UnGovr Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 8, 2026

UnGovr ("UnGovr," "we," "our," or "us") is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps people access open records and understand local government activity. This Privacy Policy explains how UnGovr collects, uses, and shares information when you visit our website at https://ungovr.org, use our mobile applications, or use any related tools, services, or features (together, the "Services").

By using the Services, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

1. Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to:

  • Visitors to ungovr.org and any subdomains, as well as our related sites such as civilgrandjury.org, sheriffoversight.org, and caoversight.org
  • Users of the UnGovr mobile applications for iOS and Android
  • People who create an UnGovr account or use our tools
  • People who receive communications from UnGovr, including email and, where applicable, SMS

For additional, SMS-specific information, please see our UnGovr SMS Notifications page.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information you provide directly

UnGovr may collect information that you choose to provide, including:

  • Account information
    • Name, email address, password or login credentials
    • Phone number, if you add it for alerts or verification
    • Organization or affiliation, if you choose to provide it
    • If you sign in with a third-party identity provider (such as Google or Microsoft), the basic profile information that provider shares with us, such as your name and email address
  • Open records workflow information
    • Information you enter when creating or managing an open records request via our tools
    • Notes, labels, or tags you add to your requests or projects
  • Service request information
    • When you use the app or website to report a non-emergency issue to a local government, the description of the issue, any photographs you take or upload, and the location of the issue
    • Your name and contact details, if you choose to provide them with the request
  • Voice input
    • If you use voice to describe an issue or request, your device's operating system converts your speech to text using its built-in speech recognizer (for example, Google on Android or Apple on iOS). UnGovr receives the resulting text, which we use to prepare your request; we do not upload or store the raw audio of your voice ourselves
  • Donation and payment information
    • If you make a donation, the transaction is processed by our third-party payment provider (Givebutter). We receive confirmation and limited transaction details but do not collect or store full payment card numbers ourselves.
  • Communications with us
    • Messages sent via contact forms, email, or feedback tools
    • Responses to surveys, research interviews, or beta testing programs

2.2 Information collected automatically

When you use the Services, certain information may be collected automatically, such as:

  • Device and usage information
    • IP address
    • Browser type and version
    • Operating system and device type
    • Referring and exit pages
    • Pages viewed, links clicked, and time spent on the site
  • Location information
    • With your permission, the mobile app may access your device's location to identify where a reported issue is located. You can enable or disable location access at any time in your device settings.
  • Camera and microphone
    • With your permission, the mobile app may access your camera (to photograph an issue) and microphone (for voice input). These are used only when you actively choose to take a photo or use voice input, and can be revoked in your device settings.
  • Log information
    • Dates and times of access
    • Error messages and diagnostic data
    • Basic performance and security logs

2.3 Cookies and similar technologies

UnGovr may use cookies and similar technologies to:

  • Keep you logged in
  • Remember your preferences
  • Understand how the Services are used, including through analytics providers such as Google Analytics
  • Improve performance and security

You can manage cookies through your browser settings. If you disable cookies, some features of the Services may not function properly.

2.4 Information from public or third-party sources

As part of UnGovr's mission, we work with information that is publicly available or obtained from government entities and other third parties, including:

  • Open records and documents obtained from government agencies
  • Government websites, data portals, agendas, minutes, and other public materials
  • Information supplied by partner organizations or collaborators

3. How We Use Information

UnGovr may use the information described above for purposes including:

  • Providing and improving the Services
    • Operating the website, mobile app, and tools
    • Handling user accounts and authentication
    • Processing, organizing, and presenting open records-related data
    • Preparing and submitting service requests to the appropriate government agency on your behalf
    • Processing donations through our payment provider
  • Communicating with you
    • Sending emails or SMS about your account or activity
    • Responding to your questions, support requests, and feedback
    • Providing updates about changes to the Services or this Privacy Policy
  • Security and integrity
    • Detecting and preventing fraud, abuse, or unauthorized access
    • Monitoring the health and performance of the Services
  • Research and development
    • Evaluating usage patterns to improve design, usability, and impact
    • Conducting research using aggregated or de-identified data
  • Legal and compliance
    • Complying with applicable laws and regulations
    • Protecting the rights, safety, and property of UnGovr, our users, and the public

4. How We Share Information

UnGovr does not sell your personal information to third parties. UnGovr never shares text messaging consent (opt-in) information with third parties.

We may share information in the following situations:

  • Service providers and vendors – Companies that help us operate the Services, such as hosting, analytics, and our payment processor (Givebutter), each of which may handle information only as needed to perform services for us
  • Government entities – When you use our tools to submit open records requests or service requests, we transmit the information you provide – which may include your name, contact details, the issue description, photographs, and location – to the relevant agency and, where applicable, the third-party intake platform it uses (for example, an Open311 or SeeClickFix portal)
  • Legal and safety reasons – When required by law or to protect rights and safety
  • Business transfers – If UnGovr is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, sale of assets, or dissolution, information we hold may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will seek to ensure the information remains subject to protections consistent with this Privacy Policy and will provide notice before any personal information becomes subject to a materially different policy.

5. Public Meetings, Transcripts, and Speaker Attribution

As part of our government-transparency mission, UnGovr's meeting tools (including UnGovr Words) obtain recordings of public government meetings from public sources – such as the meeting body's official video portal (for example, Granicus) or public video platforms – and process them to make the proceedings easier to read, search, and understand. UnGovr Words currently covers public meetings in the United States only. This processing produces, and we may publish on our public sites:

  • Written transcripts of the meeting
  • Summaries, agendas, attendance, roll-calls, and recorded votes
  • Speaker attribution – labeling which speaker said what

5.1 Voiceprints of public officials

To attribute statements to the correct speaker, we create and store a voiceprint (a mathematical representation of a person's voice) only for identified public officials acting in their official capacity – for example, elected members and named staff of the governing body. A voiceprint is a form of biometric information. We use it solely to recognize that official's voice across the public meetings in which they participate, so their statements are labeled accurately. We do not use voiceprints for any other purpose.

5.2 Members of the public who speak

When a member of the public speaks at a meeting – for example, during a public-comment period – their remarks are part of the public record and may appear in the transcript. We do not create voiceprints of private speakers, and we do not attempt to identify them. A public speaker is labeled only by the name they state for themselves at the podium, and that label is not linked to them across different meetings.

5.3 Accuracy and removal

Transcripts and summaries are generated by automated speech-recognition and language models and may contain errors. They are not the official record of the meeting – the government body's own minutes are authoritative. If you appear in meeting content on our sites and believe it is inaccurate, or you would like to request correction or removal, contact privacy@ungovr.org.

6. Text Messaging and Communications

If you provide a mobile phone number and opt in to receive SMS, UnGovr may send informational text messages about your open records requests or related activity. See our SMS Notifications page for details.

7. Third-Party Links and Services

Our Services may contain links to, or rely on, websites and services we do not operate – including government portals, our payment provider, and third-party sign-in providers. This Privacy Policy applies only to UnGovr's Services and not to those third parties, each of which may have its own privacy practices. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of sites we do not control.

8. Your Choices

  • Account information: Update your profile settings or contact us
  • Email: Click "unsubscribe" in any email
  • SMS: Reply STOP to any text message
  • Cookies: Adjust browser settings or visit our opt-out preferences page
  • Device permissions: Revoke camera, microphone, or location access at any time in your device settings
  • Delete your data: Request deletion of your account and associated information – see our Delete Your Data page
  • Meeting content: If you appear in a published meeting transcript or summary, you can request correction or removal – see Section 5 or contact privacy@ungovr.org

9. Data Security

We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect the information we collect. However, no security system is impenetrable, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you believe your privacy or the security of your account has been compromised, please contact us at privacy@ungovr.org.

10. Children's Privacy

Our Services are not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will post the revised policy with a new "last updated" date. Continued use of the Services after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

12. Your Privacy Rights by Region

UnGovr is based in the United States and processes information there. Depending on where you live, you may have specific rights over your personal information:

  • European Economic Area & United Kingdom – Under the EU and UK GDPR you have rights of access, correction, erasure, restriction, data portability, objection, and withdrawal of consent, and the right to complain to your supervisory authority (in the UK, the ICO). We process your data under recognized legal bases and apply appropriate safeguards when transferring it to the United States.
  • California – You may have rights to know, access, delete, and correct your information, and to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information. UnGovr does not sell your personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. California treats certain information, including biometric information, as sensitive; for how we create and use voiceprints of public officials, see Section 5.
  • Other regions – You may have similar rights under your local data-protection law.

To exercise any of these rights, contact privacy@ungovr.org – or, to delete your data, use our Delete Your Data page. For full details – including the legal bases we rely on, how we handle international transfers, and retention – see our Regional Privacy Rights page.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, contact us at:

UnGovr – Privacy
Email: privacy@ungovr.org
19 E Canon Perdido St, Suite B
Santa Barbara, CA 93101