Privacy Policy

Information We Collect

When you use our website, we may collect information you provide directly, such as your name, email address, phone number, and business details when you fill out a form.

We also automatically collect certain information through cookies and similar technologies, including your IP address, browser type, pages visited, and time spent on the site.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to respond to your inquiries and form submissions, send our newsletter (The West Georgia Weekly) if you subscribe, improve our website and content, analyze site traffic and usage patterns, and communicate with you about partnerships or services you have expressed interest in.

Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may collect data on our behalf: Google Analytics 4 (website traffic analysis), Kit (ConvertKit) (email newsletter delivery), YouTube (embedded video content), n8n (form submission processing), Stripe (payment processing for subscriptions, one-off commercials, and sponsorship donations), Clerk (authentication for claimed listings), Sentry (error monitoring), and Supabase (analytics events and operational telemetry).

Each of these services has its own privacy policy governing how they handle your data. We encourage you to review their policies.

Cookies and Cookie Consent

Our website uses essential cookies to operate the site and, with your consent, analytics cookies (Google Analytics 4) to understand how the site is used.

You can record or change your choice at any time using the cookie banner or the "Cookie preferences" link in our site footer. Full details are in our Cookie Policy at /cookies.

We honor your browser’s Do Not Track signal: when DNT is on, the cookie banner stays hidden and analytics cookies are not set.

Email Communications

If you subscribe to The West Georgia Weekly, you can unsubscribe at any time using the link provided in every email. We will never sell your email address to third parties.

Subscribers signing up after May 2026 see a consent line at the point of signup confirming they agree to receive emails from us.

California Privacy (CCPA)

We do not sell personal information. California residents have the right to know what personal information we have collected, request deletion, and opt out of any sale of personal information (which we do not engage in).

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the email below. We respond to verified requests within 30 days.

Data Retention

Lead form submissions: 90 days for unconverted inquiries, then deleted from our active systems. Converted leads (where you became a customer) are retained for 7 years to satisfy business-record obligations.

Analytics data: Google Analytics 4 retains user-level and event-level data for 14 months by default. Aggregate reports persist longer.

Payment records: Stripe transactions and related records are retained for 7 years per accounting and tax requirements.

Newsletter subscribers: retained while subscribed, deleted on unsubscribe.

Sanity content (business listings, blog posts): published records persist indefinitely. Unclaimed-business records can be removed on verified request from the business owner.

Your Rights and Data Subject Access Requests

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, request correction of inaccurate information, request deletion of your information, and opt out of marketing communications at any time.

To submit a Data Subject Access Request, email hello@welcometowestgeorgia.com from the email address tied to your account or inquiry. We may ask you to verify your identity. We aim to respond within 30 days.

Children’s Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child, contact us immediately and we will delete it.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Material changes will be communicated to subscribers and account-holders by email where reasonably possible.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your data, contact us at hello@welcometowestgeorgia.com.