Privacy Policy

1. Scope and contact

This Privacy Policy applies to the Federal Judicial Tracker website and browser service, customer communications, subscriptions, and support services operated by Federal Software Developers (“FJT,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). It does not replace the separate privacy terms of third-party websites or services.

Privacy questions and requests may be sent to stephen@FederalJudicialTracker.com.

2. Information you provide

Inquiries and private previews

The public website provides an email contact link. It opens your email application, and we receive your address and message only if you choose to send it. If we offer a private browser preview, invitation and access records may include your email address, an invitation-token verifier, an account identifier, and the dates the invitation and access begin, expire, or are revoked.

Browser accounts

To create and protect a browser account, FJT processes your email address, a password hash rather than your plain-text password, account creation and email-verification dates, one-use verification and recovery token hashes, failed-sign-in and lockout records, and a security marker used to invalidate sessions after account changes. We use these records to authenticate you, send requested account messages, protect the account, and control access.

Research notes, profiles, and photos

If you save research content in the browser service, FJT stores it in records associated with your account on its server. Depending on the feature you use, this may include notes about judges or nominees, education and prior positions, vacancy prospects, biographies, source references, timeline events, and photos you upload for prospect profiles. Some content you choose to add may identify other people. FJT uses these records to save and display your work in the browser service.

Purchases and subscriptions

Stripe-hosted checkout, including Link if used, may collect your name, email address, billing address, payment method, transaction details, tax information, and subscription choices. To provide browser access and handle payment changes, FJT stores account-linked Stripe customer and subscription identifiers, product and price identifiers, subscription status and paid-through dates, checkout and event identifiers, paid amount and settlement identifiers, and refund or dispute status. We do not receive or store your complete payment-card number.

Browser trial and reminder

A verified browser account may start one 360-day trial without providing a payment card. Stripe-hosted checkout may request a billing address. FJT records the account-linked checkout attempt, Stripe customer and subscription identifiers, trial start and end dates, subscription status, and a trial-used marker to prevent a second trial for that account.

We use the account's verified email address for a reminder scheduled about 14 days before the trial ends. We record the reminder's status and whether our mail service accepts it for sending. Mail-service acceptance does not establish inbox delivery. If you later add a payment method, you provide it to Stripe, not to FJT.

Earlier desktop subscriptions

An earlier FJT Windows product used a license key and a device identifier during online subscription validation. Records from that product may be retained for support, transaction history, security, and accounting even though new public sales are paused.

Support and business communications

We collect information you provide in support requests, refund or cancellation requests, correspondence, and feedback. Please do not send unnecessary sensitive information.

3. Information collected automatically

Hosting logs

Our web host may process technical information such as internet protocol address, browser type, the full requested page address, date and time, referring page, and security events for delivery, diagnostics, fraud prevention, and security. Verification and password-reset links contain one-use tokens in their page addresses, so opening one of those links may place its token-bearing address in a server access log. Those logs are controlled in part by the hosting provider.

Browser sign-in session

The browser service uses a sign-in cookie to keep you signed in and limit access to subscribed content. Its current cookie is configured as secure, HTTP-only, and nonpersistent, with a session lifetime that renews during use. You can sign out or clear the cookie in your browser to end that browser session.

Fonts and external resources

The website currently requests font files from Google Fonts. When your browser contacts Google, Google may receive technical information such as your IP address, browser information, and requested font resources under Google’s own privacy terms.

Research source searches

If you use the research-leads search, the browser service sends the search words you enter to Bing from our server and displays returned public-source leads. Bing may process the query and our server's network address under its own privacy practices. If you request a profile suggestion from a public DOJ source, the browser service retrieves that source page from the server.

4. How we use information

We use information to:

• respond to inquiries and provide requested product or pricing information;
• process subscriptions, taxes, payments, refunds, and cancellations;
• administer a browser trial, prevent a second trial for the same verified account, and send a trial-end reminder if the trial is offered;
• create, verify, protect, and administer browser accounts and access;
• save and display research notes, profiles, and photos you choose to add;
• provide updates, alerts, support, reports, and customer communications;
• protect customers, the website, and the application against misuse, fraud, and security threats;
• maintain business, tax, accounting, and legal records; and
• improve the reliability, usability, and features of FJT.

We do not sell personal information for money. We do not use information from an inquiry or purchase for unrelated marketing unless you request information or otherwise consent, subject to applicable law.

5. When information is shared

We may disclose information:

• to payment, checkout, tax, fraud-prevention, email, hosting, storage, and support providers that help operate FJT;
• to professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, and attorneys when reasonably necessary;
• to comply with law, court process, or a lawful government request, or to protect rights, safety, property, and security;
• in connection with a merger, financing, reorganization, sale, or transfer of all or part of the business, subject to appropriate protections; or
• at your direction or with your consent.

Stripe and Link, when used at checkout, process checkout information under their own policies and may send transaction messages or provide order support. For more information, review Stripe’s Privacy Policy.

6. Retention

We retain information for different periods according to its purpose and applicable obligations. Records may include accounts and subscription history, saved research content, technical logs, and backup copies. We keep a trial-used marker after trial access ends so the same verified account cannot start another trial. We may retain information after an account or subscription ends for support, security, tax, accounting, contractual, dispute, and legal purposes. We may retain deidentified or aggregate information that no longer identifies an individual. You may contact us about retention or request deletion as described below.

7. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards appropriate to the nature of the information and the size of the service. No system, transmission, or storage method is completely secure. You are responsible for protecting your computer, browser account credentials, email account, payment account, and backups.

8. Your choices and privacy requests

You may:

• choose whether to send an inquiry through the website’s email link;
• sign out of the browser service or clear its sign-in cookie, which will end that browser session;
• request correction of customer information;
• cancel a subscription as explained in the Terms of Service;
• unsubscribe from optional promotional emails if such messages are offered; and
• request access, deletion, correction, or other privacy rights available under applicable law.

Send requests to stephen@FederalJudicialTracker.com. We may need to verify your identity and authority before completing a request. Certain information may be retained where required or permitted by law, including transaction, tax, security, and dispute records.

9. Children’s privacy

The website and purchasing process are intended for adults and are not directed to children under 13. Educational use by a school or teacher does not authorize a child to submit personal information or purchase a subscription. If you believe a child has provided personal information directly to us, contact us so we can review and delete it where appropriate.

10. United States operation and external links

FJT is operated from the United States. Information may be processed in the United States and other places where our service providers operate. The website and application may link to official government sources and other third-party services. Their privacy and security practices are governed by their own policies.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in the product, service providers, law, or data practices. We will post the revised policy with a new effective date and provide additional notice when required. Materially different uses of previously collected information will be handled as required by applicable law.