Privacy Policy

Information You Provide Directly

Our Site is a read-only informational directory. We do not require you to create an account, log in, or submit any personal information to access our content. If you choose to contact us via email at contact@areacodess.org, we will receive whatever information you include in that email (such as your name, email address, and message content).

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our Site, certain information is collected automatically through standard web technologies:

• Log Data: Your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URL, pages visited, time and date of visit, and time spent on pages
• Device Information: Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet), screen resolution, and language preferences
• Location Data: General geographic location based on your IP address (city/region level — not precise GPS coordinates)
• Usage Data: Pages viewed, links clicked, scroll depth, and navigation patterns on our Site

This information is collected through server logs, cookies, and analytics tools. It is used in aggregate form to understand how visitors use our Site and to improve our content and user experience.

We use automatically collected information to:

• Operate, maintain, and improve the Site
• Understand which area code pages are most visited and useful
• Analyze traffic patterns and user behavior in aggregate
• Monitor for technical issues, errors, and security threats
• Serve relevant advertisements (see Advertising section below)
• Comply with legal obligations when required

We do not use your information to build personal profiles, send marketing emails, or contact you in any way unless you’ve reached out to us first.

Essential Cookies

Required for the Site to function properly. These handle basic functionality like page navigation and access to secure areas. You cannot opt out of essential cookies without affecting how the Site works.

Analytics Cookies

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors interact with our Site. Google Analytics collects information anonymously and reports website trends without identifying individual visitors. Data collected includes pages visited, session duration, bounce rate, and traffic sources. Google Analytics uses its own cookies to track interactions. You can learn more at Google’s Privacy Policy.

Advertising Cookies

We may display third-party advertisements on our Site. Advertising partners may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. These cookies do not store personally identifiable information but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and device. See the Advertising section below for details and opt-out options.

We use the following third-party services:

• Google Analytics — website traffic analysis (Google Privacy Policy)
• Google AdSense / Google Ad Manager — advertising display (Google Ads Policy)
• WordPress — content management system (WordPress Privacy Policy)
• Cloudflare — website security and performance (if applicable) (Cloudflare Privacy Policy)

Each of these services has its own privacy policy governing how it handles your data. We encourage you to review their policies using the links above.

Your Advertising Choices

• Google Ads Personalization: You can opt out of personalized advertising from Google by visiting Google Ads Settings
• NAI Opt-Out: Opt out of interest-based advertising from participating networks at Network Advertising Initiative
• DAA Opt-Out: Manage your ad preferences at Digital Advertising Alliance
• Browser Do Not Track: We respect DNT signals where technically feasible

Opting out of personalized advertising does not mean you will stop seeing ads — it means the ads you see will be less targeted to your interests.

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share non-personally identifiable, aggregated data with:

• Analytics providers — to understand Site traffic and usage (e.g., Google Analytics)
• Advertising partners — to serve and measure ad performance
• Legal authorities — if required by law, court order, or governmental regulation
• Service providers — hosting, security, and infrastructure providers who help us operate the Site, bound by confidentiality agreements

We will never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes.

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of any personal data we hold about you
• Correction — request correction of inaccurate data
• Deletion — request deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”)
• Objection — object to our processing of your data
• Portability — request your data in a machine-readable format
• Withdrawal of Consent — withdraw consent for data processing at any time

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at contact@areacodess.org. We will respond within 30 days of receiving your request.

Your California Rights

• Right to Know: You can request disclosure of what personal information we collect, use, disclose, and sell
• Right to Delete: You can request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions
• Right to Opt-Out: You can opt out of the sale of personal information. Note: We do not sell personal information.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights
• Right to Correct: You can request correction of inaccurate personal information

To submit a CCPA request, email us at contact@areacodess.org with the subject line “CCPA Request.”