Privacy Policy

Last Updated: October 26, 2026

At EC Today (ectoday.org), accessible from [https://www.ectoday.org](https://www.ectoday.org), the privacy of our visitors, readers, subscribers, and community partners is one of our top priorities. This Privacy Policy outlines the types of information collected and recorded by EC Today and how we use, protect, and handle that information.

If you have additional questions or require more information about our Privacy Policy, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@ectoday.org.

1. Information We Collect

We collect personal information in several ways depending on how you interact with our Services:

A. Information You Provide Voluntarily

  • Subscriber & Contact Details: When you opt into our SMS digests, subscribe to email newsletters, or fill out a form, we may collect your name, email address, phone number, and messaging preferences.

  • Event & Business Submissions: When you feature an event, register a local business listing, or post a rental home, we collect transaction details, photos, business contact information, and property specs.

  • Anonymous Tips ("Spill the Tea"): When you submit news tips, local rumors, or community media through our tip forms, providing your name or email is optional. If submitted anonymously, we do not store identifying contact records with the submission.

B. Information Collected Automatically

  • Squarespace & Analytics Data: When you visit ectoday.org, our servers automatically collect log file information, including your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, date/time stamps, and pages viewed.

  • Cookies & Tracking Technologies: Like most websites, EC Today uses cookies and pixel tags to improve user experience, remember browsing preferences, and measure traffic performance.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal data we collect for explicit business and community purposes, including:

  • Providing, operating, and maintaining the EC Today platform and directory.

  • Dispatching weekly SMS text notifications (e.g., Event Digests, Civic Alerts) to subscribers who opted in.

  • Processing paid ad packages, featured event badges, and business spotlight listings.

  • Delivering video spotlights, community polls, and Tea with Justin podcast features.

  • Improving, personalizing, and expanding site functionality and mobile usability.

  • Preventing fraudulent transactions, spam submissions, or misuse of our forms.

3. SMS & Mobile Messaging Terms

EC Today values your mobile privacy. By providing your mobile phone number and opting in to receive SMS text notifications from EC Today:

  • No Third-Party Sharing: Mobile phone numbers collected for SMS text alerts will never be sold, rented, or shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.

  • Opt-Out Instructions: You can unsubscribe from our SMS text broadcasts at any time by replying STOP to any text message. For assistance, reply HELP or contact us at ads@ectoday.org.

  • Message Rates: Message and data rates may apply depending on your wireless carrier plan. Message frequency varies based on chosen alert categories (e.g., weekly event roundups).

4. Third-Party Service Providers

To deliver a seamless platform experience, EC Today integrates with trusted third-party service providers:

  • Squarespace: Hosts our primary website domain and manages secure page delivery.

  • Twilio: Manages our CRM database, lead intake forms, and automated SMS text notifications.

  • CalendarLink: Powers our embedded community event calendar integrations.

  • YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts: Host embedded video player content and podcast audio streams (Tea with Justin).

  • Payment Processors: Processes secure online payments for advertising packages and directory listings.

These third-party vendors have access only to the data necessary to perform specific tasks on our behalf and are obligated not to disclose or use it for any other purpose.

5. Renters & Housing Listings Disclaimer

Information collected through our Rentals Hub (such as prospective tenant profiles or landlord contact details) is strictly used to match renters with local housing inventory. EC Today is an informational display board and does not sell, lease, or distribute private tenant applicant data to unauthorized third-party solicitors.

6. Cookies & Opt-Out Preferences

You can choose to disable cookies through your individual browser options or via our website's cookie banner settings. Disabling functional cookies may impair certain interactive features on ectoday.org.

7. Data Rights & Retention

Depending on your location, you have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of any personal data held by EC Today. To request a copy of your records or to be permanently deleted from our text/email marketing databases, send a written request to ads@ectoday.org.

8. Children's Privacy (COPPA)

EC Today does not knowingly collect any Personal Identifiable Information from children under the age of 13. If you believe your child has provided personal information on our website, please contact us immediately so we can promptly remove such data from our records.

9. Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify users of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date at the top.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions, comments, or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us: