Privacy Notice

What we collect and keep

• A display name you choose. Not your real name.
• A ZIP code you enter.
• Content you post to CommUnity OS channels: proposals, votes, comments, and similar civic content.
• Anonymized, aggregated usage counts for site-improvement and partnership-resource direction (e.g., "how many people in ZIP 60632 looked at SNAP information this month").

What we process but do not keep

• Template form entries. When you use a dispute-letter template, a benefits-screener, or any form on this site, what you type stays in your browser. Your name, address, account numbers, income information, and any other details you enter are never sent to our servers and are gone when you close the tab.
• PDF and letter generation. Runs entirely on your device. The generated document exists only in your browser until you download or print it.
• IP addresses. Logged transiently at the server level for security and abuse prevention. Discarded within 72 hours. Not stored, not associated with content, not used to identify you.

What we never collect

• Real names.
• Email addresses (unless you choose to send one when contacting us).
• Phone numbers.
• Precise location beyond ZIP.
• Government ID numbers.
• Biometric identifiers (fingerprint, voice, face, retina, iris).
• Health information linkable to an individual.
• Data that would let a third party identify you.

What we do with what we keep

• We run the platform with it.
• We aggregate ZIP codes and display names with a k-anonymity threshold of k ≥ 5 — meaning no aggregate view external to the platform ever reveals fewer than 5 users combined. For general civic participation this threshold is appropriate. Clinical-partner pilots, if any, would require additional de-identification analysis under HIPAA § 164.514(b).
• We do not sell your data. We do not share your data with advertisers. We do not share data with law enforcement absent a valid subpoena or court order.

Cookies

We use a session cookie to remember that you accepted our Terms of Service during a session. The cookie expires when your browser session ends. No tracking cookies. No third-party analytics.

Data security

We use industry-standard encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest for persistent data. We are not immune to breaches. If a breach occurs that affects personal information as defined under Illinois PIPA (815 ILCS 530), we will notify affected users in the most expedient time possible and without unreasonable delay, consistent with 815 ILCS 530/10.

Children

The platform is a general-audience civic tool. It is not directed to children under 13. If you are under 13, do not use the platform. If we learn we have received content from a user under 13, we will delete it.

California users

The platform does not currently meet the Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.140 thresholds for a "business" under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA): we do not have annual gross revenue over $25M, we do not process data of 100,000+ California consumers annually, and we do not derive 50%+ revenue from selling consumer personal information. If we cross any of those thresholds, full CCPA rights will be published here.

In the meantime, if you are a California resident and wish to know what information we have associated with you or request deletion, contact [email protected]. We will respond within 45 days. Given our anonymous architecture, we may not be able to identify data as yours without additional information that would itself compromise your anonymity.

European users

The platform is not offered to users in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland. Geo-blocking is applied at the content-delivery edge.

Contact

Questions? [email protected].

Changes to this notice

We will announce changes by a prominent site banner at least 30 days before they take effect.