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About

Privacy Policy

Our commitment to Privacy

 

​The HOLE Foundation believes in radical transparency for government and absolute privacy for citizens. This policy explains how we protect your privacy while pursuing our mission of government accountability.

1. For Private Citizens (Privacy-First)

If you're accessing our site from a personal connection, home network, or private device:

  • Minimal data collection - We only collect what's necessary to operate

  • No behavioral tracking - We don't track your browsing patterns

  • 24-hour retention - Most data is automatically deleted within 24 hours

  • No third-party sharing - Your data is never sold or shared for marketing

  • No cross-session tracking - Each visit is treated independently

2. Government Employees

IMPORTANT NOTICE: If you're accessing our site from a government network, government-issued device, or IP address associated with any federal, state, or local government agency:

  • Extended tracking - We monitor and analyze all interactions

  • Behavioral analysis - We track patterns, timing, and navigation paths

  • Document correlation - We track which documents and pages are accessed

  • 24-month retention - Government access data is retained for investigative purposes

  • Pattern detection - We use algorithms to identify unusual access patterns

  • Investigative use - This data may be used in journalistic investigations and transparency advocacy

    Legal Basis: This monitoring serves legitimate journalistic and government accountability purposes under the First Amendment and state sunshine laws.

Legal Basis: This monitoring serves legitimate journalistic and government accountability purposes under the First Amendment and state sunshine laws.

​

Information We Collect

From All Users:

  1. Basic Technical Data:

    1. IP address (to determine if you're on a government network)

    2. Browser type and version

    3. Operating system

    4. Date and time of visit

    5. Pages visited

    6. Referring website

  2. Voluntary Information:

    1. Information you provide when contacting us

    2. Newsletter signup information

    3. Donation information (processed by third-party payment processors)

    4. Public records requests you submit through our platform

Additional Data from Government Networks:

  1. Enhanced Analytics:

    1. Complete session recordings

      1. Mouse movements and click patterns

      2. Time spent on each page

      3. Download history

      4. Search queries within our site

      5. Form interactions (even if not submitted)

    2. Network Information:

      1. Agency identificationGeographic location

      2. Network characteristics

      3. Access patterns across multiple sessions

      4. Private Citizen Data:

 

 How We Use Information

  • Provide requested services

  • Send newsletters (if subscribed)

  • Process donations

  • Respond to inquiries

  • Improve website functionality

  • Compile anonymous aggregate statistics

Government Network Data:

  • Investigate government interest in transparency efforts

  • Identify patterns suggesting misconduct or cover-ups

  • Correlate access with FOIA requests and investigations

  • Publish statistical analyses of government surveillance of transparency efforts

  • Support journalistic investigations

  • Provide evidence for legal proceedings related to transparency

Data Sharing

We NEVER:

  • Sell your personal information

  • Share private citizen data with government agencies

  • Use your data for commercial purposes

  • Share donor information except as legally required

We MAY:

  • Share government network access patterns with journalists

  • Publish aggregate statistics about government surveillance

  • Provide data to legal counsel in transparency litigation

  • Disclose information if required by law (with notice when permitted)

Your Rights

All Users Have the Right to:

  • Access data we hold about you

  • Correct inaccurate information

  • Request deletion (subject to legal requirements)

  • Opt-out of newsletters

  • Disable cookies (though this may limit functionality)

Private Citizens Additionally Have:

  • Right to complete deletion within 30 days

  • Right to data portability

  • Right to restrict processing

Government Network Users:

  • Data retention for 24 months is mandatory for investigative purposes

  • Deletion requests will be honored after the retention period

  • You may request a copy of data we've collected about your agency

Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including:

  • SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmission

  • Encrypted database storage

  • Regular security audits

  • Limited access controls

  • Secure backup systems

  • Incident response procedures

Cookies and Tracking

For Private Citizens:

Only essential cookies for site functionality

No third-party tracking cookies

No advertising cookies

Session cookies expire when you close your browser

For Government Networks:

Extended tracking cookies

Cross-session correlation cookies

Behavioral analysis scripts

Device fingerprinting technologies

Children's Privacy

We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 13 years of age. If we learn we have collected information from a child under 13, we will delete it immediately.

California Privacy Rights

California residents have additional rights under CCPA:

Right to know what personal information is collected

Right to know if personal information is sold or disclosed

Right to say no to the sale of personal information

Right to equal service and price

International Users

If you're accessing our site from outside the United States:

Your data may be transferred to U.S. servers

You consent to U.S. data protection laws

You may have additional rights under GDPR or other laws

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of significant changes via:

Prominent website notice

Email to registered users

Blog post announcement

Contact Us

For privacy-related inquiries:

Email: privacy@theholetruth.org

Mail: The HOLE Foundation

300 Delaware Ave, Ste 210 PMB# 765

Wilmington, DE 19801

Data Protection Officer:

dpo@theholetruth.org

Transparency Report

We publish an annual transparency report detailing:

Number of government networks detected

Patterns of government access

Legal requests received

Data requests honored

Investigative uses of collected data

By using our website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. Government users specifically acknowledge that their access is subject to enhanced monitoring for journalistic and accountability purposes.

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