Privacy Policy

Last updated: 8/28/2025. Candidate Compare ("we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you use our website and services.

By using our platform, you agree to the terms outlined in this Privacy Policy, as well as our Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use our services.

1. Data We Collect

We collect the following data:

  • Anonymous Analytics: Usage patterns, page interactions, and feature usage for improving our AI algorithms.
  • Public Inputs: Voluntarily provided candidate policy inputs via our comparison tool.
  • Authentication Data: Optional account creation details (email, encrypted password) if you request personalized features.
  • Technical Data: IP address, browser type, and device information for security and analytics.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use your data to:

  • Improve our AI-driven policy comparison model accuracy (no personal data used for training)
  • Provide and maintain the platform's security and integrity
  • Generate user-specific comparison dashboards when enabled
  • Send administrative emails about account updates or policy changes
  • Conduct third-party audits to verify nonpartisan algorithm behavior

3. Data Sharing

We never sell personal data. We share data only when:

  • Legal Compliance: To satisfy legal requests or protect rights
  • Service Providers: With audit firms verifying our political neutrality
  • Aggregated Data: For academic research (no personally identifiable information)

4. Data Protection

Our security measures include:

  • End-to-end encryption (HTTPS)
  • Audit trails for all database access
  • Weekly penetration testing by third-party security firms
  • Bi-annual SOC 2 Type II compliance reports
  • Zero tolerance for political fundraising or donation tracking

5. Cookies & Trackers

We use cookies to:

  • Secure your session during active use
  • Remember preference settings (if authenticated)
  • Measure feature usage for nonpartisan performance improvements
  • Prevent automated harvesting of candidate comparison results

You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but this may limit platform functionality.

6. Your Rights

You can:

  • Request access to your personal data
  • Correct outdated or inaccurate information
  • Delete your account and associated data
  • Object to data processing for profiling purposes
  • Contact political audits for data verification

Submit requests via our verified support portal.

7. Policy Changes

We may update this policy to reflect legal changes or product improvements. Major updates will be announced via our newsletter 30 days in advance.

Have Questions?

Need help understanding your data rights or want to file a complaint about data misuse?

Contact Data Privacy Team
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