Privacy Policy

This policy explains how SoCal Spotlight collects, uses, and shares information. It applies to our website at socal-spotlight.com and any related pages we operate.

• Nominations & Applications: name, email, business details, and any story or images you submit.
• Accounts for Featured Businesses: basic profile info and activity necessary to provide performance dashboards.
• Analytics & Cookies: Google Analytics 4 (GA4), UTM parameters, and similar tools to understand traffic and improve the site.
• Newsletter Opt-ins: if you subscribe, we collect your email and preferences (e.g., local digest vs. business tips).

• Publish and promote spotlight features and local stories.
• Provide performance dashboards to spotlighted businesses.
• Operate, maintain, and improve the site and user experience.
• Send newsletters only if you opted in (local digest and/or business resources in the future).
• Respond to nominations, applications, and inquiries.

We don’t sell your personal information. We may share limited data with trusted vendors solely to operate our services—examples include Airtable (data organization), HubSpot (CRM, possibly in the future), and MailerLite (email newsletters, possibly in the future). These providers are contractually restricted from using your data for other purposes.

We may share information if required by law, to protect rights and safety, or in connection with a business transition (e.g., merger or acquisition).

Because spotlights are intended to be long-lived community resources, we generally retain related content and business info unless you request deletion. We also keep necessary records to comply with legal, security, or operational requirements.

• Access/Update/Delete: Email us to access or update your info, or request deletion. We’ll respond within a reasonable time.
• Newsletter Preferences: You can unsubscribe anytime via the link in our emails.
• Cookies: You can control cookies via browser settings; some features may not function as intended without them.

Our site is not intended for children under 13, and we don’t knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we’ll remove it.

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure.

We’re a SoCal-focused site and primarily process data in the United States. If you access the site from outside the U.S., you consent to the transfer and processing of your information in the U.S. and under U.S. law.

We may update this policy from time to time. If changes are significant, we’ll update the effective date above and may post a notice on the site.

For privacy questions or data requests, email hello@socal-spotlight.com.