15 West Privacy Policy

At 15 West, our mission is to seek the truth and help people understand the world, particularly as it relates to the West Side of Chicago and our local community. We want you to understand how we handle your personal information. We also want you to know your rights and choices.

This policy describes how we handle your personal information when you use the following "15 West Services":

Our website and its subdomains
Our email newsletters
Our pages or ads on social media networks, like our Facebook and Instagram pages
Anywhere we gather information from or about you and refer you to this Privacy Policy

How we handle information about you depends on which 15 West Services you use and how you use them. For example, we use different information about newsletter subscribers than website visitors.

If you have questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at info@luckyjefferson.com.

What Information Do We Gather About You?
What Do We Do with the Information We Collect about You?
To Whom Do We Disclose or Share the Information We Gather?
What Are Your Rights and Choices?
How Long Do You Retain Data?
How Do You Protect My Information?
Are There Guidelines for Children?
How Is Information Transferred Internationally?
What Is Our Legal Basis?
What about Third-Party Services?
How Are Changes to this Privacy Policy Communicated?
How Can You Contact Us?

1. What Information Do We Gather About You?

The information we gather about you depends on the context. By and large, it's information about you that can personally identify you — either on its own or when combined with other information.

1(A) Information Collected through 15 West Services

Information You Voluntarily Give Us

For Registration When you sign up for a 15 West Service (whether via a subscription or a free account as a registered user), we collect personal identifiers such as your contact information, including your name and email address, and account credentials. We may also ask you to create an account or display name and select a profile picture. Once you're registered, we assign you a unique ID number.

For some 15 West Services, you can instead sign up by linking your Apple, Facebook, or Google account.

You may voluntarily choose to provide additional personal information in your User Profile.

For Billing To process payments or donations, we collect and use your payment information. This can include your name, your address, your telephone number, your email address, your credit or debit card information and any other relevant information.

For User-Generated Content We offer you the ability to post content that other users can read (e.g., comments). Anyone can read, collect and use any personal information that accompanies your posts.

We do not have to publish any of your content. If the law requires us to take down, remove or edit your content, we will comply.

For Contests, Sweepstakes and Special Offers From time to time, we offer certain opportunities through contests, sweepstakes, or other special promotions and offers. When you sign up for these, you give us your name, email and any other required information.

For Reader Surveys and Research We gather personal information through questionnaires, surveys and feedback programs to better understand our community's needs and interests.

During Contact with Our Customer Service Team We collect information from you when you contact customer service. This can include your name, contact information, information about your account and any other information you choose to provide.

Your Contacts and Friends Some of our services allow you to connect with other users. You may be able to provide us with access to your contacts so that you can find your friends and invite others to join 15 West Services.

Information Collected Automatically

When you use 15 West Services, we collect some information automatically using technologies including cookies, web beacons, tags and scripts.

The categories of personal information we collect automatically include:

Identifiers and Device Information

Your IP address
Cookie identifiers
Your operating system and browser
Your browser language
Device identifiers
The unique ID that we assign to you when you register

Geolocation Information We use location information such as your city, state, zip code, to personalize content provided to you, including more relevant local news and weather updates. This is particularly important for our West Side Chicago coverage.

Usage Data We collect information about your interactions with our websites and apps, such as the URLs of pages you visit, how long you spent on a page, access times, search queries, and other details about your use of our Services.

1(B) Inferences; Information We Create or Generate

We infer new information from other data we collect, including using automated means such as machine learning. These inferences include information about your likely preferences or other characteristics (e.g., article topics, local interests).

1(C) Information Collected from Other Sources

Other Users Other users may provide us with your information — for example as part of a refer-a-friend campaign.

Social Media Platforms and Other Third-Party Services If you provide your social network account credentials to us or otherwise sign in to 15 West Services through a third-party site or service, you understand some content and/or information in those accounts may be transmitted into your account with us.

2. What Do We Do with the Information We Collect about You?

2(A) We Provide 15 West Services

We use your information to help you use and navigate 15West.org, such as:

Making a 15 West available to you
Arranging access to your account
Providing customer service
Responding to your inquiries, requests, suggestions, or complaints
Completing your payments and transactions
Sending service-related messages

2(B) We Personalize Your Experience

We track your interests and reading habits to personalize your experience, highlighting articles about West Side Chicago and local topics you might be interested in.

Any information you disclose in your content becomes public — along with your chosen display name or username and uploaded photo, if any.

2(D) We Develop Products and Services, and Do Analysis

We analyze data on our users' subscriptions, registered account activity, and other usage behaviors to understand how users interact with 15 West Services and to improve and develop our services.

2(E) We Carry Out Administrative or Legal Tasks

For auditing, legal, or regulatory purposes and to comply with legal, regulatory, and contractual obligations.

2(F) We Offer Sweepstakes, Contests, and Other Promotions

You can take part in our sweepstakes, contests, and other promotions.

2(G) We Allow for Personalized Advertising

We gather data and work with service providers and third parties to show you personalized ads and measure their performance.

2(H) We Advertise or Market 15 West Services to You

We market our 15 West Services to you, sometimes using marketing vendors.

2(I) We Aggregate Personal Information into Larger Findings

Sometimes we aggregate or de-identify information so that it can no longer identify you. This helps us better understand and represent our users.

3(A) Within 15 West

Our affiliates may access your information for the purposes listed in this policy.

3(B) With Service Providers

We work with service providers to carry out certain tasks, including:

Processing your payments
Maintaining technology and related infrastructure
Offering you customer service
Serving and targeting ads
Managing promotions
Detecting security incidents

3(C) With Other Third Parties

As of June 27, 2025, there are no situations when we disclose your information to third parties beyond our payment processing services service providers, such as:

Legal compliance requirements
Event sponsors (when disclosed)
In the event of a business reorganization or sale

4. What Are Your Rights and Choices?

4(A) In General

Communications Preferences

Email: You can unsubscribe from emails by following the instructions near the bottom of the email or by contacting us at info@luckyjefferson.com
Push Notifications: You can opt out by adjusting your device settings
Text Messages: You can opt out by replying "STOP"

Access, Correct, Change/Update, Delete or Restrict Processing You may exercise the following choices:

Access, modify, or delete the personal information we have about you
Be informed of or receive an electronic copy of the personal information we have about you
Restrict, or object to, how we process personal information about you

To exercise these rights, contact us via email at info@luckyjefferson.com.

Managing Your Account You can update your account information through your account settings.

Browser and Platform Controls

Most web browsers allow you to delete or reject cookies
Some browsers support Global Privacy Control (GPC)
Mobile devices provide options to limit tracking

Opt Out of Targeted Advertising You have the right to opt out of targeted advertising and "sales or sharing" of personal information as defined under applicable law.

Delete My Account You have the ability to delete your registered user account. Contact us at info@luckyjefferson.com to request account deletion.

4(B) California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have certain rights with respect to your personal information, including rights to know, correction, deletion, and to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of your personal information.

5. How Long Do You Retain Data?

We store your personal information for as long as needed, or permitted, based on the reason why we obtained it. When deciding how long to keep your information, we consider:

How long have we had a relationship with you
Whether we are subject to any legal obligations
Whether we have taken any legal positions

6. How Do You Protect My Information?

We protect your personal information with appropriate organizational, technological, and physical safeguards — but we cannot guarantee its absolute security. We recommend that you use complex and unique passwords for your 15 West accounts.

7. Are There Guidelines for Children?

15 West Services are intended for a general audience and are not directed at children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly gather personal information from children in a manner not permitted by law.

8. How Is Information Transferred Internationally?

15 West is based in Berwyn, Illinois. If you are located outside the United States, your information is collected in your country and then transferred to the United States.

9. What Is Our Legal Basis?

In some jurisdictions, we only collect, use, or share information about you when we have a valid reason, including:

The consent you provide to us
The performance of our contract with you
Compliance with a legal obligation
The legitimate interests of 15 West

10. What about Third-Party Services?

As of June 27, 2025, 15 West services does not contain links to third-party websites, resources, vendors, or advertisers.

11. How Are Changes to this Privacy Policy Communicated?

We will post any changes on this page. If we make a significant change in how we collect, use, or share your personal information, we will notify you at least 30 days prior to the changes taking effect via email or prominent notice within 15 West Services.

12. How Can You Contact Us?

If you have any questions, email us at info@luckyjefferson.com.

15 West is referred to in this Privacy Policy as "15 West," "we" or "our."

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