Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 18, 2026

This Privacy Policy describes Our policies and procedures on the collection, use, and disclosure of Your information when You use the Service and explains Your privacy rights and how the law protects You.

City Publications of West Michigan & Orange County is operated by 5 Way Forward Inc.

We use Your Personal Data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, You agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Interpretation and Definitions

Interpretation

The words whose initial letters are capitalized have meanings defined under the following conditions. The following definitions shall have the same meaning whether they appear in singular or plural.

Definitions

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy:

  • Account means a unique account created for You to access our Service or parts of our Service.

  • Company (referred to as either "the Company", "We", "Us", or "Our" in this Privacy Policy) refers to City Publications of West Michigan & Orange County, operated by 5 Way Forward Inc., West Michigan, Michigan.

  • Cookies are small files that are placed on Your computer, mobile device, or any other device by a website, containing details of Your browsing history on that website among its many uses.

  • Country refers to Michigan, United States.

  • Device means any device that can access the Service such as a computer, a cell phone, or a digital tablet.

  • Personal Data or Personal Information means any information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual.

    We use "Personal Data" and "Personal Information" interchangeably unless a law uses a specific term.

  • Service refers to the Website.

  • Service Provider means any natural or legal person who processes data on behalf of the Company. It refers to third party companies or individuals employed by the Company to facilitate the Service, provide the Service on behalf of the Company, perform services related to the Service, or assist the Company in analyzing how the Service is used.

  • Usage Data refers to data collected automatically, either generated by the use of the Service or from the Service infrastructure itself, such as the duration of a page visit.

  • Website refers to City Publications of West Michigan & Orange County, accessible from https://citypubwmi.com/home--city-publications-423732.

  • You means the individual accessing or using the Service, or the company or other legal entity on behalf of which such individual is accessing or using the Service, as applicable.

Collecting and Using Your Personal Data

Types of Data Collected

Personal Data

While using Our Service, We may ask You to provide Us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify You. Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to:

  • Email address
  • First name and last name
  • Phone number
  • Address, State, Province, ZIP or Postal code, City

Usage Data

Usage Data is collected automatically when using the Service.

Usage Data may include information such as Your Device's Internet Protocol address, browser type, browser version, the pages of our Service that You visit, the time and date of Your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers, and other diagnostic data.

When You access the Service by or through a mobile device, We may collect certain information automatically, including the type of mobile device You use, Your mobile device's unique ID, the IP address of Your mobile device, Your mobile operating system, the type of mobile Internet browser You use, unique device identifiers, and other diagnostic data.

We may also collect information that Your browser sends whenever You visit Our Service or when You access the Service by or through a mobile device.

Tracking Technologies and Cookies

We use Cookies and similar tracking technologies to track activity on Our Service and store certain information. Tracking technologies We use may include cookies, beacons, tags, and scripts to collect and track information and to improve and analyze Our Service.

  • Cookies or Browser Cookies. A cookie is a small file placed on Your Device. You can instruct Your browser to refuse all Cookies or to indicate when a Cookie is being sent. However, if You do not accept Cookies, You may not be able to use some parts of our Service.
  • Web Beacons. Certain sections of our Service and our emails may contain small electronic files known as web beacons that permit the Company to count users who have visited those pages or opened an email and for other related website statistics.

Cookies can be "Persistent" or "Session" Cookies. Persistent Cookies remain on Your personal computer or mobile device when You go offline, while Session Cookies are deleted as soon as You close Your web browser.

Where required by law, We use non-essential cookies, such as analytics or advertising cookies, only with Your consent. You can withdraw or change Your consent at any time using Our cookie preferences tool, if available, or through Your browser or device settings. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

We use both Session and Persistent Cookies for the purposes set out below:

  • Necessary or Essential Cookies

    Type: Session Cookies

    Administered by: Us

    Purpose: These Cookies are essential to provide You with services available through the Website and to enable You to use some of its features.

  • Cookies Policy or Notice Acceptance Cookies

    Type: Persistent Cookies

    Administered by: Us

    Purpose: These Cookies identify if users have accepted the use of cookies on the Website.

  • Functionality Cookies

    Type: Persistent Cookies

    Administered by: Us

    Purpose: These Cookies allow Us to remember choices You make when You use the Website, such as login details or language preference.

For more information about the cookies We use and Your choices regarding cookies, please review the Cookies section of this Privacy Policy.

Use of Your Personal Data

The Company may use Personal Data for the following purposes:

  • To provide and maintain our Service, including to monitor the usage of our Service.
  • To manage Your Account, including Your registration as a user of the Service.
  • For the performance of a contract, including the development, compliance, and undertaking of the purchase contract for products or services You have purchased from Us.
  • To contact You by email, telephone calls, or SMS regarding responses to inquiries, service-related communications, updates, and information related to the products or services You requested.
  • To send marketing communications where permitted. We may send You promotional emails or text messages about our products or services only where You have requested, opted in, or otherwise provided consent where required by law. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time.
  • To manage Your requests and provide customer support.
  • To improve our Service, website functionality, products, services, and user experience.
  • For legal and administrative purposes, including complying with applicable legal obligations, enforcing agreements, resolving disputes, and protecting the rights, property, and safety of the Company and its users.

If You choose to opt in to receive SMS messages from Us, We may use Your phone number to send service-related or promotional text messages in accordance with Your consent. Message frequency may vary. Message and data rates may apply. You can opt out at any time by replying STOP. You can reply HELP for assistance.

We may share Your Personal Data only in the following limited circumstances:

  • With Service Providers: We may share Your Personal Data with service providers or subcontractors who help us operate our website, support our business, communicate with You, or provide services on our behalf. These parties may only use Your information as necessary to perform services for Us and not for their own marketing or promotional purposes.
  • For legal compliance: We may disclose Your Personal Data when required to do so by law or when necessary to respond to valid legal requests, protect our rights, prevent fraud, or ensure the safety of our users and services.
  • For business transfers: We may share or transfer Your Personal Data in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of all or a portion of Our business, subject to appropriate confidentiality and legal protections.
  • With Your consent: We may disclose Your Personal Data for any other purpose with Your explicit consent.

We do not sell, rent, or share Your Personal Data, including mobile phone numbers and SMS consent data, with affiliates, business partners, or third parties for their marketing or promotional purposes.

We may share end-user data only with subcontractors or service providers as necessary to provide our services.

SMS consent is not shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing purposes.

Retention of Your Personal Data

The Company will retain Your Personal Data only for as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. We will retain and use Your Personal Data to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our legal agreements and policies.

Where possible, We apply shorter retention periods and reduce identifiability by deleting, aggregating, or anonymizing data when it is no longer needed.

  • Account Information: retained for the duration of the account relationship and for up to 24 months after account closure where needed to address post-termination issues or resolve disputes.
  • Customer Support Data: support tickets and correspondence may be retained for up to 24 months from the date of ticket closure to resolve follow-up inquiries, track service quality, and defend against potential legal claims. Chat transcripts may be retained for up to 24 months for quality assurance and staff training purposes.
  • Usage Data: website analytics data, cookies, IP addresses, device identifiers, and server logs may be retained for up to 24 months for analytics, security monitoring, and troubleshooting purposes.

Usage Data may be retained longer only where necessary for security, fraud prevention, or legal compliance.

We may retain Personal Data beyond the periods stated above for different reasons, including legal obligations, legal claims, Your explicit request, or technical limitations involving backup systems scheduled for routine deletion.

When retention periods expire, We securely delete or anonymize Personal Data. Residual copies may remain in encrypted backups for a limited period consistent with our backup retention schedule.

Transfer of Your Personal Data

Your information, including Personal Data, may be processed at the Company's operating offices and in other places where the parties involved in the processing are located. This means that information may be transferred to and maintained on computers located outside of Your state, province, country, or other governmental jurisdiction where data protection laws may differ.

Where required by applicable law, We will ensure that transfers of Personal Data are subject to appropriate safeguards. The Company will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that Your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Delete Your Personal Data

You have the right to delete or request that We assist in deleting the Personal Data that We have collected about You.

Our Service may give You the ability to delete certain information about You from within the Service.

You may update, amend, or delete Your information at any time by signing in to Your Account, if applicable, and visiting the account settings section that allows You to manage Your personal information. You may also contact Us to request access to, correct, or delete any Personal Data that You have provided to Us.

Please note that We may need to retain certain information when We have a legal obligation or lawful basis to do so.

Disclosure of Your Personal Data

Business Transactions

If the Company is involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, Your Personal Data may be transferred. We will provide notice before Your Personal Data is transferred and becomes subject to a different Privacy Policy.

Law Enforcement

Under certain circumstances, the Company may be required to disclose Your Personal Data if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities.

Other Legal Requirements

The Company may disclose Your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:

  • Comply with a legal obligation
  • Protect and defend the rights or property of the Company
  • Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service
  • Protect the personal safety of users of the Service or the public
  • Protect against legal liability

Security of Your Personal Data

The security of Your Personal Data is important to Us, but no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. While We strive to use commercially reasonable means to protect Your Personal Data, We cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Children's Privacy

Our Service does not address anyone under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 16. If You are a parent or guardian and You are aware that Your child has provided Us with Personal Data, please contact Us. If We become aware that We have collected Personal Data from anyone under the age of 16 without verification of parental consent, We will take steps to remove that information from Our servers.

If We need to rely on consent as a legal basis for processing Your information and Your country requires consent from a parent, We may require parental consent before We collect and use that information.

Links to Other Websites

Our Service may contain links to other websites that are not operated by Us. If You click on a third party link, You will be directed to that third party's site. We strongly advise You to review the Privacy Policy of every site You visit.

We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third party sites or services.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update Our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify You of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page.

We may also let You know via email or a prominent notice on Our Service before the change becomes effective and update the "Last updated" date at the top of this Privacy Policy.

You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

Contact Us

If You have any questions about this Privacy Policy, You can contact Us: