This page is a general explanation of how a campaign or advocacy website typically deals with visitor information. It is based on the privacy statement preserved in the archive of the original site, rewritten as a neutral overview. It is not a legal agreement, and the site you are reading does not run sign-up forms, accounts or payment pages.
Information visitors may provide
On sites of this kind, a person is usually free to browse without identifying themselves. If they choose to register, subscribe or write in, the site may ask for some of the following:
- contact details such as a name, email address, postal address or phone number;
- a username and password;
- demographic details such as gender, date of birth or postcode;
- text posted in comments or other interactive features;
- in limited cases, payment card details needed to finish a transaction;
- any correspondence the visitor sends.
Information collected automatically
Visitors’ browsers also pass along technical data. Common examples are the browser type and operating system, the IP address assigned to the device, the pages viewed and links clicked, the sites visited just before and after, and standard server logs. Cookies, web beacons and similar tools are often used to recognise a returning browser and tailor the experience to saved preferences. Some sites also combine this with information from commercial data sources.
Typical uses
Organisations normally say they use the data to:
- respond to requests and send news or updates;
- let people take part in features such as comments;
- study how the site is used and improve it;
- keep systems running and fix problems;
- customise content;
- prevent prohibited or unlawful activity;
- serve any other purpose explained when the data was gathered or agreed to by the user.
Payment details are generally used only to complete the transaction in question or where the law requires.
Typical sharing
Privacy statements commonly describe disclosure to:
- service providers who handle support, email delivery, analytics, marketing or data processing;
- like-minded organisations, in the case of political groups;
- a buyer or successor in a merger, sale or insolvency;
- authorities, where the law requires or a legitimate request is made. Political bodies in particular must report certain details about contributors under campaign finance rules;
- others, when needed to protect the organisation, its users or the public;
- anyone, in aggregated or non-identifying form, or with the person’s consent.
Choices and access
People can usually use a site without giving personal details and can unsubscribe from mailings through a link in each message. Updating or correcting stored details normally means asking the operator, who may have to keep some records for legal or security reasons, and copies may linger in backups.
Other points
- Children. Such sites are for a general audience and typically do not knowingly gather data from children under 13 without parental consent.
- Security. Operators generally use reasonable technical and organisational safeguards and limit access, but no system can promise complete security.
- External links. Linked websites have their own policies, which are worth reading.
- Public comments. Anything posted in a public area, sometimes with a first name and location, can be seen and reused by others.
- Do-not-track. Because there is no agreed standard, many sites do not change behaviour when a browser sends this signal.
- Cookies and local storage. Third parties that supply content or ads may use cookies, flash cookies and HTML5 storage to follow browsing and connect it with other data.
To see how a campaign site fits in its wider context, return to the home page.