Charleston County SC is the home page for this record directory. This page explains what data the site collects, why it is kept, and how a reader can ask for a change. The Cookies Policy page describes the small files a browser stores on a visit.
This policy describes how Charleston County SC handles personal data. The website publishes information about court records, property files, and county offices in South Carolina. Reading a page does not require an account, a password, or a payment. A visitor may browse with no name attached. Some details still reach our server, such as a browser type and a page request. We explain those details here in plain terms. Questions about this policy can go to info@charlestoncounty-sc.org at any time.
Scope of This Policy
The policy covers pages served from charlestoncounty-sc.org. It applies to email sent to info@charlestoncounty-sc.org and to any form hosted on this domain. It does not cover a county office, a court portal, or a sheriff’s website reached through an outbound link. Those sites publish their own notices, and their rules govern what happens there. A reader who moves to an official page should read the notice on that page before submitting a request, a payment, or a document. That habit prevents surprises.
Information You Send Us
An email may carry a name, an address, a phone number, and a description of a record problem. We receive whatever a sender includes, including attachments. Send only what a question needs. Leave out a Social Security number, a bank account, a full date of birth, or a driver’s license image. The desk does not verify identity and does not run background checks. A message stays in the inbox until the question closes, then moves to an archive folder. A reply may take two days.
Information Collected Automatically
Server logs record a page address, a time stamp, a referring link, a browser name, and an Internet Protocol address. Hosting providers keep such logs for security and troubleshooting. The records help trace a broken page or a burst of junk traffic. We do not tie a log entry to a named reader. Log files rotate on a schedule set by the host. A reader who wants less logging can use a browser setting that limits referrer details. Blocking logs entirely is not possible.
Cookies and Similar Files
A cookie is a small text file stored by a browser. Some cookies keep a setting, such as a text size choice. Others count visits or remember an ad. This site uses a limited set, and the cookie policy page lists each group. A reader can clear cookies at any time from browser settings. Clearing them may reset a preference, and nothing else changes. Blocking all cookies still leaves the articles readable. No login breaks, since the site has no accounts.
Analytics
We may use an analytics service to count page views and to see which articles readers open. Such a service reports totals, not names. It may set a cookie and record a truncated address. Reports help decide which office pages need clearer wording. Data stays aggregated, and we do not build a profile of a single visitor. A reader who prefers no analytics can block the script or turn on a browser tracking protection feature. That choice costs nothing. Pages keep working.
Advertising Partners
Ads may come from a third-party network. That network can set its own cookies and read a device identifier. We do not hand over an email address or a message. A sponsor never sees a reader’s question. Advertisers follow their own privacy notices, and a reader should review those notices on the ad network’s site. We label paid placements. A reader who objects to targeted ads can opt out through the network’s tools or block the ad script. Blocking stops the ad from loading at all.
How We Use Information
Messages help correct a page, answer a question, or trace a technical fault. Log data supports security work and capacity planning. Analytics shapes editing priorities. Advertising revenue pays for hosting. We do not sell a contact list, rent an email address, or trade a message with a data broker. We do not use a reader’s note to promote a product. Each purpose ties to the everyday work of running a small reference site. No hidden motive sits behind these uses.
Consent and Legal Grounds
We rely on a reader’s consent when a message is sent or a cookie banner is accepted. Security logging rests on a legitimate interest in keeping the site online. A legal obligation may require us to preserve a record in rare cases. A reader can withdraw consent for optional cookies by changing browser settings. Withdrawal does not affect work already completed. We do not condition reading on consent to advertising cookies. Reading stays open to everyone. That principle shapes the design.
Sharing and Disclosure
We share data with the hosting provider, an analytics vendor, and an ad network described on this page. Each one processes data under its own contract and notice. We may release a message when a court order compels it or when a lawyer advises that disclosure is required. We do not hand over a reader’s note to a marketing list. A sale of the website would transfer stored messages to a buyer bound by this policy. That buyer must honor these terms.
Data Retention
Email stays until a question closes and for two years after that, so a correction can be traced. Log files last from thirty to ninety days, depending on the host. Analytics reports stay aggregated and carry no name. Advertising cookies expire on a schedule set by the network. A reader can ask for earlier deletion of a message. We honor a reasonable request, and we confirm the deletion in writing. Backup copies may persist for a short window. They age out on the same cycle.
Security Measures
The site runs on a managed host that applies software updates and a web firewall. Traffic moves over an encrypted connection. Entry to the inbox needs a password and a second factor. No system is perfect, and a determined attacker may still find a way in. We limit the data we hold, which reduces the harm from a breach. A reader who suspects a spoofed message should forward it to info@charlestoncounty-sc.org for review. Report it before clicking any link. We answer such notes fast.
Your Choices
A reader can ask what data we hold, request a copy, or seek correction. Send the request from the address used in the original message, so we can match it without extra identity checks. We answer within thirty days. A reader can opt out of analytics and advertising through browser settings or a network tool. Blocking cookies may reset a preference. A request to delete a message gets a written confirmation. No fee applies to these requests. We keep a log of each one.
Children’s Privacy
This website is written for adults who deal with public records. We do not ask for a birth date, and we do not build accounts for minors. A message from a child should come through a parent or a guardian. If a note arrives from someone under thirteen, we delete it and any contact detail attached. A parent can write to info@charlestoncounty-sc.org to request that removal. We act on such a request within a week. No questions are asked beyond the address.
Third-Party Links
Articles link to county offices, court portals, and state agencies. A click leaves this domain. The next site may set cookies, ask for a login, or charge a fee. Its privacy notice governs the visit. We check links when we publish, and we cannot control a page that changes later. A reader should confirm the address bar before typing a password or a payment detail. Report a link that leads somewhere unexpected. A short note with the page name is enough.
International Readers
The site serves anyone who can reach it, including readers outside the United States. Data may be stored on servers in another country. Privacy law varies by jurisdiction, and a reader in the European Union or the United Kingdom may hold rights that differ from those in South Carolina. We honor a reasonable request wherever a reader lives. A local law that conflicts with this policy gets reviewed case by case. Send questions to the address on this page. We reply in English.
Policy Updates
A change in the law, a new vendor, or a fresh cookie can require an edit. We post the revised text on this page and move the effective date forward. Material changes get a note in the site footer for thirty days. A reader who sent a message before an update keeps the protection described at the time of sending. We keep older versions in an archive for reference. No update reduces a right that a reader already exercised. That rule protects past visitors.
Contact for Privacy Questions
Write to info@charlestoncounty-sc.org and put privacy in the subject line. Describe the request without sending a Social Security number or an account detail. We answer within thirty days, and a complex request may take longer. A denial comes with a reason in plain words. A reader who disagrees can ask for a second review by the same desk. We keep a record of each privacy request and its outcome for two years. The record stays internal and secure. No third party sees it.
Plain-Language Promise
Legal notices often hide their meaning behind long clauses. This one tries a shorter path. A reader should finish it and know what we collect, why we keep it, and how to ask for a change. If a sentence still puzzles you, write to the desk and say so. We rewrite unclear wording when readers point it out. A privacy notice works best when an ordinary person can read it once and grasp the deal. That is the test we apply.