Santee Pulse ("we," "us," or "our") operates santeepulse.com. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website. Please read this policy carefully. If you do not agree with its terms, please discontinue use of the site.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide

• Newsletter signup: When you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect your email address. This is voluntary and used solely to send you local news updates.
• Account registration: If you create an account to comment on articles, we collect your name (or display name), email address, and any profile information you choose to provide.
• Comments: When you post a comment on an article, that content is stored and displayed publicly alongside your display name.
• Contact forms and tips: If you email us or submit a news tip, we collect the information you provide in that communication.

Information Collected Automatically

• Usage data: We may collect standard web analytics data such as pages visited, time on site, referring URLs, browser type, and device information. This data is aggregated and not tied to individual identities.
• Cookies: We use essential cookies to maintain site functionality (e.g., login sessions). We do not use third-party advertising cookies. If we add analytics tools in the future, we will update this policy accordingly.

How We Use Your Information

• To deliver our newsletter to your inbox
• To allow you to comment on articles
• To respond to your inquiries or news tips
• To improve our website, content, and user experience through aggregated analytics
• To maintain site security and prevent abuse

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. Period.

Third-Party Services

We may use the following third-party services to operate the site:

• Vercel: Website hosting and deployment
• Supabase: User authentication and comment storage
• Resend: Newsletter email delivery (if applicable)

Each of these services has its own privacy policy governing how they handle data. We select providers that maintain strong privacy and security standards.

AI-Assisted Content

Santee Pulse uses artificial intelligence tools to assist in writing and summarizing news articles. AI does not collect, process, or have access to your personal information. AI-generated images used on this site are labeled as illustrations and are not photographs of actual events. For more details, see our AI & Transparency section.

Data Retention

We retain your information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy. Newsletter subscribers can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email, and we will remove your email address promptly. If you delete your account, your personal data will be removed, though comments you posted may remain in anonymized form.

Your Rights

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and other applicable laws, you have the right to:

• Know what personal information we collect and how it is used
• Request deletion of your personal information
• Opt out of any future data sharing (we don't currently share data, but the right stands)
• Access your personal information in a portable format
• Non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@santeepulse.com.

Children's Privacy

Santee Pulse is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we learn that we have collected information from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us.

Security

We use commercially reasonable measures to protect your personal information, including encryption in transit (HTTPS) and secure storage through our hosting and database providers. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.