Privacy Policy Effective Date: October 14, 2026

1. Our Promise to Our Neighbors The Local Lighthouse RI was built on transparency and trust. Our privacy philosophy is simple: we do not harvest, track, or sell your personal data. You do not need to create an account, log in, or hand over your personal information to use this directory. You are free to search for local pros completely anonymously.

2. Information We Collect: We only collect information in two specific ways, depending on how you use the site:

  • For Neighbors (General Website Visitors): We collect minimal, non-personally identifiable data through standard website operations. Because we do not use invasive third-party tracking tools, this is limited to basic server stats and anonymous click counts (such as tallying how many times a partner’s website link is clicked) to help us measure community engagement.
  • For Local Pros (Business Partners): If you are a business owner applying for a Top 3 slot, you will interact with our intake form. We collect your business name, owner name, direct phone number, email address, website/social links, service area, and relevant licensing information. This is strictly business-to-business (B2B) information used to verify your local standing and process your partnership.

3. How We Use the Information Any information collected is used exclusively to operate The Local Lighthouse RI. Specifically, we use it to:

  • Review and vet local businesses applying for our directory.
  • Communicate with our business partners regarding their annual standing and renewals.
  • Maintain the security and functionality of our website.
  • Measure aggregate directory engagement (counting anonymous clicks) so our business partners know the community is finding them.

4. Behind-the-Scenes Technology & Cookies To keep the lights on, our website relies on a few trusted technology providers. Here is exactly what runs in the background:

  • WordPress & Directorist: Our site is built on WordPress and utilizes the Directorist plugin to display our business listings. These platforms use essential “cookies” (small text files saved on your browser) purely to make the site function properly—not to track your personal behavior across the internet.
  • Outbound Click Tracking: When you click a ‘Call’ or ‘Visit Website’ button on a partner’s profile, our site logs that a click occurred. This data is strictly anonymous and aggregate. We use this simply to tell our partners, “Your website was visited 50 times this month from the Directory.” We do not know who clicked the link.
  • IONOS Web Hosting & Analytics: Our website is hosted securely by IONOS. Standard IONOS backend server logs (such as anonymous traffic counts and timestamps) are solely to monitor website health, block spam, and prevent cyber-attacks.
  • Google Workspace: Our business intake forms are hosted securely via Google Forms. When a business submits an application, that B2B data is transmitted to and stored within our private Google Workspace.

5. Sharing Your Information We do not sell, rent, or trade your information to third parties, data brokers, or marketing agencies. Period. We will only share information if absolutely required by law (such as a valid subpoena) or to protect the safety and legal rights of The Local Lighthouse RI and our community.

6. Third-Party Links Our directory provides direct links to the websites and social media pages of our trusted local partners. Once you click a link and leave The Local Lighthouse RI, our privacy policy no longer applies. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any local business website you visit.

7. Your Rights (Rhode Island Privacy Compliance) In accordance with Rhode Island state law, you have the right to know what data we hold about you and request its deletion. Because we do not require user accounts, we hold zero personal browsing data on our neighbors. If you are a business partner and wish to update your directory listing or remove your business from our private records, simply email us.

8. Contact Us If you have any questions about this policy, our vetting process, or how we handle information, our door is open.

Operating Entity: The Local Lighthouse RI Email: