Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

• Full name — to identify you as a verified constituent when delivering messages to officials
• Email address — account authentication, notifications, and communication from CivicVoice
• Password — account security (stored as a salted hash — we never see or store your plain-text password)
• Home address — to verify your district and connect you with the correct elected officials at every level of government

Information Generated Through Use

• Messages to officials — the core function of the Platform, delivered to officials and processed for sentiment analysis
• Legislation poll votes (YAY/NAY) — to provide officials with aggregate constituent sentiment on upcoming votes
• AI-generated sentiment data — created when our AI processes your messages to identify topics and sentiment
• Account activity — login timestamps, message history, and district verification status

Information We Collect Automatically

• Basic server logs — security, debugging, and Platform stability (IP address, browser type, access times)
• Device information — to deliver a functional experience across devices

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information only to operate and improve CivicVoice:

• District Verification: Your address verifies which officials represent you. Officials never see your home address.
• Message Delivery: Your name and message content are delivered to the officials you choose to contact.
• AI Sentiment Analysis: Messages are processed by AI (powered by OpenAI) to generate sentiment analysis and digest summaries for officials.
• Legislation Polling: Your YAY/NAY votes are aggregated (not individually attributed) to show officials district-wide sentiment on bills.
• Account Management: Email is used for authentication, password resets, and important Platform notifications.
• Platform Improvement: Anonymized, aggregate usage data helps us improve the Platform experience.

3. What We Will NEVER Do With Your Data

If we are ever acquired, this privacy commitment transfers to any successor entity as a binding obligation.

4. Information Shared With Officials

When you send a message to an elected official through CivicVoice, the official receives:

• Your name (as a verified constituent)
• Your verified district (not your address)
• Your message content
• AI-generated sentiment analysis derived from your message

Officials do not receive: your email address, home address, phone number, login information, or any other personal data beyond what is listed above.

5. Third-Party Services

We use a limited number of third-party services to operate the Platform:

• Vercel — Platform hosting and deployment (standard web request data, encrypted in transit)
• Neon (PostgreSQL) — Database hosting in US East region (all data encrypted at rest and in transit)
• OpenAI — AI-powered sentiment analysis and message digests (message content for processing, not used for AI model training per our agreement)

We require all third-party providers to maintain security and privacy standards consistent with this policy. We do not share your data with any third parties beyond those required to operate the Platform.

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data:

• Encryption in transit: All data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using TLS/HTTPS
• Encryption at rest: Database contents are encrypted at rest
• Password hashing: Passwords are salted and hashed — we never store plain-text passwords
• Access controls: Strict internal access controls limit who can access production data
• US-based infrastructure: Your data is stored on servers located in the United States (US East)
• Regular security reviews: We regularly review and update our security practices

No system is 100% secure. While we work hard to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we become aware of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you promptly.

7. Data Retention

• Active accounts: We retain your data for as long as your account is active
• Deleted accounts: When you delete your account, we remove your personal data within 30 days. Some anonymized, aggregate data may be retained for Platform analytics
• Messages: Messages delivered to officials become part of their constituent communications. Deletion of your account removes your copy but does not recall messages already delivered
• Server logs: Basic server logs are retained for up to 90 days for security and debugging purposes

8. Cookies and Tracking

CivicVoice uses minimal cookies — only what is necessary:

• Authentication cookies — to keep you logged in during your session
• Security cookies — to protect against cross-site request forgery and other attacks

9. Children's Privacy

CivicVoice is not intended for anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we learn that we have collected data from someone under 18, we will delete that information promptly. If you believe a minor has created an account, please contact us at support@civicvoiceapp.com.

10. Your Privacy Rights

All Users

Regardless of where you live, you have the right to:

• Access your personal data stored by CivicVoice
• Correct inaccurate personal data
• Delete your account and personal data
• Export your data in a portable format
• Withdraw consent by deleting your account

California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act and California Privacy Rights Act, California residents have additional rights including the right to know what personal information we collect, request deletion, and opt out of sale of personal information — we never sell your data, so there is nothing to opt out of.

Texas Residents (TDPSA)

Under the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, Texas residents have the right to confirm whether we are processing your personal data, access it, correct inaccuracies, delete it, and obtain a portable copy.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@civicvoiceapp.com. We will respond within 30 days.

11. Data Deletion Requests

You can delete your CivicVoice account and associated data at any time:

1. Self-service: Go to Settings > Delete Account within the Platform
2. Email request: Send a deletion request to support@civicvoiceapp.com

Upon receiving a valid deletion request, we will verify your identity, delete your personal data within 30 days, and confirm deletion via email.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes:

• We will update the “Effective Date” at the top of this page
• We will notify you by email or through a prominent notice on the Platform
• We will not reduce your privacy protections without your explicit consent

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, contact us at:

CivicVoice LLC
Email: support@civicvoiceapp.com
Website: civicvoiceapp.com

CivicVoice is committed to protecting your privacy because civic engagement should never come at the cost of your personal data. Your voice matters. Your data is yours.