The Arena of Public Opinion Public Trust is committed to safeguarding the privacy of constituents while maintaining transparency for public figures and lobbying entities. This Privacy and Security Policy outlines how information is collected, used, stored, and disclosed for Officials, Pundits, Lobbyists, and Constituents, ensuring a balance between privacy, accountability, and public trust.
•.Constituents (Private Users)
Constituents are regular U.S. citizens who use the platform for civic engagement. Their interactions are protected by full privacy policies.
•.Pundits (Hybrid Public Figures)
Pundits are registered public figures participating in civic discussions. They have some privacy protections but are subject to public figure transparency rules for specific activities.
•.Elected and Appointed Officials (Public Figures)
Officials include elected representatives and government-appointed figures. Their activities on the platform are fully transparent and publicly accessible.
•.Lobbyists (Registered Entities)
Lobbyists represent organizations or interest groups. Their actions and communications within the platform are fully public and subject to strict transparency requirements.
•.Privacy Protections:
•.Personal data, including name, address, and email, is confidential and will not be disclosed without explicit consent or a legal mandate.
•.Messages to officials are anonymized unless the constituent chooses to disclose their identity publicly.
•.Usage Transparency:
•.Constituents’ activities, such as voting or signing petitions, are anonymized in aggregate reports to protect individual identities.
•.Data Access:
•.Constituents may access and manage their data through their user profile.
•.Prohibited Activities:
•.Privacy Protections:
•.Pundits retain privacy over their personal data (e.g., home address, personal email).
•.Private messages to other users are confidential unless they violate platform rules.
•.Public Transparency:
•.Posts, public discussions, and messages to officials are considered public records and accessible to all platform users.
•.Pundits may opt for additional transparency to establish credibility.
•.Accountability:
•.Transparency Requirements:
•.All communications, posts, and interactions on the platform are fully public.
•.Officials are required to maintain a public profile and respond to constituent inquiries through their virtual “Office.”
•.Messages received through the platform are accessible to all users for review and accountability.
•.Prohibited Activities:
•.Transparency Requirements:
•.All posts, public discussions, and lobbying activities are fully public and must include clear disclosure of the entity’s goals, funding sources, and affiliations.
•.Messages to constituents or pundits must be publicly accessible.
•.Restricted Interactions:
•.Lobbyists are prohibited from directly messaging or interacting with elected or appointed officials on the platform.
•.Accountability:
•.Lobbyists found misrepresenting their intentions, funding, or affiliations will face penalties, including suspension from the platform and public disclosure of violations.
•.Encryption:
•.All personal and sensitive data is encrypted during transmission and at rest.
•.Access Controls:
•.Access to personal data is restricted to authorized personnel only, with regular audits to ensure compliance.
•.Incident Response:
•.Two-Factor Authentication (2FA):
•.All users, including constituents, pundits, officials, and lobbyists, must enable 2FA for secure account access.
•.Identity Verification:
•.Public Logs:
•.All activities by officials, pundits, and lobbyists are recorded in publicly accessible logs for accountability.
•.Private Logs:
•.Constituent activities are logged privately, with anonymized data used for system reports.
•.Violations of the privacy or transparency policies are subject to investigation by the platform’s Court of Conduct, which may impose penalties such as:
•.Users may report suspected violations through a dedicated reporting system. All reports are reviewed confidentially by platform moderators and adjudicated as needed.
•.Transparency is non-negotiable for elected officials, appointed officials, and lobbying entities.
•.Communications, posts, and actions within the platform must comply with public accountability standards.
•.Any attempts to manipulate, mislead, or hide information will result in public disclosure of the infraction and potential legal action.
•.While pundits retain some personal privacy, their role as public figures mandates transparency in their public activities.
•.Transparency expectations include public messaging and debates but exclude personal information unless voluntarily disclosed.
•.Constituents retain full privacy protections unless they choose to participate in public activities, such as debates or messaging officials.
The Board of Trustees oversees the enforcement of this Privacy and Security Policy. The Court of Conduct adjudicates disputes and violations to ensure fairness and accountability. This policy is subject to regular reviews to adapt to evolving privacy standards and public expectations.
•.Access and Control:
Users may access, update, or delete their personal information through their account settings.
•.Appeals:
Users may appeal enforcement actions (e.g., muting or suspensions) through the platform’s adjudication process.
This Privacy and Security Policy may be amended by the Board of Trustees with a 30-day public review period to gather feedback from platform users.
By registering for the Arena of Public Opinion platform, all users agree to comply with this Privacy and Security Policy and its terms. Violations of this policy may result in penalties as outlined above.