Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Votlify (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our election transparency platform.

We believe in transparency — not just for elections, but in how we handle your data. This policy is designed to be clear, honest, and easy to understand.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

Account Information (via Social Login)

When you create an account, we collect information depending on your registration method:

We do not receive your social media passwords, private messages, or friend lists. Your password (if using email registration) is stored in encrypted form and cannot be viewed by our staff.

Content You Submit

When you contribute to Votlify, we collect:

• Candidate information submissions (text, images, videos)
• Source links and citations you provide
• Validation decisions and comments
• Flags and reports you submit

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you use Votlify, we automatically collect:

• Device Information: Device type, operating system, browser type, screen resolution
• Usage Data: Pages viewed, search queries, time spent on pages, click patterns
• Log Data: IP address, access times, referring URLs
• Location Data: General location based on IP address (country/region level only)

2.3 Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Keep you logged in
• Remember your preferences
• Understand how you use our platform
• Improve our services

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may limit some platform features.

2.4 Analytics and Fraud Prevention

We use third-party services to help us understand platform usage and prevent fraud:

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to collect information about how visitors use our platform. This includes:

• Pages visited and time spent on each page
• Traffic sources and user flow through the platform
• Device and browser information
• General geographic location (country/city level)

Google Analytics uses cookies to collect this information. The data is aggregated and anonymized. You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Device Fingerprinting

To protect the integrity of our platform and prevent abuse, we may use FingerprintJS or similar device fingerprinting technology. This technology collects:

• Browser type, version, and settings
• Operating system information
• Screen resolution and color depth
• Installed fonts and plugins
• Hardware characteristics
• Other technical attributes that create a unique device identifier

We use this information to:

• Detect and prevent fraudulent account creation
• Identify coordinated manipulation or spam campaigns
• Prevent abuse of the validation and flagging systems
• Protect the accuracy of crowdsourced information

Device fingerprinting helps us maintain trust in the platform by ensuring that bad actors cannot easily create multiple accounts to manipulate candidate information.

3. How We Use Your Information

3.1 To Provide Our Services

• Create and manage your account
• Enable you to submit and validate content
• Display your contributions (with attribution)
• Process flags and moderate content
• Communicate with you about your account and submissions

3.2 To Maintain Platform Integrity

• Verify user identities to prevent abuse
• Detect and prevent fraudulent or malicious activity
• Investigate reported content and policy violations
• Maintain audit trails for accountability

3.3 To Improve Our Platform

• Analyze usage patterns to improve features
• Develop new features based on user needs
• Fix bugs and technical issues
• Conduct research and analytics (using aggregated, anonymized data)

3.4 To Communicate With You

• Send newsletters and promotional content
• Send marketing emails about our products, services, and features
• Inform you about third-party products or services that may be relevant
• Added note that users can opt out via account settings or unsubscribe link

4. Information Sharing

4.1 Public Information

The following information is publicly visible on Votlify:

• Your display name (from your social login)
• Content you submit (after validation)
• Your validation decisions (for transparency)
• Your contributor/validator status

This transparency is essential to our mission of accountability and trust.

4.2 Information We Share

We may share your information with:

5. Data Retention

5.1 Account Deletion

When you delete your account:

• Your profile and personal data are removed within 30 days
• Your published contributions remain on the platform for historical record, but are anonymized (attributed to “Former Contributor”)
• Your validation history is retained in anonymized form
• Backup copies may persist for up to 90 days

6. Your Rights and Choices

6.1 Access and Control

You have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Correct: Update inaccurate information
• Delete: Request deletion of your account and data
• Export: Receive your data in a portable format
• Object: Opt out of certain data processing

6.2 Data Deletion

You may request deletion of your personal data at any time. Upon receiving a valid deletion request:

What We Delete:

• Your account profile and login credentials
• Your email address and personal identifiers
• Your profile picture and display preferences
• Device fingerprint data associated with your account
• Communication preferences and notification settings

What We Anonymize (Not Delete):

Due to the public interest nature of election transparency, certain data is anonymized rather than deleted:

• Published contributions: Content you submitted that was validated and published becomes part of the public electoral record. Upon deletion, this content is attributed to “Former Contributor” instead of your name.
• Validation history: Your validation decisions are retained in anonymized form to maintain the integrity of the validation chain.

What We Retain:

We may retain certain data as required by law or legitimate interests:

• Records needed for legal compliance or dispute resolution
• Fraud prevention data (retained for up to 2 years to prevent repeat abuse)
• Aggregated, anonymized analytics data

Deletion Timeline:

• Account data: Deleted within 30 days of verified request
• Backup systems: Purged within 90 days
• Third-party services: We will request deletion from analytics and other service providers

6.3 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise these rights:

• Self-service: Delete your account directly in account settings
• Email request: Send a request to lead@votlify.com

We will respond to valid requests within 30 days.

6.4 Communication Preferences

You can control:

• Email notifications (manage in account settings)
• Newsletter subscriptions (unsubscribe anytime)
• Push notifications (manage in your device settings)

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your data:

7.1 Technical Measures

• Encryption in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
• Encryption at rest for sensitive data
• Regular security audits and testing
• Access controls and authentication
• Secure backup procedures

7.2 Organizational Measures

• Limited employee access to personal data
• Staff training on data protection
• Incident response procedures
• Regular policy reviews

8. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

• Email: lead@votlify.com
• Website: www.votlify.com