opinvera legal terms
Privacy Policy
Effective September 30, 2026 · Version 1.4
1. Acceptance of Terms
By accessing or using our Services, you agree to this Privacy Policy and all incorporated policies. Your use constitutes acceptance. For users in the EEA/UK, where we rely on consent as a legal basis, your agreement is obtained through our affirmative consent mechanisms (see Section 2A).
2. Information We Collect
- Contact Information: Name, email, postal address, phone, username, password
- Interaction Information: Log data, response times, browser behavior, download errors, crash reports and diagnostic data
- Device Information: IP address, browser type/settings, operating system, device and installation identifiers used by our crash-reporting and analytics providers
- User-Generated Content: Polls, votes, likes, shares, comments, trust-circle connections, and other content you create and share
- Profile Imagery: A profile photo and a cover image you choose to upload
- Payment Information: Processed by third-party Payment Processors; we do not store full payment card details
- Browser Extension Data: If you install the OpinVera browser extension, the additional data described in Section 2B
- Identity Verification Data: If you choose to verify your identity, images of a government-issued identity document and a selfie, collected in-app and processed by our identity verification provider (currently Stripe Identity) to establish your verified status; we receive the verification outcome, not the underlying images, and verification imagery held by the provider is redacted after verification in accordance with its retention practices
2A. Legal Bases for Processing (GDPR — EEA/UK Users)
Scope at launch. The Platform is offered in the United States only (Terms §19; Country-Specific Provisions A.0). We do not currently offer the Platform to, or monitor the behaviour of, people in the EEA or the United Kingdom, so the GDPR and the UK GDPR do not presently apply to our processing. We nonetheless apply the bases and the practices in this section to every member as a matter of policy, so that nothing changes for you on the day we open the Platform to those regions. From that day this section applies to EEA and UK members as law, and we will have appointed the representatives Article 27 GDPR and Article 13 of the Digital Services Act require and named them in §14A.
If you are located in the EEA or UK, we process your personal data only where we have a lawful basis to do so under the GDPR:
| Processing Activity | Legal Basis | GDPR Article |
|---|---|---|
| Account creation and management | Performance of contract | Art. 6(1)(b) |
| Processing transactions | Performance of contract | Art. 6(1)(b) |
| Essential cookies | Legitimate interest | Art. 6(1)(f) |
| Non-essential cookies and tracking | Consent | Art. 6(1)(a) |
| Marketing communications | Consent | Art. 6(1)(a) |
| Fraud prevention and security | Legitimate interest | Art. 6(1)(f) |
| Identity verification (government ID and selfie) | Explicit consent | Art. 6(1)(a) / Art. 9(2)(a) |
| Browser extension: recognized-article lookup and article submission (Section 2B) | Performance of contract | Art. 6(1)(b) |
| Browser extension: optional usage statistics (Section 2B) | Consent | Art. 6(1)(a) |
| Legal compliance | Legal obligation | Art. 6(1)(c) |
| Analytics and personalization | Legitimate interest / Consent | Art. 6(1)(f) / Art. 6(1)(a) |
Where identity verification involves the processing of biometric data derived from your selfie and identity document for the purpose of uniquely identifying you, we rely on your explicit consent (GDPR Art. 9(2)(a)). Identity verification is optional; declining or withdrawing consent affects only whether your votes carry verified weight on the Platform.
Where we rely on legitimate interest, we have conducted a balancing test and determined that our interests do not override your fundamental rights and freedoms. You may object to processing based on legitimate interest at any time by contacting support@opinvera.com.
2B. Browser Extension Data
If you install the OpinVera browser extension, the following applies in addition to the rest of this Policy. The extension's job is to show you, as you browse, whether an article has polls, and to let you vote from the page.
- Recognized-article lookup. The extension sends the address (URL) of article pages you visit to our servers to check them against our catalog of recognized articles. These lookups are anonymous: the request is not linked to your account or to a persistent identifier, and the addresses are used to answer the lookup — not to build a profile or history of your browsing.
- Submitting an unlisted article. When you click the OpinVera mark or start a vote on an article that is not yet in our catalog, the extension sends that article's address, headline and image address to us so the poll can be created. This happens only when you take that action. The submission itself carries no account or persistent identifier; any vote you then cast is handled like any other vote under this Policy.
- Optional usage statistics. With your permission, the extension collects aggregate usage counters (for example, how often the mark is shown or opened, and on which news site) and basic technical diagnostics such as crash reports, to help us improve it. No page address, account or persistent identifier is included. This collection is optional: it is off by default, you can switch it on or off at any time in the extension's settings, and on Firefox it is a separate optional permission you choose at installation.
The extension does not read the content of pages you visit beyond the items described above, does not read forms or keystrokes, and extension data is never sold, shared, or used for advertising (Section 5.5). Uninstalling the extension through your browser stops all of the above immediately.
3. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to understand usage, remember preferences, and enhance experience. See our Cookies Policy for details. For users in the EEA/UK, non-essential cookies are only activated after your affirmative opt-in consent.
4. How We Use Your Information
4.1 Providing and Improving Services
- Delivering products and services
- Processing transactions and sending related information
- Improving functionality, performance, and security
- Responding to comments, questions, and requests
4.2 Communication
We may send notifications, updates, and promotional messages, subject to the per-category notification preferences available in your settings. You can opt out of marketing communications at any time.
4.3 Personalization
We may personalize your experience based on preferences and activity.
4.4 Aggregated Data
We may compile anonymized data about users to understand demographics and behavior. This data does not identify you personally.
4.5 Legal Compliance
We may process information to comply with applicable laws, regulations, or legal processes.
4.6 Automated Processing and Vote Weighting
Producing aggregate Poll results involves automated processing, including the weighting of votes by verification status and trust-circle position. We disclose how voting and weighting work within the app. Vote weighting affects only how individual votes are combined into aggregate Platform results; it does not affect your access to the Service, the price you pay, or any legal or financial entitlement, and it is not used to make decisions that produce legal effects concerning you. For EEA/UK users, you have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing that produces legal effects or similarly significantly affects you (GDPR Article 22). If you believe any automated processing affects you in that way, contact support@opinvera.com to request human review.
4.7 Signing In With a Third-Party Account
If you choose Continue with Google, Continue with Apple, Continue with Facebook or Continue with LinkedIn, the sign-in itself takes place with that provider, under that provider's own privacy policy, and we receive only the account details the provider returns to us (such as your name and email address). While it runs, the Google sign-in library derives an approximate location from your device's network connection; that location is derived by Google, is not passed to us, and we do not store it. These buttons are optional: you can create and use your account with an email address and password instead.
5. Sharing Your Information
5.1 Service Providers
We share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist in operating our Platform (e.g., payment processing, identity verification, data analysis, hosting), subject to confidentiality obligations and, for EEA/UK users, appropriate data processing agreements.
5.2 Legal Requirements
We may disclose information if required by law or to protect our rights, property, or the safety of users.
5.3 Business Transfers
Information may be transferred as part of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets. We will provide notice before personal information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
5.4 [Reserved.]
5.5 No Sale or Sharing of Personal Information
We do not sell or share your personal information, as "sell" and "share" are defined under the California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act, and we do not use advertising trackers or targeted advertising. Disclosures to our service providers (Section 5.1) are made under contracts that restrict their use of your information to providing services to us. If we ever introduce optional programs that involve selling or sharing personal information, they will be disabled by default, will apply to you only with your prior opt-in, and will include a clear opt-out. See Section 11 for your California rights.
6. Data Security
We implement administrative, technical, and physical safeguards (e.g., encryption in transit and at rest, secure servers, access controls, regular security audits) to protect your information. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. In the event of a data breach, we will notify you and applicable authorities in accordance with applicable law (see Terms of Service Section 5.4).
7. Data Retention
We retain personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Policy, comply with legal obligations, or resolve disputes (e.g., account data for the life of the account plus 5 years for legal records; logs for 30 days). Identity verification imagery is held by our identity verification provider and redacted after verification is complete; OpinVera retains only your verification status and related metadata. When data is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it.
8. Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have rights to:
- Access your personal data
- Correct inaccurate data
- Delete your data
- Object to processing
- Data portability (receive your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format)
- Withdraw consent (without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before withdrawal)
- Restrict processing
- Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (for EEA/UK users)
- Not be subject to automated decision-making (for EEA/UK users)
To exercise these rights, contact support@opinvera.com. We will respond within 30 days (or 45 days for CCPA requests, with possible extension). We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.
9. Children's Privacy
Our Services are intended for users aged 16 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. For users in the EEA/UK, this minimum age meets or exceeds the applicable age of digital consent of each member state. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 16, we will promptly delete that information. If you believe we have collected information from a child in violation of this policy, please contact us at support@opinvera.com.
10. International Data Transfers
Your data is processed in the United States, where the Platform is offered and operated, and may be processed in other countries by the service providers named in §5. Once the Platform is offered in the EEA or the United Kingdom (§2A, Scope at launch), we ensure appropriate safeguards for transfers out of those regions, including:
- Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission for transfers from the EEA
- UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) or UK Addendum to SCCs for transfers from the UK
- Supplementary measures where required by applicable data protection authorities
- Any other lawful transfer mechanism recognized by applicable data protection law
By using the Platform, you acknowledge that your data may be transferred to the United States, which may not provide the same level of data protection as your home country.
11. California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)
If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act:
(a) Right to Know. You have the right to request that we disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources, the business purpose for collecting, and the categories of third parties with whom we disclose it.
(b) Right to Delete. You have the right to request the deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.
(c) Right to Correct. You have the right to request that we correct inaccurate personal information.
(d) Right to Opt-Out of Sale/Sharing. We do not sell or share your personal information (as those terms are defined by the CCPA/CPRA) and we do not use your personal information for targeted advertising. Should this ever change, we will provide a "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" mechanism before any such practice begins, honor opt-out preference signals such as Global Privacy Control, and apply any such program to you only with your prior opt-in.
(e) Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information. You may limit our use of sensitive personal information (e.g., government identification and biometric information collected for optional identity verification) to purposes necessary to provide the Service.
(f) Non-Discrimination. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA/CPRA rights.
(g) Categories of Personal Information Collected:
| Category (CCPA) | Examples | Collected? | Sold or Shared? | Disclosed to Service Providers? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identifiers | Name, email, username, IP address, device and installation identifiers | Yes | No | Yes (service providers) |
| Commercial Information | Transaction records (identity verification fee) | Yes | No | Yes (payment processor) |
| Internet Activity | App interaction data | Yes | No | Yes (analytics providers) |
| Geolocation | Approximate location derived by the Google sign-in library from your device's network during Continue with Google only; it is not passed to us and we do not store it. IP addresses are truncated before storage and never geolocated | Yes (by the Google sign-in library, during sign-in only) | No | No |
| Sensitive Personal Information | Government ID images and selfie for optional identity verification | Yes | No | Yes (identity verification provider — Stripe) |
| Inferences | User preferences, interests | Yes | No | No |
(h) Authorized Agents. You may designate an authorized agent to make requests on your behalf. We may require verification of the agent's authority.
(i) Verification. We will verify your identity before responding to requests using reasonable methods.
(j) Response Timing. We will respond to verifiable requests within 45 days, with a possible 45-day extension with notice.
To exercise your rights: Email support@opinvera.com.
11A. Additional State Privacy Rights
Residents of Colorado (CPA), Connecticut (CTDPA), Virginia (VCDPA), Utah (UCPA), Texas (TDPSA), Oregon (OCPA), and other states with comprehensive privacy laws may have similar rights to access, correct, delete, and opt out of certain data processing. To exercise your rights under any applicable state privacy law, please contact support@opinvera.com. We will respond in accordance with the applicable statute's requirements.
Where required by applicable state law, you have the right to appeal our decision regarding your privacy rights request. To submit an appeal, email support@opinvera.com with the subject line "Privacy Rights Appeal."
12. Nevada Privacy Rights
Nevada residents may opt out of the sale of their personal information as defined under Nevada law. We do not sell personal information as defined by Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 603A. To submit an opt-out request, contact support@opinvera.com. We will respond within 60 days of receipt.
13. Amendments
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Material changes will be notified via email or Platform notice at least thirty (30) days before the changes take effect. For EEA/UK users, material changes to data processing practices may require your renewed consent.
14. Contact Us
For questions about our Privacy Policy, email support@opinvera.com.
14A. Data Protection Contact
For data protection inquiries, contact support@opinvera.com. We have not appointed a Data Protection Officer; none is required for our size and processing.
EU, UK and DSA representatives. The Platform is offered in the United States only at launch (§2A, Scope at launch), so no representative under Article 27 GDPR, Article 27 UK GDPR or Article 13 of the Digital Services Act is appointed yet. We will appoint them before the Platform is offered in the EEA or the United Kingdom and name them here.
The following apply once the Platform is offered in those regions:
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. A list of EEA data protection authorities is available at: https://edpb.europa.eu/about-edpb/about-edpb/members_en
For UK residents, you may contact the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/