Thriving Oregon (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates thrivingoregon.com, our business directory at business.thrivingoregon.com, and related local search and assistant features, including Ozzi, our Lane County guide. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have.
If you have questions, contact us through our Contact page or write to:
Thriving OregonP.O. Box 115
Junction City, OR 97448
1. Scope
This policy applies to information collected through:
- Our main website and WordPress pages (articles, business listings, contact forms, comments)
- Ozzi — chat and local search at thrivingoregon.com/ozzi/ (and our development/staging environments when you use them)
- Our static business directory pages and browse tools
- API requests made by our site to return search results (for example,
/api/search)
It does not apply to third-party websites you reach through links on our site (for example, a business’s own website). Those sites have their own privacy practices.
2. Information we collect
2.1 Information you provide directly
Depending on how you use the site, you may give us:
- Contact and inquiry information — name, email address, phone number, message content, and similar details when you use our contact form or request business onboarding assistance.
- Comments and public posts — if you leave a comment on the site, we collect what you submit in the comment form.
- Business listing information — business names, addresses, descriptions, images, and related details submitted for directory listings.
- Ozzi chat messages — the text you type when you chat with Ozzi or run a local search from chat.
2.2 Information collected automatically
When you visit or use our services, we and our hosting providers may automatically collect:
- IP address and general network information
- Browser type, device type, operating system, and language settings
- Pages viewed, referring/exit pages, and timestamps
- Search queries, selected cities or areas, and search result interactions when you use Ozzi or our search tools
- Standard server and security logs used to operate, debug, and protect the service
We use this information to run the site, deliver search results, improve performance, prevent abuse, and understand how our tools are used in aggregate.
2.3 Search and chat history
Our local search and Ozzi assistant are designed to remember recent context so conversations feel continuous. Depending on your use, we may store:
- Your recent search topics (for example, “Chinese food”)
- Your recent location focus (for example, “Eugene” or another Lane County area)
- A session identifier that ties your browser to a short chat history on our servers
- A limited number of recent chat turns (user and assistant messages) to support follow-up questions
- Search request logs on our servers, including query text, location, result counts, timing, and technical metadata
Search and chat history are used to provide results, maintain conversation context, troubleshoot errors, and improve our directory and assistant. We do not sell your search or chat history.
3. Cookies, local storage, and similar technologies
We use cookies (small text files stored in your browser) and local storage (data stored in your browser by our site) to make search and chat work smoothly. WordPress may also set its own cookies for comments, logins, and basic site operation.
3.1 Ozzi and local search — cookies we set
| Name | Purpose | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|
ozzy_chat_session |
Anonymous session ID so Ozzi can continue your conversation and link server-side chat state to your browser. | 7 days |
oz_lastTopic |
Remembers your most recent search or chat topic (for example, the type of business or service you asked about). | 7 days |
oz_lastLocation |
Remembers the Lane County city or area you last searched (for example, Eugene, Florence, Junction City). | 7 days |
3.2 Ozzi and local search — browser local storage
| Key | Purpose | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|
oz_activity_journal_v1 |
Stores a local activity journal on your device related to your Ozzi/search use (for example, recent actions that help resume your session). | Until you clear it or use “Start fresh” |
ozzi_welcome_seen_v1 |
Records that you have already seen the Ozzi welcome greeting so it is not repeated on every visit. | Until you clear browser storage |
3.3 WordPress and comment cookies
If you leave a comment, WordPress may offer to save your name, email, and website in cookies for convenience (typically up to one year). If you log into WordPress on our site, standard login and session cookies may be set. Administrative cookies used only by site editors are not intended for general visitors.
3.4 Your choices — clearing search and chat data
You can clear much of your Ozzi and search memory without contacting us:
- In Ozzi, use Start fresh to clear chat on your device, remove saved search/location cookies, clear the local activity journal, and start a new session.
- You can also delete cookies and site data for thrivingoregon.com through your browser settings.
Clearing cookies or local storage may reset your chat context and require you to re-enter a city or topic.
4. How we use your information
We use collected information to:
- Operate, maintain, and secure our websites and APIs
- Provide local business, outdoors, and article search results
- Power Ozzi chat and related assistant features
- Remember recent search topics and locations for a better experience
- Respond to contact requests and business listing inquiries
- Publish and manage directory and editorial content
- Monitor performance, diagnose technical problems, and prevent fraud or abuse
- Improve our directory coverage, search quality, and user experience
- Comply with law and enforce our terms
5. Artificial intelligence and third-party services
Some features use third-party services. When you use Ozzi chat, local search, or optional “more results” augmentation, your messages and search queries may be processed by service providers that help us classify intent, generate responses, or suggest additional businesses. These may include:
- AI language model providers (for example, OpenAI) for chat routing, classification, and response generation
- Search augmentation providers (for example, Perplexity) when you explicitly request expanded suggestions
- Mapping services (for example, Google Maps) when you open map views or directions
- Font and content delivery services (for example, Google Fonts) to display typography
- Hosting, CDN, and security providers that deliver and protect our site
- WordPress plugins and spam-protection tools (for example, comment spam screening)
We share only the information reasonably necessary for these services to perform their function. Third parties process data under their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review those policies if you use features that rely on external services.
6. How we share information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share information:
- With service providers who help us host, secure, analyze, or operate the site and search platform, under confidentiality obligations
- With AI and search partners as described in Section 5, limited to what is needed to provide the feature you use
- For legal reasons if required by law, court order, or governmental request, or to protect rights, safety, and security
- In connection with a business transfer such as a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, with notice where required by law
- With your direction — for example, when you choose to visit a linked business website or external map
Information you post publicly (such as approved comments) may be visible to other visitors.
7. How long we keep information
- Ozzi browser cookies (
ozzy_chat_session,oz_lastTopic,oz_lastLocation): up to 7 days unless you clear them sooner. - Browser local storage (
oz_activity_journal_v1,ozzi_welcome_seen_v1): until you clear site data or use Start fresh (for the activity journal). - Server-side chat session state: retained while the session remains active and for a reasonable period afterward for operations and troubleshooting; we periodically review and trim old session records.
- Search logs: retained in server log files for analytics, security, and quality improvement; retention periods vary by log type and operational need.
- Contact form and business inquiries: retained as long as needed to respond and maintain business records.
- Comments and WordPress account data: retained according to WordPress settings and moderation needs.
- Directory listing data: retained while listings remain published or as needed for business operations.
8. Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures to protect information. No website or internet transmission is completely secure. Please use a strong password if you have a WordPress account, and avoid sending sensitive personal information through chat unless necessary.
9. Children’s privacy
Our services are intended for a general audience and are not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.
10. Your privacy rights and choices
Depending on where you live, you may have rights regarding your personal information, including rights to:
- Know what personal information we collect and how we use it
- Access or receive a copy of certain personal information
- Correct inaccurate information
- Delete certain information
- Opt out of certain processing, where applicable
- Not be discriminated against for exercising privacy rights
Oregon residents
If the Oregon Consumer Privacy Act (OCPA) applies to our processing of your personal information, you may exercise applicable rights by contacting us. We will verify requests as required by law.
California residents
If California privacy laws apply, you may have additional rights regarding access, deletion, and disclosure of certain sharing practices. We do not sell personal information as defined by the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA).
How to submit a request
To exercise your rights, contact us via the Contact page. Please describe your request and the information or feature involved (for example, Ozzi chat, contact form submission, or comment). We may need to verify your identity before responding.
11. Embedded content and external links
Our pages may include embedded content (videos, maps, images, social widgets, or articles from other sites). Embedded content behaves as if you visited the other website and may collect data, use cookies, or track your interaction. External links (including business websites and map providers) are governed by those sites’ policies.
12. Do Not Track
Some browsers offer “Do Not Track” (DNT) signals. Because there is no widely accepted standard for DNT, we do not currently respond to DNT signals in a uniform way. You can control cookies and local storage through your browser settings.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Material changes may also be noted on the site. Your continued use of the site after an update means you accept the revised policy.
14. Contact us
Questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices?
- Web: thrivingoregon.com/contact/
- Mail: Thriving Oregon, P.O. Box 115, Junction City, OR 97448