Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy describes how Democracy Ops (“Democracy Ops,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, stores, protects, and discloses information in connection with DemocracyOps.org, app.DemocracyOps.org, and related websites, applications, communications, and services (together, the “Services”).

Democracy Ops provides technology that authorized organizations, such as campaign committees and civic groups, and their authorized volunteers and staff use to run phone banks and related outreach, including managing contacts, scripts, assignments, calls, follow-up text messages, and reporting.

This Privacy Policy applies to visitors to our public website, to account holders and authorized users, to people who contact us, and, where applicable, to people whose information is processed through the Democracy Ops platform.

Organizations use Democracy Ops under their own authority and for their own purposes. In that case the organization decides why and how information about the people it contacts is used, and Democracy Ops acts as a service provider (processor) on that organization’s behalf. If you receive a call or text from an organization that uses Democracy Ops, that organization may have its own privacy policy governing its use of your information.

2. Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with Democracy Ops, we may collect the following categories of information.

2.1 Account and Identity Information

When an authorized user creates or receives access to a Democracy Ops account, we may collect:

• Name
• Email address
• Organization name
• Role and permissions within the organization
• Account identifier and account status
• Sign-in and authentication history

Sign-in is handled by our authentication provider (Google Firebase Authentication). Democracy Ops does not store passwords in readable form.

2.2 Contact Information Processed Through the Platform

Organizations using Democracy Ops may upload, import, enter, or otherwise process contact information through the Services. Depending on the organization’s data and operation, this may include:

• Name
• Telephone number
• Email address
• Mailing address, city, state, ZIP code, or district
• Identifiers supplied by the organization
• List membership
• Information from the organization’s authorized data sources
• Communication preferences
• Suppression or do-not-contact status
• Other information the organization lawfully supplies

Organizations are responsible for having appropriate authority to collect, upload, use, and communicate with the people whose information they process through Democracy Ops.

2.3 Communication and Interaction Information

When the Services are used to call or text, we process information such as:

• Telephone numbers
• Date and time of a call or message
• Call duration and call status
• Message delivery status
• Identifiers from our communications providers
• The outcome the caller recorded (for example, whether the call was answered, voicemail was reached, or a follow-up was requested)
• Communication preferences, opt-in, opt-out, and consent records
• STOP and HELP requests
• Notes entered by authorized users
• The script and message template used
• The organization and campaign associated with a communication
• The user who placed the call or recorded the outcome

Calls are placed by a person using a web browser. The caller’s microphone is used only to connect that call. Democracy Ops does not record the audio of calls.

We keep interaction records to maintain history, keep suppression records, prevent duplicate contacts, support compliance, investigate problems, and give reports to the authorized organization.

2.4 SMS and Mobile Messaging Information

Democracy Ops supports a follow-up text after a call, only where the organization has enabled texting. A text is sent only when the person who answered the call told the caller, during the call, that it is okay to text them, and the caller confirmed this in Democracy Ops. When this happens, we collect and keep information about the consent, including:

• Mobile telephone number
• Date and time the consent was recorded
• That the consent was given verbally during a call, and the user who recorded it
• The sender (the organization) the consent applies to
• The message that was sent and its delivery status
• Opt-out (STOP) and HELP requests

SMS consent is specific to the organization and campaign for which it was given.

Agreeing to receive text messages is not a condition of talking with a caller, volunteering, donating, or taking part in any activity.

2.5 Website and Device Information

Our public website (democracyops.org) does not use cookies, advertising technologies, or analytics tools. Our web servers may keep standard technical logs (such as IP address, browser type, pages requested, and date and time) for security and troubleshooting.

When you use the Democracy Ops application, we may also process technical information needed to run and protect it, such as sign-in events, session information, device and browser type, application errors, and security events.

2.6 Information From Service Providers and Organizations

We receive information from the providers that help us run the Services (for example, call and message status from our telephone and messaging provider) and from the organizations that use Democracy Ops, as described in this Privacy Policy.

3. How We Use Information

We use information to:

• Provide and operate Democracy Ops
• Authenticate users and maintain user accounts
• Give authorized organizations the tools to manage their contact lists and outreach
• Connect calls placed by authorized users
• Send authorized follow-up text messages
• Display scripts and message instructions
• Record call outcomes and keep communication history
• Process opt-in and opt-out requests
• Maintain suppression and do-not-contact records, and prevent calls and texts to suppressed numbers
• Assign contacts to authorized users and prevent duplicate assignments
• Generate reports for the authorized organization
• Provide technical support
• Detect fraud, misuse, unauthorized access, and security threats
• Troubleshoot errors and maintain audit records
• Enforce our Terms and Conditions
• Comply with applicable laws, regulations, court orders, subpoenas, and lawful governmental requests
• Protect Democracy Ops, participating organizations, users, recipients, and others
• Improve the reliability, usability, security, and performance of the Services

We may also use aggregated or de-identified information for operational, security, statistical, and product-development purposes where permitted by law.

4. Mobile Information and SMS Consent

This section applies to mobile telephone numbers, SMS/MMS opt-in information, and messaging consent.

We do not sell, rent, or share mobile telephone numbers, SMS/MMS opt-in information, or messaging consent information with third parties or affiliates for their own marketing or promotional purposes.

Mobile information, including mobile telephone numbers and SMS/MMS consent records, will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.

SMS/MMS opt-in information and consent are not transferable from one independent sender, organization, campaign, or messaging program to another.

Mobile information may be provided to telecommunications carriers, messaging providers, cloud providers, and other service providers only as needed to deliver messages, operate the Services, maintain security, process opt-outs, provide technical infrastructure, or comply with law. We do not authorize these providers to use mobile information for their own marketing or promotional purposes.

5. SMS Communications

Where an organization has turned on texting in Democracy Ops, the follow-up text program works as follows:

• Opt-in. A text is sent only after the person agrees, during the call, to receive it and the caller confirms this in Democracy Ops.
• Sender. The text comes from the organization whose volunteer or staff member called you, and the organization identifies itself in the message.
• Content. A follow-up related to your conversation, such as volunteer or event information, using message text approved in advance by the organization.
• Frequency. Typically one follow-up text for each call you agree to it on. Democracy Ops sends no more than one follow-up text per contact in a calling campaign.
• Timing. Texts are sent only during permitted hours in your local time.
• Cost. Message and data rates may apply.
• Opt out. Reply STOP at any time. Other standard opt-out words, such as UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, and QUIT, are also recognized.
• Help. Reply HELP, or contact us at support (at) democracyops (dot) org .

When we receive an opt-out, your number is placed on that organization’s suppression list. Texts stop, and Democracy Ops will also not place calls to that number for that organization. A confirmation message may be sent. No further messages will be sent unless you later give new, valid consent where the law allows.

Consent given to one organization is not consent to receive messages from another organization that uses Democracy Ops.

Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

6. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We disclose information only in the following limited circumstances.

6.1 Organizations Using Democracy Ops

Information associated with an organization’s account and campaigns is available to that organization’s authorized users according to their assigned roles. Each organization’s data is kept separate from other organizations’ data.

6.2 Service Providers

We use service providers to run the Services. At present these include:

• Google (Firebase and Google Cloud), for hosting, database storage, sign-in, and application functions
• Twilio, for telephone calls and text messages
• Resend, for transactional email such as invitations

These providers process information only as needed to provide services to us, under their applicable agreements. We may change or add providers as the Services develop.

6.3 Telecommunications Providers

Calls and text messages are carried by telecommunications providers, carriers, and related infrastructure providers. They may receive telephone numbers, routing information, message content, call metadata, and other information needed to deliver the call or message.

6.4 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information when we reasonably believe it is necessary to:

• Comply with applicable law
• Respond to a subpoena, court order, warrant, or other lawful process
• Respond to an authorized governmental request
• Protect the rights, property, or safety of Democracy Ops, our users, communication recipients, or others
• Investigate fraud, security incidents, abuse, or violations of our agreements
• Establish, exercise, or defend legal claims

6.5 Business Transactions

If Democracy Ops or substantially all of its assets are involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, restructuring, bankruptcy, or sale, information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to applicable law. Any successor will be required to handle personal information consistently with applicable legal obligations.

Mobile telephone numbers and SMS/MMS consent information will not become available for unrelated third-party marketing because of a corporate transaction.

7. We Do Not Sell SMS Consent

Democracy Ops does not sell SMS or MMS consent.

We do not sell or rent mobile opt-in information.

We do not purchase lists of SMS consent from third parties to treat those people as opted in to a Democracy Ops messaging program.

An organization’s possession of a telephone number does not by itself mean the person has agreed to receive text messages. Democracy Ops will not send a follow-up text unless consent has been confirmed as described in Section 5.

8. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our public website does not use cookies and does not use analytics or advertising tools.

The Democracy Ops application uses browser storage (such as local storage, session storage, and similar technologies) that is essential to its operation, for example to keep you signed in and to remember preferences such as the size of the script text. We do not use this storage for advertising.

If we introduce nonessential cookies or similar technologies, we will obtain consent first where the law requires it.

9. Data Security

We use administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect information from unauthorized access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. These include:

• Encryption in transit (HTTPS)
• Encryption at rest provided by Google Cloud
• Role-based access controls
• Server-side authorization checks
• Separation of each organization’s data
• Credentials and keys kept in a secrets manager
• Audit logging of important actions
• Rate and call limits to reduce misuse

No information system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Users are responsible for protecting their sign-in credentials and for promptly reporting suspected unauthorized access to support (at) democracyops (dot) org .

10. Data Retention

We keep information only as long as reasonably necessary to provide the Services, maintain security, satisfy contractual obligations, keep required communication and consent records, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, and comply with applicable law.

Retention periods may vary based on:

• The type of information
• The organization’s requirements
• Contractual and legal obligations
• Security requirements
• Whether an account remains active
• Whether the information is needed to preserve an opt-out or suppression request

We may keep suppression records after other information has been deleted when necessary to make sure a person who opted out is not contacted again.

11. Data Deletion and Account Termination

Authorized account holders may request deletion of eligible account information by contacting support (at) democracyops (dot) org .

Organizations using Democracy Ops may have their own retention requirements for information processed through their accounts.

Some information may not be deleted right away where retention is reasonably necessary to:

• Comply with law
• Maintain suppression records
• Establish or defend legal claims
• Prevent fraud or abuse
• Preserve audit records
• Protect the security and integrity of the Services

12. Individual Privacy Requests

Depending on where you live and applicable law, you may have the right to:

• Request access to personal information
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of certain information
• Request information about the categories of information collected and of recipients
• Obtain a portable copy of certain information
• Opt out of certain processing
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
• Appeal certain privacy-request decisions
• Exercise privacy rights without unlawful discrimination

To make a privacy request, contact us at support (at) democracyops (dot) org . We may need to verify your identity before completing a request.

If Democracy Ops processes the information only on behalf of another organization, we may direct your request to that organization or help it respond.

To stop calls and texts from an organization, you can also tell the caller, or reply STOP to a text.

13. California Privacy Rights

California residents may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act, if and to the extent those laws apply to Democracy Ops or the relevant processing.

Applicable rights may include the rights to know, access, correct, or delete certain personal information, and rights relating to certain sales or sharing of personal information.

Democracy Ops will provide any notices and mechanisms required by California law if and when they apply.

Whether or not a particular California threshold applies, Democracy Ops does not sell mobile telephone numbers or SMS/MMS opt-in consent, and does not share them for third-party marketing or promotional purposes.

14. Children’s Privacy

Democracy Ops is not directed to children under 13, and children under 13 may not create Democracy Ops user accounts.

We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13. If we learn that we collected such information in a way prohibited by law, we will take reasonable steps to delete it or otherwise address it appropriately.

15. Political and Civic Information

Organizations may use Democracy Ops for civic, advocacy, nonprofit, public-interest, or political activities.

Information relating to political activity may be subject to heightened sensitivity or additional legal requirements in some places. Organizations using Democracy Ops are responsible for making sure their collection, upload, segmentation, use, and disclosure of that information is lawful and appropriate.

Democracy Ops does not require organizations to infer sensitive personal characteristics in order to use the core calling and messaging features.

16. Third-Party Links

The Services may contain links to websites or services operated by others. Democracy Ops is not responsible for their privacy practices, security, content, or policies. Please review the applicable privacy policy before giving information to a third party.

17. International Users

Democracy Ops is operated from the United States. If you access the Services from outside the United States, your information may be processed in the United States or in other places where our service providers operate. Where required, we will use appropriate mechanisms for international transfers of personal information.

18. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our Services, technology, legal requirements, or practices.

When we make material changes, we will update the “Last Updated” date and give additional notice where the law requires.

Changes to this Privacy Policy will not turn previously collected SMS/MMS consent into consent for materially different senders or messaging programs.

19. Contact Us

Questions or requests about this Privacy Policy may be sent to: