Privacy Policy

Who We Are

GovtClear is a free, independent website that provides plain-language guides to government documents and processes. We are not affiliated with any government agency. GovtClear is operated as a private information resource.

For privacy-related questions, contact us at: privacy@govtclear.com

Information We Collect

A. Information you provide voluntarily

GovtClear does not require registration. The only time you provide personal information is when you:

• Subscribe to our newsletter — We collect your email address to send update notifications. You can unsubscribe at any time.
• Contact us — If you submit a message through our contact form, we collect your name and email address to respond to you.

B. Information collected automatically

When you visit GovtClear, our hosting provider and analytics tools may automatically collect:

• Your IP address (anonymized)
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Pages visited and time spent on each page
• Referring website (how you found us)
• Search queries entered on GovtClear

This data is collected in aggregate and is not linked to your identity.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Understand which guides are most useful and improve our content
• Monitor site performance and fix technical issues
• Send newsletter updates to subscribers (only when you've opted in)
• Respond to contact form submissions
• Protect the site against spam and abuse

We do not use your data for targeted advertising, we do not share it with data brokers, and we do not build personal profiles.

Cookies

Cookies are small text files stored in your browser. GovtClear uses a minimal number of cookies:

To opt out of analytics cookies, you can use your browser's privacy settings or install a browser extension that blocks analytics scripts. We also respect the Do Not Track browser header.

Third-Party Services

GovtClear may use the following third-party services. Each has its own privacy policy:

• Cloudflare — CDN, DDoS protection, and hosting. See Cloudflare Privacy Policy
• Analytics provider — Anonymized, privacy-respecting page view analytics
• Newsletter service — For sending email updates to subscribers who opt in

We do not use Google Ads, Facebook Pixel, or any invasive advertising trackers.

Data Retention

We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy:

• Newsletter email addresses — Retained until you unsubscribe
• Contact form submissions — Retained for 12 months, then deleted
• Analytics data — Retained in aggregate, anonymized form for up to 24 months
• Server logs — Retained for up to 30 days for security purposes

Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

• Access — Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction — Request correction of inaccurate data
• Deletion — Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten")
• Portability — Receive your data in a machine-readable format
• Object — Object to processing of your data for certain purposes
• Withdraw consent — Withdraw newsletter consent at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email

To exercise any of these rights, email us at privacy@govtclear.com. We will respond within 30 days.

Children's Privacy

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

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Significant changes will be communicated via newsletter (if you are subscribed).

Your continued use of GovtClear after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please reach out: