Legal

Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 17, 2025 · Last Updated: April 17, 2025

CourtWatch.live ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding that information. By using this Site, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

Information you provide voluntarily:

Email address — if you sign up for updates or alerts through our email capture forms
Payment information — if you make a donation. Payment data is processed by Stripe and we do not store your card details
Name and state — if you opt in to the donor wall after making a donation
Suggestions — if you submit a case or data suggestion through our suggestions form
X (Twitter) handle — optionally provided when submitting suggestions

Information collected automatically:

Usage data — pages visited, time on site, browser type, device type, and referring URL, collected through standard server logs and analytics tools
IP address — collected automatically by our hosting provider (Netlify) for security and performance purposes
Cookies — we use minimal cookies necessary for site functionality. We do not use advertising cookies or sell data to advertisers

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Send you email updates about new counties, features, or important announcements (only if you opted in)
Process donations and send payment confirmation emails
Display donor wall entries (only if you explicitly opted in)
Review and respond to data suggestions
Improve the Site's functionality and user experience
Protect the security and integrity of the Site
Comply with legal obligations

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party. We do not use your data to serve advertising.

3. Public Court Data

The case and judge data displayed on CourtWatch.live is sourced from official government public records. This data is not personal information submitted to us — it is already publicly available through government portals. We present it in a more accessible format. If you believe information about you is incorrect, please contact us and we will investigate promptly.

4. Data Sharing

We share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

Service providers — we share data with trusted third-party services required to operate the Site, including Stripe (payments), Supabase (database), Netlify (hosting), Loops (email), and Anthropic (AI tooling). Each is bound by their own privacy policies and data protection practices.
Legal compliance — we may disclose information if required by law, subpoena, court order, or government request.
Protection of rights — we may disclose information to protect the rights, property, or safety of CourtWatch.live, its users, or the public.

6. Anthropic API

We use the Anthropic Claude API for internal data drafting and tooling purposes. Data processed through this service is subject to Anthropic's privacy policy and terms of service. We do not send personal user data to the Anthropic API.

7. Data Retention

We retain your email address and any submitted information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, or until you request deletion. Donation records are retained as required by applicable financial and tax regulations. You may request deletion of your data at any time by contacting us.

8. Your Rights

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

Access — the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
Correction — the right to request correction of inaccurate data
Deletion — the right to request deletion of your personal data
Opt-out — the right to unsubscribe from email communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email we send
Data portability — the right to receive your data in a portable format

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@courtwatch.live.

9. Children's Privacy

CourtWatch.live is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

10. Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no internet transmission is completely secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. SMS Communications

SMS notifications are not currently active on CourtWatch.live. When this feature is enabled in the future, you will be able to opt in explicitly. Standard message and data rates may apply. You may opt out at any time by replying STOP. We will never share your phone number with third parties for marketing purposes.

12. Third-Party Links

This Site may contain links to third-party websites including government court portals. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies.

13. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act including the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to delete personal information, and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information. To exercise your rights, contact us at hello@courtwatch.live.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Your continued use of the Site after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

15. Contact

For any privacy-related questions, requests, or concerns, please contact us at:

hello@courtwatch.live
CourtWatch.live
Orlando, FL

CourtWatch.live is an independent public interest project. It is not affiliated with any government agency, political party, or law enforcement organization.