Privacy Policy - DirectGov

1. Introduction

DirectGov ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

Account Information: Email address, username, password (encrypted)
Profile Information: Any additional information you choose to provide
Content: Proposals, comments, votes, and other content you submit

2.2 Information Automatically Collected

Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, time spent on the Service
Device Information: Browser type, operating system, IP address
Cookies: Session cookies for authentication and functionality

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

Provide and maintain the Service
Process your proposals and generate AI analysis
Send you notifications about activity on your content
Verify your email address
Respond to your inquiries and support requests
Improve and develop new features
Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, or security issues
Comply with legal obligations

4. How We Share Your Information

4.1 Public Information

The following information is publicly visible on the Service:

Your username
Published proposals and their AI-generated analysis
Comments and votes you make
Activity feed showing your public actions

4.2 Third-Party Services

We use third-party services to operate the Service:

Anthropic (Claude AI): For AI-powered proposal analysis. Your proposal content is sent to Anthropic for processing.
Render: For hosting and infrastructure
Email Service Providers: For sending verification and notification emails

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to valid legal requests.

5. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. You may request deletion of your account at any time.

6. Your Rights

You have the right to:

Access: Request a copy of your personal information
Correction: Update or correct your information through account settings
Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data
Portability: Request your data in a machine-readable format
Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from notification emails (though transactional emails may still be sent)

7. Security

We implement reasonable security measures to protect your information, including:

HTTPS encryption for all data in transit
Password hashing using industry-standard algorithms
Secure database hosting
Regular security updates

However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Children's Privacy

The Service is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us.

9. International Users

The Service is operated in the United States. If you access the Service from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States.

10. California Privacy Rights

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

Right to know what personal information is collected
Right to know if personal information is sold or disclosed
Right to opt-out of sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
Right to deletion
Right to non-discrimination for exercising CCPA rights

11. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

12. Cookies

We use essential cookies to:

Maintain your login session
Remember your preferences
Provide basic functionality

You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but this may affect Service functionality.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting a notice on the Service or sending an email. Your continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us through the Service.