Privacy Policy

Last Updated: November 23, 2025

This Privacy Policy describes how Transparency ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and protects your information when you use the Transparency Chrome extension ("Extension" or "Service").

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

When you subscribe to and use our Extension, we collect:

• Email Address: Used for account creation, license key delivery, billing communications, and customer support
• Payment Information: Processed securely by Stripe. We do not store credit card numbers, CVV codes, or full payment details on our servers
• License Key: A unique identifier assigned to your subscription, stored locally in your browser

1.2 Information Automatically Collected

When you use the Extension, we may automatically collect:

• License Validation Data: When the Extension validates your license, we receive your license key and validation timestamp to verify your subscription status
• Extension Version: To ensure you're using a compatible version
• Error Logs: If the Extension encounters technical issues, anonymous error information may be logged to help us improve the service

1.3 Information We DO NOT Collect

To protect your privacy, we explicitly DO NOT collect:

• Your data.gov API key (stored locally in Chrome's encrypted storage)
• Your search queries or search history
• The specific government data you view or access (FEC, FDA, NHTSA, EPA)
• Your browsing history or activity on other websites
• Personally identifiable information beyond what's necessary for billing

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect only for the following purposes:

2.1 To Provide the Service

• Validate your subscription and license key
• Deliver license keys to your email
• Process subscription payments
• Provide customer support

2.2 To Improve the Service

• Fix bugs and technical issues
• Improve Extension performance and reliability
• Develop new features based on usage patterns

2.3 To Communicate With You

• Send important service updates and announcements
• Respond to your support requests
• Send billing and subscription-related emails
• Notify you of Terms of Service or Privacy Policy changes

2.4 Legal Compliance

• Comply with applicable laws and regulations
• Respond to legal requests and prevent fraud
• Protect our rights and the rights of our users

3. How Your FEC API Key is Stored

4. Data Sharing and Third Parties

4.1 Third-Party Service Providers

We use the following third-party services to operate our business:

Stripe (Payment Processing)

• Purpose: Process subscription payments and manage billing
• Data Shared: Email address, payment information
• Privacy Policy: stripe.com/privacy

Render (License Server Hosting)

• Purpose: Host our license validation server
• Data Shared: License keys, validation timestamps
• Privacy Policy: render.com/privacy

4.2 Federal Election Commission (FEC)

When you use the Extension to search FEC data:

• Your browser makes direct API requests to api.open.fec.gov
• The FEC receives your FEC API key and search parameters
• We do not intercept, log, or have access to these requests
• FEC data usage is subject to the FEC's Privacy Policy and Terms of Service

4.3 We DO NOT Sell Your Data

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. Your data is used solely to provide and improve the Extension.

5. Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your information:

• Encryption: All data transmitted between your browser and our servers uses HTTPS/TLS encryption
• Chrome Storage: Your API keys are stored in Chrome's encrypted storage system
• Payment Security: Payment information is processed by PCI-compliant third-party processors; we never store credit card data
• Access Controls: Access to user data is restricted to authorized personnel only

6. Data Retention

6.1 Active Subscriptions

While your subscription is active, we retain:

• Your email address and license key
• Billing and payment history
• License validation logs for up to 90 days

6.2 After Cancellation

When you cancel your subscription:

• Your license key is deactivated
• We retain billing records for tax and legal compliance (typically 7 years)
• Your email may be retained for customer service purposes unless you request deletion
• You can request complete account deletion by contacting us

7. Your Rights and Choices

7.1 Access and Correction

You have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Update your email address or billing information

7.2 Data Deletion

You can request deletion of your personal information by contacting us at support@transparencyai.io. Please note:

• We may retain certain information for legal and accounting purposes
• Deletion requests will be processed within 30 days
• You must cancel your subscription before requesting deletion

7.3 Uninstall the Extension

You can uninstall the Extension at any time:

1. Go to chrome://extensions/ in your Chrome browser
2. Find "Transparency" in the list
3. Click "Remove"

This will delete all locally stored data, including your FEC API key and license key from your device.

7.4 Opt-Out of Marketing Emails

You can opt out of non-essential marketing emails by:

• Clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing email
• Contacting us at support@transparencyai.io

Note: You will still receive essential service-related emails (billing, subscription status, license key delivery).

8. International Users

If you are accessing the Extension from outside the United States:

• Your information may be transferred to and stored on servers in the United States
• By using the Extension, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States
• We comply with applicable data protection laws, including GDPR where applicable

8.1 GDPR Rights (for EU Users)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have additional rights under GDPR:

• Right to Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to Restrict Processing: Limit how we use your data
• Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a machine-readable format
• Right to Object: Object to processing of your data
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time

To exercise these rights, contact us at support@transparencyai.io.

9. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to Know: Request information about the personal data we collect, use, and share
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of your personal data
• Right to Opt-Out: Opt out of the sale of personal data (we do not sell personal data)
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights

To exercise these rights, contact us at support@transparencyai.io.

10. Cookies and Tracking

10.1 Chrome Extension Storage

The Extension uses Chrome's storage API (chrome.storage.sync) to store:

• Your FEC API key (encrypted by Chrome)
• Your license key
• Extension settings and preferences

This is not a "cookie" in the traditional sense but functions similarly for local data storage.

10.2 Website Cookies

Our website (transparencyai.io) may use cookies for:

• Session management during signup
• Analytics to understand website traffic (if implemented)

You can control cookies through your browser settings.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by:

• Posting the updated Privacy Policy on our website with a new "Last Updated" date
• Sending an email to your registered email address
• Displaying a notification in the Extension

Your continued use of the Extension after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

Email: support@transparencyai.io
Website: transparencyai.io

13. Government Data Privacy Notice

When you use the Extension to access FEC data:

• FEC data is public information provided by the Federal Election Commission
• Your queries to the FEC API are subject to the FEC's privacy policies
• We do not log, track, or store your FEC searches
• The FEC may independently collect data about API usage in accordance with their policies