Privacy Policy for About Kitsap

Last Updated: May 12, 2026

Welcome to About Kitsap. This Privacy Policy explains how AboutKitsap.com collects, uses, shares, and protects information when you visit our website, read our articles, browse business listings, submit events, sign up for updates, contact us, advertise with us, or otherwise interact with our website and services.

By using AboutKitsap.com, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.


1. Who We Are

About Kitsap is a local online publication and community resource focused on Kitsap County, Washington, including Bremerton, Silverdale, Poulsbo, Bainbridge Island, Port Orchard, Kingston, Suquamish, Seabeck, Manchester, Keyport, Southworth, Olalla, and surrounding areas.

Our website may include local news and articles, event listings, business listings, travel guides, community resources, sponsored content, advertising, contact forms, newsletter signups, and links to third-party websites.

For privacy questions, please contact us at:

Email:contact@aboutkitsap.com


2. Scope of This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through:

  • AboutKitsap.com
  • Our event pages
  • Our business listings directory
  • Our blog, news, and article pages
  • Contact forms
  • Newsletter signup forms
  • Event submission forms
  • Business listing submission forms
  • Advertising or sponsorship inquiry forms
  • Comment areas, if enabled
  • Social media links or embedded third-party tools on our website
  • Any other online service that links to this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy does not apply to third-party websites, businesses, advertisers, event organizers, payment processors, social media platforms, or external services that we do not own or control.


3. Information We Collect

We may collect several types of information depending on how you use AboutKitsap.com.

A. Information You Provide Directly

You may provide information to us when you:

  • Contact us through a form
  • Submit a business listing
  • Submit an event
  • Subscribe to a newsletter
  • Request advertising or sponsorship information
  • Submit corrections or updates
  • Comment on content, if comments are enabled
  • Participate in surveys, promotions, or community features
  • Communicate with us by email or other means

This information may include:

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Business name
  • Business address
  • Website URL
  • Social media profiles
  • Event name
  • Event date and time
  • Event location
  • Event organizer information
  • Photos, logos, or media files you submit
  • Messages, descriptions, or other content you provide
  • Billing or payment-related details, if applicable
  • Any other information you choose to submit

Please do not submit sensitive personal information unless it is necessary for the specific request.


B. Information Collected Automatically

When you visit AboutKitsap.com, we may automatically collect certain technical and usage information, such as:

  • IP address
  • Browser type
  • Device type
  • Operating system
  • Pages visited
  • Time spent on pages
  • Referring website
  • Search terms used to find our site
  • Approximate geographic location
  • Clicks and interactions on the site
  • Cookie identifiers
  • Analytics data
  • Error logs and security logs

This information helps us understand how visitors use our website, improve site performance, protect against spam or security threats, and create better local content for Kitsap County readers.


C. Information From Third Parties

We may receive information from third-party sources, such as:

  • Analytics providers
  • Advertising partners
  • Newsletter providers
  • Payment processors
  • Social media platforms
  • Public business directories
  • Public event calendars
  • Event organizers
  • Local organizations
  • Publicly available government or tourism resources
  • Business owners or authorized representatives

For example, if a local business submits a listing, we may verify publicly available business details such as address, phone number, website, hours, or social media pages.


4. How We Use Information

We may use collected information to:

  • Operate and maintain AboutKitsap.com
  • Publish local news, articles, guides, event listings, and business listings
  • Respond to messages, questions, corrections, and requests
  • Review, edit, approve, or publish submitted events and business listings
  • Send newsletters or email updates, if you subscribe
  • Process advertising, sponsorship, or business listing inquiries
  • Improve website layout, performance, and user experience
  • Understand what content is useful to readers
  • Monitor website traffic and usage trends
  • Prevent spam, fraud, abuse, and unauthorized access
  • Protect the security of our website
  • Comply with applicable laws and legal obligations
  • Enforce our website terms, policies, and rights
  • Communicate with you about your submissions, listings, or inquiries

We may also use aggregated or de-identified information for analytics, content planning, marketing insights, or reporting.


5. Business Listings, Event Listings, and Public Submissions

AboutKitsap.com may allow users, businesses, organizations, or event organizers to submit information for publication.

When you submit a business listing, event listing, article idea, photo, correction, or other content, you understand that some or all of the submitted information may be published publicly on AboutKitsap.com.

Publicly displayed information may include:

  • Business name
  • Event name
  • Organizer name
  • Address or event location
  • Website link
  • Phone number
  • Email address, if provided for publication
  • Social media links
  • Event date and time
  • Business hours
  • Descriptions
  • Photos or logos
  • Other submitted public-facing details

Please only submit information you have the right to share. If you submit personal information about another person, business, or organization, you are responsible for ensuring that you have permission to do so.


6. Newsletter and Email Communications

If you sign up for our newsletter or email updates, we may use your email address to send you:

  • Local Kitsap County articles
  • Event roundups
  • Business spotlights
  • Community updates
  • Travel guides
  • Website announcements
  • Sponsored content or promotions, where applicable

You may unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by using the unsubscribe link in the email or contacting us at [Insert Privacy Contact Email].

Even if you unsubscribe from marketing emails, we may still send non-promotional messages related to your business listing, event submission, account, payment, inquiry, or legal notices.


7. Cookies and Similar Technologies

AboutKitsap.com may use cookies, pixels, tags, scripts, local storage, and similar technologies to operate the website and improve user experience.

These technologies may help us:

  • Remember user preferences
  • Improve site functionality
  • Analyze website traffic
  • Understand visitor behavior
  • Measure content performance
  • Prevent spam or fraud
  • Serve or measure advertising
  • Support embedded content from third-party platforms

Types of cookies we may use include:

Essential Cookies

These help the website function properly and may support security, page loading, forms, and basic site operations.

Analytics Cookies

These help us understand how visitors use the website, which pages are popular, and how we can improve our content.

Advertising Cookies

If we use advertising tools, these may help deliver, measure, or personalize ads.

Functionality Cookies

These may remember preferences or improve interactive website features.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect how some parts of the website function.


8. Analytics and Advertising

We may use third-party analytics and advertising services to understand site traffic, improve content, and support our website.

These services may collect information such as IP address, device information, browser type, pages visited, referring pages, time spent on pages, and interactions with content or ads.

Examples of services we may use include:

  • Google Analytics
  • Meta
  • WordPress

Some advertising or analytics partners may use cookies or similar technologies across websites. You may be able to control certain advertising preferences through your browser, privacy tools, or opt-out mechanisms provided by advertising networks.

The FTC provides consumer guidance on online tracking, personalized ads, browser privacy settings, and related opt-out options.


9. Payments, Paid Listings, Sponsorships, and Advertising

If AboutKitsap.com offers paid business listings, advertising, sponsorships, event promotions, or other paid services, payment information may be processed by third-party payment processors.

We do not intentionally store full credit card numbers on our website unless clearly disclosed. Payment processors may collect and process payment information according to their own privacy policies and terms.

Information related to paid services may include:

  • Name
  • Business name
  • Billing address
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Transaction details
  • Payment status
  • Invoice details
  • Listing or advertising package selected

10. Comments, Reviews, and Community Features

If comments, reviews, ratings, or community features are enabled on AboutKitsap.com, information you submit may be visible to the public.

Public submissions may include:

  • Display name
  • Comment text
  • Review content
  • Submitted images
  • Date and time of submission

We may moderate, edit, reject, or remove submissions that are spammy, abusive, inaccurate, inappropriate, unlawful, promotional, or inconsistent with our website standards.

Please do not include private personal information in public comments or submissions.


11. Embedded Content and Third-Party Links

Articles, event pages, listings, or other pages on AboutKitsap.com may include embedded content or links from third-party websites, such as:

  • YouTube videos
  • Maps
  • Social media posts
  • Event organizer websites
  • Business websites
  • Government websites
  • Tourism websites
  • Ferry schedule pages
  • Ticketing platforms
  • Reservation platforms

Embedded content from third-party websites may behave as if you visited that third-party website directly. These third parties may collect data, use cookies, track interactions, or apply their own privacy policies.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, accuracy, security, or policies of third-party websites.


12. Social Media

About Kitsap may maintain social media profiles or link to social media platforms. If you interact with us on social media, those platforms may collect information according to their own privacy policies.

Information you post publicly on social media may be visible to others. Please use caution when sharing personal information on public platforms.


13. How We Share Information

We may share information in the following circumstances:

A. With Service Providers

We may share information with vendors that help us operate the website, such as hosting providers, analytics services, email platforms, payment processors, form tools, spam prevention tools, security services, or advertising partners.

B. With Business or Event Partners

If you submit an event, listing, advertising inquiry, or sponsorship request, we may share information as needed to process, publish, verify, or respond to your request.

C. With Legal or Safety Authorities

We may disclose information if required to do so by law, subpoena, court order, legal process, government request, or to protect rights, safety, security, property, or users.

D. During Business Transfers

If About Kitsap is involved in a merger, acquisition, sale, restructuring, transfer of assets, or similar business transaction, information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

E. With Your Consent

We may share information when you direct us to do so or give us permission.

F. Publicly, When You Submit Public Content

Business listings, event listings, comments, photos, organizer details, and other submitted content may be published publicly if provided for that purpose.


14. Do We Sell Personal Information?

We do not sell personal information in exchange for money.

However, some privacy laws define “sale” or “sharing” broadly to include certain advertising, analytics, or cross-context behavioral advertising activities. If AboutKitsap.com uses advertising or analytics tools that fall within those definitions, you may have the right to opt out where required by applicable law.

California’s privacy law gives covered consumers rights including the right to know, delete, correct, opt out of certain sales or sharing, limit certain sensitive personal information uses, and avoid discrimination for exercising privacy rights. These rights apply to businesses that meet the law’s applicability thresholds.

To request more information or opt out where applicable, contact us at [Insert Privacy Contact Email].


15. Your Privacy Choices

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have choices regarding your personal information.

These choices may include:

  • Requesting access to personal information we have about you
  • Requesting correction of inaccurate information
  • Requesting deletion of certain personal information
  • Opting out of marketing emails
  • Opting out of certain advertising or tracking technologies
  • Requesting that we limit certain uses of sensitive information, where applicable
  • Requesting information about how we share personal information
  • Withdrawing consent where processing is based on consent

To make a privacy request, contact us at:

Email: contact@aboutkitsap.com

We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests.


16. California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident and About Kitsap is subject to the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information.

These rights may include:

  • The right to know what personal information we collect
  • The right to know the categories of sources of personal information
  • The right to know the purposes for collecting personal information
  • The right to know the categories of third parties to whom information is disclosed
  • The right to access specific pieces of personal information
  • The right to delete personal information, subject to exceptions
  • The right to correct inaccurate personal information
  • The right to opt out of sale or sharing of personal information, where applicable
  • The right to limit certain uses of sensitive personal information, where applicable
  • The right not to be discriminated against for exercising privacy rights

To submit a California privacy request, contact us at:

Email: contact@aboutkitsap.com

If required by law, we will also honor recognized opt-out preference signals such as Global Privacy Control.


17. Washington Consumer Health Data Notice

About Kitsap is a local information website and does not intend to collect sensitive health information as a healthcare provider.

However, some website content may relate to wellness, recreation, fitness, parks, restaurants, events, accessibility, family activities, or community resources. If you voluntarily submit information that could be considered consumer health data under Washington law, we will use that information only as reasonably necessary to respond to your request, process your submission, operate the website, comply with law, or as otherwise disclosed at the time of collection.

Examples of information that could potentially relate to consumer health data may include:

  • Accessibility requests
  • Health-related event submissions
  • Wellness business listings
  • Fitness or recreation-related inquiries
  • Dietary or allergy-related information voluntarily submitted
  • Messages that include health-related details

Please do not submit health, medical, disability, or other sensitive information unless necessary.

Washington’s My Health My Data Act expanded privacy protections for certain consumer health data, including data not necessarily covered by HIPAA.

If required by applicable law, we will provide additional rights and disclosures related to consumer health data.


18. Children’s Privacy

AboutKitsap.com is intended for a general audience and is not directed to children under 13.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without appropriate consent, we will take reasonable steps to delete that information.

Parents or guardians who believe a child has provided personal information to us may contact us at [Insert Privacy Contact Email].


19. Data Retention

We retain personal information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information, such as:

  • Contact form submissions
  • Event submissions
  • Business listings
  • Newsletter subscriptions
  • Advertising inquiries
  • Transaction records
  • Analytics data
  • Security logs
  • Legal or compliance records

We may retain published business listings, event listings, articles, and public submissions for as long as they remain relevant to the website, unless removal is requested and legally or operationally appropriate.


20. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures to help protect information from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure.

However, no website, database, email system, or internet transmission is completely secure. You use AboutKitsap.com at your own risk, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

The FTC notes that businesses may be held accountable when they mislead consumers about privacy or fail to maintain reasonable security for sensitive information.


21. User-Submitted Photos, Logos, and Media

If you submit photos, logos, graphics, or other media to About Kitsap, you represent that you have the right to submit that content and allow us to use it in connection with the website.

Submitted media may be used for:

  • Business listings
  • Event listings
  • Articles
  • Local guides
  • Social media promotion
  • Website promotions
  • Email newsletters
  • Related editorial or marketing purposes

Do not submit images of individuals, private property, copyrighted material, minors, or sensitive situations unless you have the appropriate rights, permissions, and releases.


22. Sponsored Content and Affiliate Links

AboutKitsap.com may include sponsored content, paid placements, advertisements, affiliate links, or promotional partnerships.

If we use affiliate links, we may earn a commission when you click a link or make a purchase. Affiliate partners may collect information according to their own privacy policies.

Sponsored content or paid promotions will be identified where appropriate.


23. Accuracy of Public Listings

About Kitsap may publish business, event, and community information submitted by third parties or gathered from publicly available sources.

We try to provide helpful and accurate information, but details such as hours, pricing, availability, locations, event dates, and business status may change.

If you believe a listing or event contains incorrect personal information or should be updated, contact us at [Insert Privacy Contact Email].


24. International Visitors

AboutKitsap.com is operated in the United States and is primarily intended for users located in the United States.

If you access the website from outside the United States, you understand that your information may be processed and stored in the United States, where privacy laws may differ from those in your location.

Depending on your location, you may have additional rights under applicable privacy laws.


25. Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers offer “Do Not Track” signals. There is not currently a universally accepted standard for responding to these signals.

Where required by applicable law, we will honor legally recognized opt-out preference signals, such as Global Privacy Control, if they apply to our data practices.


26. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.

When we make changes, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. Changes are effective when posted unless otherwise stated.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.


27. Contact Us

For questions, privacy requests, corrections, or concerns, please contact:

About Kitsap
Email: contact@aboutkitsap.com
Website: AboutKitsap.com