Privacy Policy

Scope

This policy applies to personal information we process through this website and related communications. It does not apply to third-party websites, services, or government resources we may link to or reference, which are governed by their own privacy practices.

Information We Collect

We collect information in the following ways:

• Information you provide. When you submit an inquiry or intake form, request a briefing, or otherwise contact us, we collect your name, work email, organization, role, telephone numbers, and the contents of your message.
• Information collected automatically. Our servers and infrastructure providers may log technical data such as IP address, browser type, device information, referring pages, and timestamps for security, performance, and analytics.
• Cookies and similar technologies. We may use strictly necessary and analytics cookies to operate and improve the site. You can control cookies through your browser settings.

We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal information, and we ask that you not submit it through this site.

How We Use Information

• To respond to your inquiries and provide requested information.
• To evaluate potential partnerships, engagements, and capital relationships.
• To operate, secure, maintain, and improve the website.
• To comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms.

How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share it with:

• Service providers who host our infrastructure, deliver email, or provide analytics, under confidentiality obligations.
• Affiliates, including the Center for Economics & Foreign Affairs, where relevant to your inquiry.
• Legal and safety recipients where required by law, to protect rights, or to respond to lawful requests.
• Successors in connection with any merger, financing, or transfer of assets, subject to this policy.

Platform Activity Monitoring (Applied America OS)

The Applied America OS is a secure, invitation-based operating platform for economic-development work. To protect the platform, its confidential project and capital information, and the organizations that use it, we record business and security activity generated by authenticated accounts. This is operational oversight for security, compliance, auditability, and support — not personal surveillance.

Within the platform we may record:

• Session & environment data — a locally generated session identifier, the start of a session in a browser tab, and the device type, browser, operating system, and screen size your browser reports. We do not record sign-out, session duration, IP address, approximate location derived from IP, or network provider in this platform activity record. An earlier version of this policy listed those as recorded, which overstated what is implemented. Public-site page requests are recorded separately on our servers, including the location derived from your IP address and the network provider it belongs to, as described in our Security & Data-Retention policy; when you are signed in, that record is linked to your account.
• In-app activity — pages and modules opened, projects and capital rooms viewed, documents viewed or downloaded, and searches run. Form submissions are not recorded in this stream; an access request and the decision on it are stored with the request itself, not here.
• Security signals — the browser-local activity record carries a result field and a coarse in-app risk weighting, but no permission-denied or error outcome is written to it today. We do not yet detect failed sign-ins, unusual download volume, or new-device and new-location logins; a failed sign-in writes no record today. An earlier version of this policy described those as monitored.

Where we do derive location from an IP address — for public-site page requests, not for in-platform activity — it is approximate and is not treated as a verified physical address. We use this information only to operate and secure the platform, maintain an audit trail, meet legal and contractual obligations, and improve the product. Access to activity records is restricted to authorized administrators by role. Administrative decisions, an administrator assuming another persona, and the creation, amendment or removal of a project record are recorded in an append-only audit table; administrative reads are not yet recorded, as our Security & Data-Retention policy states. We do not sell platform-activity data. There is no hidden tracking beyond what is described in this policy, the Cookie Notice, the Terms of Use, and our Security & Data-Retention policy.

Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described here, to comply with our legal and recordkeeping obligations, and to resolve disputes, after which we delete or de-identify it. Platform security and audit logs are retained under the schedules set out in our Security & Data-Retention policy; retention periods are reviewed by counsel.

Security

We use administrative, technical, and organizational measures designed to protect personal information. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to access, correct, delete, or restrict the processing of your personal information, to object to processing, and to data portability. Residents of certain U.S. states (such as California) may have additional rights, including the right to know and the right to opt out of certain sharing. To exercise any right, contact us using the details below. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.

International Visitors

We are based in the United States, and information we process may be stored and handled in the United States. By using the site, you understand your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States.

Children’s Privacy

This site is intended for a professional and institutional audience and is not directed to children under 18. We do not knowingly collect information from children.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The “last updated” date above reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be reflected on this page.

Contact Us

For privacy questions or to exercise your rights, contact applied@thecefa.org.