Last updated: [Date to be set]
Informed Voices (“we”, “us”) operates a civic debate platform. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal data when you use our website and services.
We collect: (1) Account data — name, email address, region (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland), and date of birth (to verify you are 16 or over, as required by our Terms) when you register; (2) Debate data — the positions you take, posts you write, and votes you cast; (3) Technical data — IP address, browser type, and similar data necessary for security and operation. We do not collect more than we need to run the platform.
We use your data to: operate your account; display your contributions (e.g. arguments, replies) with your chosen name; calculate and publish aggregated vote results (percentages, regional breakdowns, mind-change rate) as described in our Methodology; moderate content and enforce our Terms; and communicate with you (e.g. account or moderation notices). We do not sell your data or use it for advertising.
Your display name and your contributions (posts, replies) are visible to other users. Aggregated results (e.g. “42% for, 38% against”, “15% changed their mind”, regional counts) are public. We do not publish your email, individual vote, or identifiable data in results.
We retain your data while your account is active and as needed for legal or operational purposes. If you delete your account, we anonymise your name and email immediately and retain the record for referential integrity; other data (e.g. posts, votes) may be retained in anonymised form or removed in line with our data retention schedule. We do not retain personal data longer than necessary for the purposes set out in this policy or as required by law. You may download your data (Settings → Download my data) and delete your account (Settings → Delete my account). For moderation appeals see our Community guidelines and Contact page. You may also request access or correction by contacting us.
We use only essential cookies and local storage necessary to run the platform (for example, keeping you signed in and remembering your preferences). We do not use advertising cookies or non-essential tracking. If we introduce non-essential cookies or tracking in the future, we will add a consent banner and update this section with how to manage your preferences.
We take reasonable steps to protect your data. No system is completely secure. We may update this policy; we will indicate the last updated date and, for material changes, notify you or seek consent where required by law.