Privacy Policy

Effective date: 14 May 2026

West Wood Blvd (“we”, “our”, “us”) operates the website https://westwoodblvd.com/ (the “Site”). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect personal information of visitors, readers, and subscribers (collectively, “you” or “users”). It is designed to comply with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and other applicable privacy statutes worldwide. By accessing or using the Site, you consent to the practices described herein.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Personal Information You Provide Directly

Name, email address, and contact details – when you subscribe to newsletters, comment on articles, or submit a contact form.
Account credentials – if you create a user account, we store your username, encrypted password, and optional profile information.
Payment information – for premium subscriptions or donations, we collect billing details via a secure third‑party processor (e.g., Stripe). We never store full credit‑card numbers on our servers.

1.2 Automatically Collected Information

Device and browser data – IP address, operating system, browser type, language settings, and screen resolution.
Usage data – pages visited, time spent on each page, click paths, and referral URLs.
Location data – approximate geolocation derived from your IP address.

1.3 Information Collected from Third‑Party Services

When you interact with embedded social media widgets (e.g., Twitter, Facebook) or use “Sign in with Google”, those platforms may share limited profile information with us. We only retain the data necessary to provide the requested functionality.

2. How We Use Your Information

We process personal data for the following legitimate purposes:

Content delivery: to display news articles, videos, and podcasts tailored to your interests.
Communication: to send newsletters, alerts, and transactional messages (e.g., password resets, subscription confirmations).
Personalisation: to recommend articles based on your reading history and preferences.
Advertising: to serve relevant third‑party advertisements, including Google AdSense, and to measure ad performance.
Analytics: to understand audience behaviour, improve site performance, and comply with Google News and Bing News publisher standards (Google Search Central, Bing Webmaster Tools).
Legal compliance: to respond to lawful requests, protect our rights, and enforce our Terms of Service.

3. Legal Bases for Processing (GDPR)

When we are subject to the GDPR, we rely on one or more of the following lawful grounds:

Consent: when you voluntarily opt‑in to newsletters or cookie tracking.
Contract performance: when processing is necessary to fulfil a subscription or donation agreement.
Legitimate interests: for analytics, fraud prevention, and security monitoring, provided your interests are not overridden.
Legal obligation: when required to retain records for tax or regulatory purposes.

4. Your Rights Under Data Protection Laws

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights. To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Section 12.

Right of access: request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”): request deletion of your data, subject to legal exceptions.
Right to restriction of processing: ask us to limit how we use your data.
Right to data portability: receive your data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object: object to processing for direct marketing or profiling.
Right to opt‑out of sale (CCPA): request that we do not sell your personal information to third parties.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to enhance your experience and to gather analytics. Cookies are small text files stored on your device. They fall into the following categories:

Strictly necessary cookies: enable core site functions such as session management and security.
Performance cookies: collect aggregate data about page load times and navigation paths (e.g., Google Analytics). For details, see the Google Analytics Help Center.
Functional cookies: remember your language or display preferences.
Advertising cookies: used by Google AdSense and other ad networks to deliver personalised ads. See the Google Privacy Policy for more information.

You may manage or withdraw consent at any time via your browser settings or through our Cookie Preference Center (link in the footer). Disabling certain cookies may affect site functionality.

6. Third‑Party Services

Our Site integrates with several external providers. Each provider has its own privacy practices, and we encourage you to review them:

Google AdSense: serves contextual advertisements and provides reporting. AdSense Program Policies govern data handling.
Google Analytics: measures traffic and user interaction. Data is anonymised where possible; you can opt‑out via the Google Analytics Opt‑out Browser Add‑on.
Social media plugins: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn widgets may set their own cookies. Review their privacy statements for details.
Email service providers (e.g., Mailchimp): process subscription lists and send newsletters. They comply with GDPR and CCPA.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data only as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Typical retention periods include:

Account information: until account deletion or inactivity of 24 months.
Newsletter subscriptions: until you unsubscribe.
Analytics data: aggregated and anonymised after 14 months.
Payment records: retained for 7 years to satisfy tax obligations.

8. International Data Transfers

Because we operate globally, personal data may be transferred to servers located outside your country, including the United States. We ensure such transfers are protected by appropriate safeguards, such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission, in accordance with GDPR Article 46.

9. Security Measures

We implement technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including:

Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption for data in transit.
Regular security patches and vulnerability scanning.
Encrypted storage of passwords using bcrypt.
Restricted access controls for staff handling personal information.
Incident response procedures aligned with the ISO/IEC 27001 information security standard.

While we strive for robust security, no method is 100% foolproof. You are responsible for safeguarding your login credentials.

10. Children’s Privacy

The Site is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you become aware that a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us so we can promptly delete such information, in compliance with the U.S. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the GDPR’s provisions for children.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect regulatory changes, new features, or operational adjustments. When we make material changes, we will post a notice on the Site and update the “Effective date” at the top of the document. Your continued use of the Site after such changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

12. Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, or wish to exercise any of your privacy rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer:

West Wood Blvd – Data Protection Officer
Email: privacy@westwoodblvd.com
Address: 123 West Wood Avenue, Suite 400, New York, NY 10001, USA

13. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the State of New York, United States, and the European Union’s GDPR where applicable. Any disputes arising from this policy will be resolved in the appropriate courts of New York County, unless alternative dispute resolution is mutually agreed upon.

14. Professional Standards and Ethical Commitment

As a news organization, West Wood Blvd adheres to the highest journalistic ethics, including the standards set by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and the International Federation of Journalists. Our privacy practices are designed to support transparency, accountability, and the public’s right to know, while safeguarding the personal data entrusted to us.

For further reading on privacy best practices for digital publishers, see the Google AdSense Program Policies and the Bing Publisher Privacy Guidelines.