Privacy Policy

Draft v1.0 · 2026 · Last updated: 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Citizen Squared ("C²", "we", "us") collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal information. We are committed to handling your information responsibly and in accordance with applicable privacy laws.

1. About Us and This Policy

Citizen Squared is a civic engagement platform operated from New Zealand and Australia. We comply with the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020, the Australian Privacy Act 1988, and where applicable, the GDPR, UK GDPR, and CCPA.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account Information

• Full legal name, email address, phone number, date of birth
• Password (stored as a secure hash — never in plain text)

2.2 Identity Verification (Sensitive)

• Government-issued photo ID (passport, driver's licence, national ID)
• Biometric facial data for identity matching
• Phone number verified via one-time SMS code

2.3 Participation Data

• Poll votes (cryptographically hashed — anonymous)
• Comments, investigation requests, polls you create
• Organisation memberships

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to verify identity, operate the platform, send opted-in notifications, prevent fraud, and comply with legal obligations. We do not sell your data or use it for advertising.

4. Identity & Biometric Data — Special Protections

• ID documents deleted within 30 days of successful verification
• Biometric templates deleted within 7 days
• AES-256 encryption at rest and in transit
• No C² staff can view your ID or biometric data

5. Voting Anonymity

Your vote choices are stored with a cryptographic hash. Other users cannot see how you voted. A court order would be required before we could attempt to link any vote to an identity.

6. Data Retention

• Account data — life of account + 90 days after deletion
• Government ID — deleted within 30 days of verification
• Biometric templates — deleted within 7 days
• Poll votes — retained indefinitely (anonymised)

7. Your Rights

You have the right to access, correct, delete, or export your data. Contact us at [email protected]. We respond within 20 working days.

8. Contact

• Email: [email protected]
• Post: Citizen Squared, Privacy Officer, New Zealand