Privacy Notice

1. Introduction

Wildfire ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our civic engagement and research platform. Please read this notice carefully to understand our practices regarding your personal data.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Account Information: Name, email address, and optional profile details when you register
• Contact Information: Phone number (optional) for SMS notifications and re-engagement
• Research Responses: Answers to surveys, polls, interview questions, focus group discussions, and journal entries
• Media Uploads: Photos, videos, or audio recordings you submit during research activities
• Communications: Messages you send during focus groups, threaded discussions, or to our support team

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, timestamps, and session duration
• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, and device identifiers
• Engagement Metrics: Response times, participation patterns, and interaction data for research quality purposes

3. How We Use Your Information

• Research & Insights: Aggregate and analyze responses to generate community insights and inform civic decisions
• AI-Powered Moderation: Our AI moderator processes your messages in focus groups to facilitate discussion, detect themes, and generate relevant follow-up questions
• Platform Operations: Manage your account, deliver notifications, and provide customer support
• SMS Communications: Send session reminders, poll notifications, and re-engagement messages (only if you opt-in)
• Quality Improvement: Analyze usage patterns to improve our platform and research methodologies
• Legal Compliance: Fulfill legal obligations and protect our rights

4. AI and Automated Processing

Wildfire uses artificial intelligence to enhance research experiences:

• AI Interviews: Conversational AI conducts interviews with dynamic follow-up questions based on your responses
• Focus Group Moderation: AI analyzes discussion themes, detects contradictions, and suggests polls or activities
• Theme Detection: Natural language processing identifies patterns across participant responses
• Engagement Monitoring: AI tracks discussion health to re-engage inactive participants

AI-generated insights are reviewed by human researchers before being used for decision-making. You may request human review of any automated decisions that significantly affect you.

5. Third-Party Services

We use trusted third-party services to operate our platform:

• Microsoft Azure: Cloud hosting, database storage, and AI services (Azure OpenAI, Azure Communication Services)
• Azure Communication Services: SMS delivery for notifications and re-engagement
• Application Insights: Performance monitoring and error tracking (anonymized)

These providers are contractually bound to protect your data and use it only for the services we request.

6. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We may share data in these circumstances:

• Aggregated Insights: De-identified, aggregated research results may be shared publicly or with community stakeholders
• Research Partners: With your consent, specific research data may be shared with academic or civic partners
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, subpoena, or to protect safety
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. Research data is retained for the duration of the study plus a reasonable period for analysis and reporting. You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time, subject to legal retention requirements.

8. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data
• Portability: Request your data in a portable format
• Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from SMS or email communications at any time
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for processing where consent is the legal basis

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@wildfire.city.

9. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest, access controls, and regular security assessments. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but are committed to protecting your information.

10. Children's Privacy

Wildfire is not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we learn we have collected information from a child under 18, we will delete it promptly. If you believe we have information from a child, please contact us.

11. Changes to This Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice periodically. We will notify you of material changes by posting the new notice on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of Wildfire after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated notice.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Notice or our data practices, contact us at: