Privacy by design,
not by promise
The Synapse Protocol is architecturally designed so that re-identifying individuals from synthesis output is mathematically impossible. Not improbable — impossible. This is not a policy. It's physics.
INTERVIEW LAYER
Conversation happens hereWhen you speak with the Synapse mediator, your conversation is processed in real-time to extract values and needs. The raw transcript is stored temporarily and encrypted at rest.
ANONYMIZATION LAYER
Identity is stripped hereBefore any data enters the synthesis engine, all personally identifiable information is cryptographically removed. Your perspective becomes a mathematical representation of values and needs — nothing more.
SYNTHESIS LAYER
Consensus forms hereThe synthesis engine works exclusively with anonymized value vectors. It cannot — by design — reconstruct who said what. It can only identify patterns: where values cluster, where conditions unlock agreement, and where genuine divergence exists.
OUTPUT LAYER
Only consensus is visibleThe Living Requirement Document contains aggregate patterns only. No individual perspective, quote, or position is attributable. Even Synapse operators cannot trace a consensus item back to a specific participant.
Our commitments to you
You own your data
Your raw interview data belongs to you. Delete it anytime. Export it anytime. We are custodians, not owners.
Privacy by architecture, not policy
Our system is designed so that re-identification is mathematically impossible — not just against our terms of service.
Minimum viable data
We collect only what the synthesis requires. Demographics are optional. Location is approximate. Names are never stored.
Open methodology
Our anonymization and synthesis algorithms are open-source and independently auditable. Trust, but verify.
No surveillance capitalism
Your perspective data is never sold, shared with advertisers, or used for profiling. Revenue comes from the organizations who deploy Synapse, not from monetizing participants.
Right to withdrawal
Withdraw your participation at any point. Your data is removed from future synthesis runs. Previously generated LRDs remain (they contain no individual data anyway).
Data collection & advertising
Information We Collect
When you use our Service, we may collect information you provide directly (such as interview responses, contact form submissions, and account information) and information collected automatically (such as IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, and interaction data). We use this information to provide and improve the Service, communicate with you, and for analytics purposes.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
This website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, and understand where our visitors come from. Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your web browser. We use both session cookies (which expire when you close your browser) and persistent cookies (which remain on your device until deleted or expired).
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect the functionality of certain features of the Service. Most browsers allow you to refuse or accept cookies, delete existing cookies, and set preferences for certain websites.
Third-Party Advertising (Google AdSense)
We use Google AdSense to display advertisements on our website. Google AdSense and other third-party advertising vendors use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website and other websites on the internet. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visit to this site and/or other sites on the internet.
Your choices: You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. Alternatively, you can opt out of third-party vendor cookies for personalized advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info.
Google Analytics
We may use Google Analytics to collect information about how visitors use our site. Google Analytics collects information such as how often users visit the site, what pages they visit, and what other sites they used prior to coming to this site. We use this information to improve our Service. Google Analytics collects the IP address assigned to you on the date you visit the site, but does not collect your name or other identifying information. You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
Data Sharing and Third Parties
We do not sell your personal information. We may share anonymized, aggregated data with research partners. We share data with third-party service providers who assist us in operating the Service (hosting, analytics, advertising), subject to confidentiality agreements. We may disclose information if required by law or to protect our rights and safety.
Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to: access the personal data we hold about you; request correction of inaccurate data; request deletion of your data; object to or restrict processing of your data; request data portability; and withdraw consent at any time. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us through our Contact page.
Extended Data Collection — Interview Analysis
In addition to the values, needs, and conditions extracted from your interview, the Service derives the following analytical data from your conversation. All data is linked to an anonymous session token, not to your identity.
- Discourse Quality Index (DQI): A score measuring the deliberative quality of your contribution across 5 dimensions (justification level, content orientation, respect, constructive proposals, perspective-taking). Used to quality-weight perspectives in synthesis.
- Cognitive bias indicators: Detected from conversational patterns (e.g., status quo bias, availability bias). Used to improve the interview experience and adjust synthesis confidence. Bias types are never disclosed to other users.
- Schwartz value classification: Your extracted values are mapped to the Schwartz Value Theory circumplex (10 universal value types). Used for value compatibility analysis and community profiling.
- Toulmin argumentation structure: The logical structure of your arguments (claims, evidence, reasoning) is extracted. Used to distinguish value-based disagreements from factual ones.
- Extraction reliability scores: Multi-run extraction agreement metrics. Used internally to assess data quality.
Evidence Submissions
If you submit evidence to the evidence repository, the submitted content (after your redactions are applied) is stored and may be visible to other users. The PII detection tool provides suggestions, but you are solely responsible for ensuring adequate redaction. Original unredacted content is never stored — redaction is permanent and irreversible. Evidence submissions are moderated before public display.
Accountability Data
The Service processes publicly available government data (voting records, budget documents, campaign finance filings, meeting minutes) entered by administrators and community members. This data is used to generate accountability analyses including representation alignment scores, budget-value alignment reports, transparency ratings, and electoral guides. This public data is not subject to deletion requests, as it originates from public records.
Self-Service Data Rights
You can exercise your data rights at any time via the Your Data page, which provides: (a) a complete inventory of all data linked to your session, (b) one-click export of your data in machine-readable JSON format, (c) permanent deletion of all your data with confirmation. Deletion removes all perspectives, interviews, argumentation records, and consent records associated with your session token. Previously generated anonymized syntheses are not affected, as individual contributions cannot be disaggregated from aggregate outputs.
Age Requirement & Minors
Our Service requires users to be at least 17 years old. The Service enforces age verification before any data collection occurs. Users under 17 are blocked from participation. Users who are 17 may be required to obtain parental or guardian consent depending on their jurisdiction. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a user under 17, we will take immediate steps to delete that information. Parents or guardians who believe their child has provided data to the Service may contact us to request deletion.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us through our Contact page.
LAST UPDATED: APRIL 4, 2026