Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to TexasLobby.org ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website and services.

TexasLobby.org is operated by Ronin Holdings LLC, a Texas Limited Liability Company. We provide a marketplace platform connecting Texas businesses with registered lobbyists.

By using our services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our services.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

We collect information you provide when creating an account or using our services:

• Account Information: Name, email address, password (encrypted)
• Lobbyist Profile Information: Phone number, website URL, bio, years of experience, cities served, subject area expertise, LinkedIn profile, profile photo
• Client Information: Client names, descriptions, relationship duration (for lobbyist profiles)
• Testimonials: Client testimonials, ratings, and related contact information
• Verification Documents: Government-issued ID photos for profile claim verification (stored securely and only accessible to administrators)
• Payment Information: Billing name and email (card information is handled directly by Stripe and never stored on our servers)
• Communications: Support ticket messages, contact form submissions, and correspondence with us

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you use our services, we automatically collect certain information:

• Usage Data: Pages viewed, profile views, search queries, favorites, bill watchlist preferences
• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, IP address, device identifiers
• Session Data: Authentication tokens (HTTP-only cookies), login timestamps, session duration
• Analytics Data: Referral source, page navigation patterns, time spent on pages

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We collect lobbyist registration data from:

• Texas Ethics Commission: Lobbyist names, registration information (public records)
• Texas Legislature: Bill information, legislative session data (public records)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

3.1 Service Provision

• Create and manage your account
• Display lobbyist profiles and facilitate marketplace connections
• Process bill watchlist notifications and email alerts
• Enable saved favorites and personalized features
• Verify profile claims and prevent fraud/impersonation

3.2 Billing and Subscription Management

• Process payments and manage subscriptions
• Send billing receipts and subscription updates
• Handle refunds, cancellations, and payment disputes
• Comply with tax and accounting requirements

3.3 Communications

• Send transactional emails (profile approval, subscription changes, bill notifications)
• Respond to support requests and provide customer service
• Send important account and security notifications
• Notify you of changes to our terms or policies

3.4 Platform Improvement

• Analyze usage patterns to improve our services
• Track profile views for analytics features
• Monitor system performance and security
• Conduct research and development

3.5 Legal Compliance

• Comply with legal obligations and government requests
• Enforce our Terms of Service and other policies
• Detect, prevent, and address fraud and security issues
• Maintain audit logs for accountability and security

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

4.1 Public Information

The following information is publicly visible on our platform:

• Approved lobbyist profiles (name, bio, experience, expertise, contact information)
• Client lists and approved testimonials
• Profile photos and professional information
• Bill tags and annotations created by lobbyists

4.2 Third-Party Service Providers

We share data with trusted third-party services that help us operate our platform:

Database and Authentication Provider

• Purpose: Data storage, user authentication, file storage
• Data Shared: All account data, profile information, uploaded files

Payment Processor

• Purpose: Subscription billing and payment processing
• Data Shared: Name, email, billing information (card data goes directly to the processor, not our servers)

Email Service Provider

• Purpose: Transactional email delivery
• Data Shared: Email addresses, names, email content

Web Hosting Provider

• Purpose: Website hosting and delivery
• Data Shared: IP addresses, request logs, session data

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information when required by law or to:

• Comply with court orders, subpoenas, or legal processes
• Protect our rights, property, or safety
• Investigate fraud or security issues
• Respond to government requests

4.4 Business Transfers

If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change and your options.

4.5 With Your Consent

We may share your information for other purposes with your explicit consent.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

5.1 Cookies We Use

We use the following types of cookies:

• Essential Cookies: Required for authentication and core functionality (HTTP-only, secure session cookies)
• Analytics Cookies: Track page views and usage patterns to improve our services

5.2 Session Management

We use HTTP-only, secure cookies to maintain your logged-in session. These cookies:

• Are encrypted and cannot be accessed by JavaScript
• Use the Secure flag (HTTPS only) and SameSite attribute
• Expire when you log out or after a period of inactivity

5.3 Your Cookie Choices

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling essential cookies will prevent you from logging in and using authenticated features.

6. Data Retention

6.1 Active Accounts

We retain your information while your account is active and as needed to provide services.

6.2 Account Deletion

When you request account deletion:

• Your account enters a 30-day grace period
• You can recover your account during this period
• After 30 days, your personal data is permanently deleted or anonymized
• Lobbyist profiles are anonymized (changed to "Deleted User")

6.3 Legal Retention

Some data is retained for legal and compliance purposes:

• Payment Records: Retained for 7 years for tax compliance
• Fraud Reports: Retained for security and legal purposes (reporter information anonymized)
• Audit Logs: Retained for security monitoring (may be anonymized)

7. Your Privacy Rights

7.1 Access and Export

You have the right to access and export your personal data. Use the "Export Data" feature in your account settings to download a JSON file of your information.

7.2 Correction

You can update your profile information, account details, and preferences at any time through your dashboard.

7.3 Deletion

You can request account deletion through your account settings. See Section 6.2 for details about our deletion process.

7.4 Objection and Restriction

You can object to certain data processing or request restrictions by contacting us.

7.5 California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (collectively, the "CCPA"), grants you the following rights:

• Right to Know: Request that we disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the sources of that information, the business or commercial purpose for collecting it, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it.
• Right to Delete: Request that we delete personal information we have collected from you, subject to legal exceptions.
• Right to Correct: Request that we correct inaccurate personal information we maintain about you.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale or Sharing: Direct us not to "sell" or "share" (for cross-context behavioral advertising) your personal information. See Section 7.6 below for how we honor this right, including through the Global Privacy Control (GPC) browser signal.
• Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information: We do not use or disclose sensitive personal information for purposes beyond those permitted by the CCPA, so no separate limitation request is required.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights.

You may exercise these rights as described in Section 7.9. You may also designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf; we may require verification of your identity and the agent's authority before processing the request. We will not sell or share, or process for targeted advertising, the personal information of any consumer we know to be under 16 years of age without opt-in consent.

7.6 Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information / Opt Out of Targeted Advertising

We do not sell your personal information for money. However, we use third-party analytics and error-monitoring technologies (including Google Analytics and Sentry) that may transfer online identifiers, device information, and browsing activity to those providers. Under some state privacy laws, these transfers may be treated as a "sale" or "sharing" of personal information, or as processing for "targeted advertising." You have the right to opt out of this activity.

You can exercise your opt-out through any of the following methods:

• Global Privacy Control (GPC): We honor the Global Privacy Control signal. If you visit our site using a browser or extension that transmits a GPC signal, we will automatically treat it as a valid request to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information and processing for targeted advertising for that browser and device. Because GPC is browser- and device-specific, you must enable it on each browser and device you use, and clearing your cookies may require you to re-apply the setting. To learn more or enable GPC, visit globalprivacycontrol.org.
• Contact Request: Submit a request through our contact page with the subject line "Do Not Sell or Share." We may need to collect limited information to process your request but will not use it for any other purpose.
• Browser Controls: You may block or delete analytics cookies through your browser settings, which will prevent the associated identifiers from being transmitted.

An opt-out through one method (for example, a GPC signal) applies to the specific browser or device from which it originates. We will process opt-out requests as soon as feasibly possible and in no event later than 15 business days after receipt.

7.7 Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA)

TexasLobby.org is operated from Texas and serves a primarily Texas audience. If you are a Texas resident acting only in an individual or household context, the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (effective July 1, 2024) grants you the following rights with respect to the personal data we process about you:

• Right to Confirm and Access: Confirm whether we are processing your personal data and access that personal data.
• Right to Correct: Correct inaccuracies in your personal data, taking into account its nature and the purposes of processing.
• Right to Delete: Delete personal data provided by, or obtained about, you.
• Right to Data Portability: Obtain a copy of the personal data you previously provided to us in a portable and, to the extent technically feasible, readily usable format, where the processing is carried out by automated means.
• Right to Opt Out: Opt out of the processing of your personal data for purposes of (a) targeted advertising, (b) the sale of personal data, or (c) profiling in furtherance of decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects concerning you. See Section 7.6 for how to exercise these opt-out rights, including via the Global Privacy Control signal.

Notice regarding sale of personal data. To the extent our use of analytics and error-monitoring technologies constitutes a "sale" of personal data or processing for "targeted advertising" under the TDPSA, this policy and Section 7.6 serve as the clear and conspicuous notice required by the Act. We do not sell sensitive personal data or biometric data.

How to submit a request. Texas residents may submit a request through our contact page with the subject line "Texas Privacy Request." We will respond to your request without undue delay and within 45 days of receipt. When reasonably necessary, we may extend the response period by an additional 45 days, in which case we will inform you of the extension and the reason for it within the initial 45-day period. We will not charge a fee for your first request in any twelve-month period.

Identity verification. We must be able to authenticate your request using commercially reasonable efforts. If we cannot authenticate your request, we may decline to act on it and may request additional information reasonably necessary to verify your identity. For requests to opt out of targeted advertising, sale, or profiling, you may use an authorized agent, including via a recognized universal opt-out mechanism such as the Global Privacy Control.

Right to appeal. If we decline to take action on your request, we will inform you of the reason without undue delay and within 45 days of receipt. You have the right to appeal our decision. To appeal, reply to our decision notice or submit a new request through our contact page with the subject line "Texas Privacy Appeal." Within 60 days of receiving your appeal, we will inform you in writing of any action taken or not taken in response, along with a written explanation of the reasons for our decision. If we deny your appeal, we will provide you with an online mechanism or other method to contact the Texas Attorney General to submit a complaint. You may contact the Texas Attorney General at texasattorneygeneral.gov.

7.8 European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area, you have rights under GDPR:

• Right to access, rectification, erasure, and portability
• Right to restrict or object to processing
• Right to withdraw consent
• Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

7.9 Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at our contact page. For California requests we will respond within 45 days (extendable by an additional 45 days where reasonably necessary); for Texas requests we will respond within 45 days as described in Section 7.7; for all other requests we will respond within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling your request.

8. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:

• Encryption in Transit: All data transmitted over HTTPS/TLS
• Encryption at Rest: Data encrypted in our database (Supabase)
• Secure Password Storage: Passwords hashed using industry-standard algorithms (Supabase Auth)
• HTTP-Only Cookies: Session cookies protected from JavaScript access
• Access Controls: Role-based access and admin audit logging
• Regular Security Audits: Periodic security reviews and updates
• Secure File Storage: ID verification documents stored in private, access-controlled buckets

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.

9. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe we have collected information from someone under 18, please contact us immediately, and we will take steps to delete such information.

This platform is designed for professional business use and requires users to be at least 18 years old.

10. International Data Transfers

Our services are provided from the United States. If you access our services from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States.

By using our services, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and other countries where our service providers operate. These countries may have data protection laws different from your country.

For European users, we comply with GDPR requirements for international data transfers and implement appropriate safeguards.

11. Third-Party Links

Our platform may contain links to third-party websites (such as lobbyist websites, LinkedIn profiles, or the Texas Legislature website). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• Notify you via email to the address associated with your account
• Display a notification in your dashboard

Your continued use of our services after the effective date of the revised Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the changes.

13. Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us.

This website is operated by Ronin Holdings LLC, a Texas limited liability company doing business as TexasLobby.org. You may reach us by mail at the address below or through our contact page.

Legal Entity: Ronin Holdings LLC
State of Formation: Texas
Mailing Address: 8701 Shoal Creek Blvd, Suite 401, Austin, TX 78757

For privacy-specific inquiries, please include "Privacy Request" in your message subject when submitting the contact form.