1. Introduction

Welcome to Bored in Santa Cruz ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website boredinsantacruz.com (the "Site").

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

Create an account (name, email address)
Write reviews or comments
Save favorites or bookmarks
Subscribe to our newsletter
Contact us via email or forms
Participate in surveys or promotions

2.2 Information Automatically Collected

When you visit our Site, we automatically collect certain information, including:

Device information (browser type, operating system, device type)
IP address and location data
Pages visited and time spent on pages
Referring website or search query
Cookies and similar tracking technologies

2.3 Third-Party Services

We use third-party services that may collect information:

Google Analytics: Website usage and traffic analysis
Google OAuth: Authentication services
Vercel: Hosting and performance monitoring
Airtable: Data storage
OpenAI: AI chatbot functionality
Google AdSense (if applicable): Advertising services

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Provide, operate, and maintain our Site
Improve and personalize your experience
Process your account registration and authentication
Enable you to save favorites and write reviews
Respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
Send you newsletters and promotional materials (with your consent)
Analyze Site usage and trends
Detect, prevent, and address technical issues or security threats
Comply with legal obligations

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track activity on our Site and store certain information. You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our Site.

Types of cookies we use:

Essential Cookies: Necessary for the Site to function (authentication, security)
Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our Site
Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences
Advertising Cookies (if applicable): Used to deliver relevant advertisements

5. How We Share Your Information

We may share your information in the following situations:

With Service Providers: Third-party companies that help us operate our Site (hosting, analytics, email services)
For Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets
With Your Consent: When you explicitly agree to share your information
For Legal Purposes: To comply with legal obligations, protect our rights, or respond to legal requests
Public Reviews: Reviews you mark as "public" will be visible to all Site visitors

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

6. Data Security

We implement reasonable security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

7. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from marketing emails via the unsubscribe link
Data Portability: Request a copy of your data in a portable format
Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for data processing where applicable

To exercise these rights, please contact us at privacy@boredinsantacruz.com

8. Children's Privacy

Our Site is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us, and we will take steps to delete such information.

9. Third-Party Links

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites, including affiliate partners. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

10. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

Right to know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold
Right to delete personal information
Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
Right to non-discrimination for exercising your CCPA rights

11. International Users

Our Site is operated in the United States. If you are accessing our Site from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States where our servers are located. By using our Site, you consent to this transfer.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

Bored in Santa Cruz

Email: privacy@boredinsantacruz.com

Address: Santa Cruz, California