Privacy Policy

Discover Waxhaw is an editorial guide. We collect the minimum data necessary to understand which guides readers find useful and to keep the site secure and reliable. We do not sell or share personal information for money or for cross-context behavioral advertising, we do not run advertising trackers, and we do not build personal profiles. This site has no accounts, no forms, and no way to submit personal details to us.

Information we collect

• Pageviews (first-party). When analytics is enabled, we record the page path, the referring URL, and a timestamp. We do not store IP addresses or device identifiers alongside this beacon.
• Google Analytics 4. With your consent, Google Analytics collects standard measurement data such as page paths, referrer, approximate location derived from a truncated IP address, device and browser type, and a randomly generated first-party identifier. IP anonymization is enabled and Google Consent Mode is set to deny advertising storage by default.
• Server logs. Our hosting provider may keep short-lived request logs (typically days) containing IP address, user agent, and requested URL for security, abuse prevention, and diagnostics.

We do not knowingly collect sensitive personal information, precise geolocation, biometric data, financial account details, or health information.

Why we process this data

• To measure which guides readers use, so we can improve them (consent, or legitimate interests where consent is not required).
• To keep the site available and defend against abuse (legitimate interests).
• To comply with legal obligations and to establish or defend legal claims (legal obligation / legitimate interests).

Consent and how to withdraw it

Analytics — both our first-party beacon and Google Analytics — is denied by default until you accept in the consent banner. If you decline, no pageview beacon is sent and Google Analytics storage remains denied. You can change or withdraw your choice at any time using the "Reset analytics consent" link in the footer, or by clearing this site's data in your browser. Global Privacy Control and Do-Not-Track signals in your browser are treated as a decline.

Cookies and local storage

We set one first-party key, dw-consent, to remember your analytics choice. Google Analytics sets its own first-party cookies only after you consent. The complete list is in our Cookie Policy.

Service providers

We rely on a small number of processors: our hosting and content delivery provider (site delivery, logs, security) and Google LLC (Google Analytics 4, only with consent). These providers process data on our behalf under their own terms, and Google may transfer data internationally under standard contractual clauses. We do not disclose visitor data to any other third party except where required by law or to protect our legal rights.

Retention

First-party pageview records are kept in aggregate form only. Google Analytics data is retained according to the retention setting in that product (no more than fourteen months). Hosting logs are retained by our provider for a short period, typically days. Your consent key remains in your browser until you clear it.

Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or port your personal information, to opt out of sale, sharing, targeted advertising, or profiling, and to withdraw consent. Because we do not maintain accounts, forms, or contact channels, and because we hold no directly identifying records about site visitors, the practical way to exercise these rights is to withdraw consent and clear this site's data in your browser — that removes the only identifier associated with your visits. We do not sell or share personal information, and we do not use it for targeted advertising or profiling, so no opt-out beyond declining analytics is required. You may also opt out of Google Analytics entirely using Google's browser add-on or your browser's privacy controls. Exercising any right will never result in discriminatory treatment.

Children's privacy

This site is intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 (or under 16 where applicable law sets a higher threshold), and the site offers no mechanism through which a child could submit such information.

International visitors

The site is operated from the United States. If you access it from outside the United States, any data described here may be processed in the United States and other countries whose data-protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction.

Security

We use transport encryption, hardened response headers, and a minimal data footprint. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. See our Terms of Use for the applicable disclaimers and liability limits.

Third-party links

Many of our guides link out to restaurants, schools, communities, and businesses. Once you leave this site, the destination's own privacy policy governs, and we are not responsible for their practices.

Changes

Material changes to this policy will be reflected in the "Updated" date above. Continued use of the site after a change constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.