Privacy Policy

Introduction

This Privacy Policy describes how Doug Charles for Prosper Town Council ("the Campaign," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and protects information gathered through our website at dougcharles.com (the "Site").

By using this Site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. This policy complies with the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA) and Texas Election Code requirements for political advertising.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide Voluntarily

We collect information that you voluntarily provide when you:

• Sign up for campaign updates or our email list
• Request a yard sign
• Submit a volunteer interest form
• Submit an endorsement
• Ask a question through our Q&A form
• Make a contribution to the campaign
• Contact us via email

This information may include your name, email address, phone number, mailing address, and any messages or comments you choose to provide.

Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our Site, we may automatically collect certain technical information, including your IP address, browser type, device type, and pages visited. This information helps us improve the Site and understand how visitors use it.

Cookies and Third-Party Services

Our Site uses cookies and third-party services to provide functionality and protect against spam:

• Google reCAPTCHA v3: We use Google reCAPTCHA v3 on submission forms (ideas, endorsements, questions, volunteer interest) to protect against spam and abuse. reCAPTCHA analyzes user interaction with our Site and collects hardware and software information (such as device and application data) to assess whether you are a human or a bot. This information is sent to Google for analysis. Use of reCAPTCHA is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Google Terms of Service.
• Essential Cookies: We use cookies to maintain your session, remember your preferences, and provide core functionality such as authentication and voting verification. These cookies do not store personally identifiable information in client-accessible storage.
• Cookie Consent: When you first visit our Site, you will see a cookie consent banner. You may accept or decline non-essential cookies. Essential cookies required for Site functionality cannot be disabled.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Communicate with you about the campaign, including sending updates, event invitations, and volunteer opportunities
• Fulfill yard sign requests and coordinate deliveries
• Respond to your questions and inquiries
• Display approved endorsements on our website (with your consent)
• Process and acknowledge campaign contributions
• Comply with Texas campaign finance reporting requirements
• Improve our website and campaign operations

SMS/Text Messaging

If you provide your phone number and opt in to receive text messages, you agree to receive SMS campaign updates, alerts, verification codes, and donation solicitations from Doug Charles for Prosper Town Council at the phone number you provided.

• Program name: Doug Charles for Prosper Town Council
• Message frequency: May vary based on campaign activity
• Message and data rates: Standard message and data rates may apply
• Opt-out: Reply STOP to any message to unsubscribe. You will receive a confirmation and no further messages will be sent.
• Help: Reply HELP to any message for assistance, or contact doug@dougcharles.com
• Consent: Consent to receive SMS messages is not a condition of purchase or registration
• Customer care: Email doug@dougcharles.com for support

For questions about text messaging, contact us at doug@dougcharles.com.

Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes.

We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

• Campaign Finance Reports: Contributor information may be disclosed as required by the Texas Ethics Commission and applicable campaign finance laws. Contributions over certain thresholds are a matter of public record.
• Service Providers: We may share information with trusted service providers who assist with campaign operations (such as email services, website hosting, and payment processing), subject to confidentiality agreements.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose information when required by law, legal process, or government request.
• Public Endorsements: If you submit an endorsement and it is approved for publication, your name and endorsement message may be displayed publicly on the Site.

SMS Opt-In Data

We will not share your opt-in to an SMS campaign with any third party for purposes unrelated to providing you with the services of that campaign. We may share your Personal Data, including your SMS opt-in or consent status, with third parties that help us provide our messaging services, including but not limited to platform providers, phone companies, and any other vendors who assist us in the delivery of text messages.

All of the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.

Your Rights Under Texas Law

Under the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA), you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including:

• The right to confirm whether we are processing your personal data
• The right to access your personal data
• The right to correct inaccuracies in your personal data
• The right to delete personal data you have provided
• The right to obtain a copy of your personal data
• The right to opt out of the sale of personal data (we do not sell personal data)
• The right to opt out of targeted advertising

To exercise these rights, please contact us at doug@dougcharles.com.

Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, comply with legal obligations (including campaign finance record-keeping requirements), resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Campaign finance records are retained as required by Texas law.

Children's Privacy

This Site is not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us immediately so we can delete it.

Third-Party Links

This Site may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Doug Charles for Prosper Town Council
Email: doug@dougcharles.com
Website: dougcharles.com