Privacy Policy

Open Source Democracy gathers government meetings and advocacy events from publicly-available sources and presents them in one place for public access. We don’t sell your data, and we collect as little of it as necessary to provide this service. Our privacy policy explains what we collect, why, and the choices you have.

Last updated: July 4, 2026 · Effective: July 4, 2026

Information we collect

We know privacy matters when you’re engaging with your government and advocating for change, so we collect only what’s necessary to provide this service directly to users.

• Alert sign-ups. If you subscribe to alerts, we store the email address you give us and the topics, locations, and frequency you choose. We use it only to send the alerts you asked for.
• Approximate location, only if you allow it. If you use the “near me” feature, your browser may share an approximate location so we can center the map on you. We use it in that moment to show nearby events. We don’t store your precise location, and the feature does nothing unless you grant permission.
• Event submissions. If you add or suggest an edit to an event, we keep what you send — the event details and any source link — so we can verify and publish it.
• Messages and contact details you send us. If you use a contact form, or include an email address or other contact information anywhere on the site — a contact box, an event submission, a correction — we keep what you send so we can read it, respond, and follow up. We use that contact information only to reply to you or follow up about what you sent. We never add you to a mailing list without your asking.
• Basic analytics. We don’t currently run third-party analytics or set our own tracking cookies. Like any website, our hosting provider automatically records standard technical information — such as your IP address, browser type, and the pages you request — in server logs used to keep the site secure and running.

What we don’t do

We don’t sell your personal information. We don’t share your email with advertisers. We don’t build advertising profiles about you, and we don’t hand your data to anyone who would.

How your information is stored

Event data and alert sign-ups are stored in a secure, managed database. We keep alert sign-ups for as long as your subscription is active; unsubscribe at any time and we remove your address from the alert list. Published event submissions remain part of the public database, but any email address included with the submission will not be displayed.

Your rights (including California / CCPA)

You can ask what personal information we hold about you, ask us to delete it, and — though we don’t sell personal information — opt out of any “sale” as defined by law. California residents have these rights under the CCPA. To make a request, use the contact form on our About page and we’ll respond within the timeframes the law requires.

Children

This site is built for a general audience and isn’t directed to children under 13. We don’t knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13.

Changes & contact

We may update this policy as the site grows; when we do, we’ll change the “last updated” date above. Questions? Reach us through the contact form on our About page.