This Privacy Policy explains how Elevated Arguments (“we,” “us,” or the “Site”), operating at elevatedarguments.com, collects, uses, and protects information when you use the Site. By using the Site you agree to this Policy.
Information we collect
- Mobile phone number. We collect your mobile number to create your account and to send a one-time sign-in code by SMS. This is how we verify that one person holds one account.
- Self-declared political lean. An optional left / center / right value you provide at sign-up.
- Your contributions. The arguments you submit under a topic, and any sources you propose for a lens — each of those being a claim about a text and the citation that backs it.
- A display name, if you give one. Optional and up to 40 characters. It is shown publicly beside anything of yours that publishes; leave it blank and your contribution publishes with no name attached.
- No ratings, votes, or scores. Rating is turned off while every submission is read by a person, so the Site offers no way to rate, score, or rank another reader’s argument, and records none.
- Basic technical data. A session cookie to keep you signed in, and standard request logs (e.g., timestamps) used to prevent abuse and rate-limit activity.
SMS / text messaging terms
Mobile information is never shared. No mobile information (including your phone number and SMS opt-in or consent) will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. We do not sell, rent, or trade your mobile number. Text-messaging originator opt-in data and consent are not shared with any third parties, and are excluded from any other information-sharing described in this Policy.
We use your mobile number solely to send account-related messages — specifically, the one-time verification codes required to sign in.
- Message frequency. Messages are sent only when you request one. You will receive one SMS each time you request a sign-in code; we do not send recurring or marketing texts, so how often you receive a message depends entirely on how often you sign in.
- Message and data rates. Message and data rates may apply. These charges are set by your mobile carrier and are your responsibility.
- Supported carriers. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
- Help. For help with messaging, reply HELP to any message or contact us at the address below.
- Opt out. Reply STOP at any time to stop receiving text messages. Because our texts are the one-time codes used to sign in, opting out means you will no longer be able to receive sign-in codes.
The mobile number you provide is passed only to our SMS delivery provider (Twilio) for the sole purpose of transmitting your verification code. It is not used for any marketing purpose by us or by that provider.
How we use your information
- To authenticate you and maintain your signed-in session.
- To operate the Site — putting what you submit in front of a human reviewer, and publishing it under your chosen name if it is accepted.
- To detect and prevent fraud, spam, and other abuse, which is what the request logs and rate limits are for.
Your phone number is never displayed publicly. A published contribution carries the display name you chose, or no name at all if you left the field blank. Your account also holds a randomly generated handle (for example, “reader-4f2a”), which appears only in the moderation view and reveals nothing about your number.
Your self-declared lean is recorded with your account and, while rating is off, is not used to rank, sort, or filter anything. It is never shown beside your contributions.
How we share information
We do not sell your personal information. We share information only in these limited cases:
- Service providers that operate the Site on our behalf (such as our SMS provider and hosting infrastructure), strictly to perform their function — and, as stated above, mobile opt-in data is never shared for marketing.
- Legal compliance, if required by law, subpoena, or to protect the rights, safety, and security of the Site and its users.
Data retention
We keep your account information for as long as your account is active. One-time codes are short-lived and expire within minutes. You may request deletion of your account and associated personal data by contacting us.
Security
Sessions use secure, HttpOnly cookies, and one-time codes are single-use and time-limited. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable measures to protect your information.
Children
The Site is not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age required in your jurisdiction), and we do not knowingly collect their information.
Changes to this Policy
We may update this Policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by updating the “Last updated” date above.
Contact
Questions about this Policy or your data? Contact us at [email protected].