Privacy Policy
What we collect, what we don't, and what happens to your data when you use GovLense. The short version: nothing happens, because we don't collect data.
Information We Collect
None. GovLense does not require you to create an account, sign in, provide an email address, or share any personal information to use the app or browse this website. We do not run our own analytics. We do not set our own cookies. We do not log visits on our servers in a way that identifies you.
Information Handled by Third Parties
We rely on a small number of third-party services to deliver GovLense. We don't receive personal information from them, but they may process limited technical data on their own under their own privacy policies.
Apple App Store and Google Play
When you download or update the GovLense app, Apple (App Store) or Google (Google Play) handles that transaction and may collect standard install, crash, and device telemetry under their own terms. We do not receive identifying data from this telemetry. If you have questions about what your app store collects, please review:
Google Fonts (this website)
This marketing website loads typefaces from Google Fonts (fonts.googleapis.com, fonts.gstatic.com). When
your browser requests those font files, Google may log routine connection data such as your IP address and user-agent string.
We do not control this and we do not receive that data.
Public government sources
The GovLense app reads from authoritative public sources — Congress.gov, the unitedstates/congress project, congress-legislators, Voteview, and similar public datasets. Those requests are made by the app on your device or via a passive cache; they do not include information about you.
Information We Do Not Collect
To remove any ambiguity, we want to be explicit about what GovLense does not collect:
- Names, email addresses, phone numbers, or other contact details
- Account credentials (we don't have accounts)
- Precise or coarse location data
- Contacts, calendars, photos, microphone, or camera data
- Browsing or reading history within the app
- Advertising identifiers (IDFA, AAID) or device fingerprints
- Payment information (the app is free)
- Any data that identifies you, directly or indirectly
We do not sell, rent, share, or trade personal information, because we do not have any to sell, rent, share, or trade.
How the App Uses Public Data
GovLense exists to make publicly available U.S. Congressional data — bills, votes, members, committees, amendments — easier to read. The app retrieves that information and displays it on your device. What you read, what you tap, and how long you spend in any section of the app stays on your device. We do not transmit it to our servers, because we do not have servers that receive it.
Children's Privacy (COPPA)
GovLense is a general-audience civic information app and is not directed to children under the age of 13. Consistent with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone — including children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and have questions, please contact us at the address in section 10.
California Privacy Rights (CCPA / CPRA)
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act and California Privacy Rights Act give you certain rights regarding your personal information. Because GovLense does not collect personal information, the practical impact is limited, but for completeness:
- Categories collected in the past 12 months: none.
- Categories sold or shared: none. We have never sold or shared personal information, and we never will.
- Sources of personal information: none.
- Business purposes for collection: not applicable.
You retain the right to know, delete, correct, limit the use of sensitive information, and opt out of sale or sharing. There is nothing for us to act on, but you may still contact us to confirm. We will not discriminate against you for exercising any California privacy right.
European Privacy Rights (GDPR / UK GDPR)
If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, the General Data Protection Regulation gives you rights over personal data that controllers process about you. GovLense does not process personal data within the meaning of the GDPR. If you nevertheless wish to exercise any right — access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, portability, or objection — please contact us. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.
Data Security
The strongest privacy guarantee is to not hold data in the first place. Because we do not collect or store personal information, there is nothing on our side that can be breached, leaked, subpoenaed, or sold in a bankruptcy. Our website is served over HTTPS, and the app communicates with public government APIs over secure connections.
Changes to This Policy
If we make material changes to this policy — for example, if we ever introduce a feature that requires processing personal information — we will update the effective date at the top of this page and clearly highlight the change. We will not change this policy retroactively to authorize new data collection on data we previously promised not to collect.
Contact
Questions, concerns, or requests about this policy or your privacy can be sent to:
We read every message. If your question is about a specific bill, vote, or member rather than privacy, the in-app feedback link is the better place to send it.