Terms of Use & Privacy Notice

1. Introduction

Ideas for Change (the "Program") is operated by Change.org, PBC ("Change.org", "we", "us"). The Program invites participants to share and vote on ideas concerning civic issues. By accessing or using the Program site, you ("you" or "participant") agree to these Terms of Use and Privacy Notice.

This Program processes limited personal data (defined below) solely to operate core features, maintain security, improve reliability, promote civic engagement, and conduct research/analysis related to the Program. We use service providers to host the site, store data, secure sessions, and measure usage, as detailed below.

2. Eligibility

Age Restriction. Participation is open to individuals 16 or older. Individuals under 16 may not participate. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 16.

No Account Creation. You may participate without registering for a Change.org account. By submitting comments or votes, you consent to processing as described below.

Browser/Device-Based Participation. Participation is tied to a browser-specific identifier stored via cookies/local storage. You must use the same browser and device (with cookies enabled) to continue participating. Any identifying information (e.g. name, email, postal address) you submit cannot be used to recover access or merge participation across browsers/devices. If you use a shared device, other users of that device may be able to continue your session until cookies are cleared. Use a private device if possible.

3. Acceptable Use

Lawful and Respectful Conduct: You must comply with all applicable laws and respect the rights of others. Do not post unlawful, defamatory, harassing, or infringing content. We reserve the right to remove content or terminate participation for violations. In addition to the requirements below, you must comply with Change.org's Community Guidelines. We may remove content, limit participation, or invalidate votes to protect the integrity of the Program.

Public Nature of Content: All statements and votes you submit may be publicly visible along with your name and may be viewed by other participants, Change.org staff, and civic partners. You may choose to post a statement anonymously; if you do, we won't show your name next to that statement. Your submissions are not confidential; do not include personal information about yourself or others that you do not wish to be public. Do not include home addresses, school names, or contact details in any submission. You may not submit content that includes other people's personal data (e.g., names, phone numbers) without their consent. You are responsible for maintaining control of your device/browser. If others use your browser/device, we may attribute their actions to you until cookies are cleared.

4. User Submissions and License

You retain ownership of the content you submit, but you grant Change.org a worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free, irrevocable, license to host, copy, publicly display, and create derivative works from your submissions for purposes related to civic engagement, research, and reporting. This license is non‑exclusive, and you retain moral rights where applicable. We may aggregate and anonymize submissions and share them with third parties, including municipal authorities, for evaluation and public reporting.

5. Disclaimer of Affiliation

This Program is facilitated by Change.org. It may not necessarily be endorsed by or affiliated with any city government. References to a city name indicate geographic focus, not necessarily an official partnership.

6. Privacy Notice

6.1 Information Collected

Participation Data. When you vote or submit ideas, Change.org collects your name, email address, postal address, timestamps, and the content of your statements and votes.

Browser Identifier. To recognize your participation and prevent duplicate voting, Change.org stores a browser-specific identifier in cookies/local storage. It is not portable across browsers/devices. We do not use this identifier for advertising or cross-site tracking.

Website Analytics. Change.org collects usage analytics (e.g. page views, time of access, referral links) and technical identifiers (e.g. IP address, browser/device information, and cookie/local storage identifiers) to ensure service stability and understand usage patterns.

Session replay via Amplitude: Change.org may capture session replays to understand usability and fix bugs. We mask/redact input fields likely to contain personal data to the extent technically feasible.

Meta Pixel: Change.org may use Meta Pixel for measurement, such as to understand traffic sources and campaign performance. Meta may receive device and browsing data from our site.

Optional Survey Data (Contact and Demographics). If you complete our optional surveys to express interest in participating in events, we collect your contact information (e.g. name, email address, phone number) and demographics (e.g., age range, city). You may choose not to answer. We do not sell or "share" this information for cross-context behavioral advertising and do not link it to your public statements/votes.

6.2 How We Use Your Information

We use the information described above to:

Facilitate the civic discussion, display your submissions, and allow voting;
Analyze and summarize responses for research, reporting, and presentation to the general public and municipal stakeholders;
Maintain security and detect misuse or technical issues;
Understand usage patterns of the program to improve reliability and user experience;
Comply with legal obligations.

6.3 When We Share Information

We may share the information we collect for purposes described in this Notice and as outlined below:

Service providers/processors: We use vendors under contracts limiting their use of data to help us operate the Program. Such vendors include:

Vercel: hosting and runtime logs
Amazon Web Services (AWS): database storage and backups
Google Cloud Platform Firebase: authentication and session security
Amplitude: website analytics and session replay
Meta Pixel: measurement/attribution

Meta (Pixel): Meta may receive measurement data as an independent controller/third party; see Meta's privacy policy for its practices and choices.

Public/municipal reporting: We may publish aggregated or anonymized insights. We will not disclose your email or postal address publicly, nor share your optional contact information or demographic responses in identifiable form without your consent or as required by law.

Legal/security obligations: We may disclose information to comply with law, protect rights and safety, and maintain the integrity of the Program.

6.4 Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to run the site and understand how it's used:

Essential. We use strictly necessary cookies/local storage to operate core features (e.g. recognizing the same browser for voting, security).

Analytics. We use analytics trackers (e.g. Amplitude) to help us measure usage and fix bugs.

Measurement. We use measurement trackers (e.g. Meta Pixel) to understand traffic sources and campaign performance.

6.5 Data Retention

We retain submissions and associated data for as long as necessary to complete the Program, produce reports, and comply with legal obligations. We may store anonymized summaries indefinitely for research and archival purposes.

6.6 Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to request access to, correct, or delete personal data we hold about you; opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information; limit the use and disclosure of sensitive personal information; or withdraw consent. To exercise these rights, contact us at: contact@ideasforchange.org with the subject line "Ideas for Change Program – Data Request". We will respond consistent with applicable law. Data rights requests will be handled to the extent technically feasible.

6.7 International Users and Transfers

Your data may be processed in countries other than your own, including the United States. This includes processing by our third-party service providers: Vercel, AWS, GCP Firebase, Amplitude, Meta. By participating, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and other jurisdictions that may have different data protection laws.

If you are in the EEA/UK, our lawful basis is legitimate interests to run the Program; where required (e.g. analytics/replay, Pixel, optional demographics) we rely on your consent.

7. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

No Official Decisions: The Program is an experimental civic engagement exercise. Participation does not guarantee any specific governmental action.

No Warranty: We provide the Program "as is" without warranties of any kind. We are not liable for any indirect or consequential damages arising out of your use of the Program.

8. Changes to These Terms

We may modify these terms and privacy notice for this Program from time to time. If we make material changes, we will update the date at the top of this document and, if feasible, provide additional notice. Continued participation constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms.

9. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms, this Privacy Notice, or your data, contact: contact@ideasforchange.org or write to: Change.org, 548 Market Street, #29993, San Francisco, CA 94104-5401, USA.