external websites and social media platforms. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.
12. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. Continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
13. Contact Us
If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us through the contact information provided on our platform.
14. Data Protection Officer
For data protection inquiries, you may contact our designated data protection contact through the information provided on our platform.