What we collect, what we don't.

§ 01Overview

BillBuddy is a project of UpriseRI. We take your privacy seriously and have written this policy in plain language. The short version: most of the site works without an account, account features need only an email + ZIP, we don't sell data, and you can delete everything at any time.

This policy explains what we collect, why we collect it, and what we'll never do with it.

§ 02Information we collect

Public, no account required

Browsing bills, legislators, and BB Weekly is free and anonymous. We use the Rhode Island General Assembly's public data as our source — no personal information is required to read.

Account information

If you create an account, we collect your email, a password hash (never the plain password), your name, and a Rhode Island address. The address is used only to match you with your House and Senate districts.

Usage data

We collect anonymous aggregate stats — page views, search queries, feature usage — to figure out what's working and what isn't. This data is not tied to your identity in our systems.

§ 03How we use your information

• To run the platform — sign-in, password resets, account preferences.
• To send notifications about bills you've favorited, only when something changes.
• To deliver BB Weekly, if you've opted in.
• To respond to your messages and support requests.
• To improve features by analyzing aggregate usage patterns.
• To comply with our legal obligations — on the very rare occasion that applies.

§ 04What we share with others

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. Ever.

We share information with service providers strictly when necessary to operate the platform — for example, the email service that sends your notifications, or the hosting provider that runs our servers. These providers are bound by confidentiality and only see the data needed to do their job.

§ 05Security

We use industry-standard security — encrypted connections (TLS), bcrypt-hashed passwords, server firewalls, and limited admin access. No method of internet transmission is 100% secure, but we use the same protections you'd expect from any modern web service.

§ 06Your rights

You can, at any time:

• View the data we have for your account.
• Update or correct your name, email, address, or preferences.
• Delete your account — this removes your data within 30 days.
• Opt out of any email category (notifications, weekly digest, etc.).
• Export your favorites and saved preferences in JSON.

§ 07Cookies and analytics

We use a small number of first-party cookies — one for the sign-in session, one for remembering your preferences, and a few for site analytics. We do not use cross-site tracking cookies and we do not load third-party advertising scripts.

Our analytics run on our own self-hosted server — no advertising network or big-tech analytics service ever sees your visit. If you browse without an account, your visit is recorded anonymously. If you are signed in, your activity on the site — such as the bills you read, your searches, and your legislative district — is linked to your account so we can understand how members use BillBuddy and make it better. This data stays on infrastructure we control and is never sold or shared with anyone.

§ 08Children

BillBuddy is not directed at children under 13. If you believe a child has signed up, contact us and we'll remove the account.

§ 09Changes to this policy

If we change this policy in a meaningful way, we'll notify account holders by email and post a notice on the site. Minor edits (typos, clarifications) won't trigger a notice.

§ 10Contact us

Questions, requests, or concerns? Email us at info@upriseri.com. We answer every privacy request personally.