Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 2025

Section 1: Who We Are

Orange County Scoop (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the website at orangecountyscoop.com. We are a local directory and community guide for Orange County, California. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and protect information about you when you visit or use our Site.

Questions about this policy? Email us at hello@orangecountyscoop.com.

Section 2: Information We Collect

Information you provide directly.

• Newsletter sign-up: your email address, and optionally your first name and city.
• Business account registration: your name, email address, password, and business name.
• Listing submission: business name, address, phone number, website, hours, description, category, and any photos you upload.
• Story tips or contact form submissions: your name, email, and the content of your message.

Information collected automatically.

When you visit the Site, we and our service providers may automatically collect certain technical information, including your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, pages viewed, and the date and time of your visit. This information is used in aggregate to understand how the Site is used and to improve it.

Information from third-party services.

If you pay for a sponsored listing through Stripe, Stripe collects your payment card information directly. We receive only a confirmation of the transaction and limited billing details (last four digits of your card, billing email). We never see or store your full card number.

Section 3: How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Deliver the newsletter to subscribers who have signed up for it
• Create and manage business accounts and listings on the Site
• Process payments for sponsored listing subscriptions via Stripe
• Respond to inquiries, story tips, and support requests
• Improve the Site, diagnose technical problems, and monitor performance
• Enforce our Terms of Service and protect the security of the Site
• Send transactional emails related to your account (e.g., email verification, password reset)

We do not use your personal information for automated decision-making or profiling.

Section 4: Newsletter and Email Communications

If you subscribe to our newsletter, we will send you a weekly email featuring OC events, local highlights, and content from the Site. We use Tavr.io / Sendy to manage our mailing list and send emails.

You may unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email we send you. After unsubscribing, you will no longer receive newsletter emails. We may still send you transactional emails related to your account if you have one.

We do not send unsolicited commercial email. We will not add you to any list without your explicit opt-in.

Section 5: Cookies and Tracking

The Site uses cookies and similar technologies to operate correctly and to understand how visitors use the Site.

Essential cookies.

These cookies are required for the Site to function. They include session tokens used to keep you logged in to your business account. You cannot opt out of essential cookies without losing access to account features.

Analytics.

We use analytics tools to understand aggregate traffic patterns — which pages are popular, where visitors come from, and how the Site is used. This data is collected in aggregate and is not used to identify individual visitors.

Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies through their settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect certain features of the Site.

Section 6: How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes.

We may share your information only in these limited circumstances:

• With service providers who operate the Site on our behalf (Supabase for database and auth, Stripe for payments, Vercel for hosting, Tavr.io/Sendy for email). These providers may only use your data to perform services for us.
• If required by law, regulation, or legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Orange County Scoop, our users, or others.
• In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or substantially all of our assets — in which case your information would be subject to the privacy policy of the acquiring entity.

Business listing information that you submit and that is approved for display on the Site (name, address, phone, hours, description, category, photos) is made publicly available on the Site and may be indexed by search engines.

Section 7: Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide you with the services you have requested and as required by applicable law.

• Newsletter subscriber records: retained until you unsubscribe.
• Business account information: retained for as long as your account is active. You may request deletion of your account at any time.
• Listing data: retained until you delete the listing from your dashboard or your account is terminated.
• Server logs and analytics: retained in aggregate for up to 24 months.

Section 8: Your Rights and Choices

Depending on where you live, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. These may include the right to access, correct, or delete information we hold about you.

You can:

• Update your business account information through your dashboard at any time.
• Delete your business listing through your dashboard.
• Unsubscribe from the newsletter via the link in any newsletter email.
• Request deletion of your account and associated data by emailing hello@orangecountyscoop.com.

We will respond to verifiable data requests within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling a request.

Section 9: California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and other California privacy laws, including the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to delete personal information, and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information.

We do not sell personal information as defined by the CCPA. To submit a privacy request under California law, please email us at hello@orangecountyscoop.com with “California Privacy Request” in the subject line.

Section 10: Children's Privacy

The Site is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly. If you believe we may have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us at hello@orangecountyscoop.com.

Section 11: Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. Your business account password is hashed and is never stored in plain text. All data is transmitted over HTTPS.

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security. If you have reason to believe that your account has been compromised, please contact us immediately.

Section 12: Third-Party Links

The Site contains links to third-party websites, including business websites listed in our directory. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party site you visit. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties.

Section 13: Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Site after we post changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Orange County Scoop
hello@orangecountyscoop.com
orangecountyscoop.com