Privacy Policy

Information We Collect

Account information: When you create an account, we collect your email address, display name, and optional profile information.

Usage data: We collect anonymized usage data to improve the Platform, including pages visited and features used.

User content: Posts, comments, and other content you create on the Platform.

Cookies & Analytics

We use a first-party cookie (gtx_vid) to recognize your browser across visits so we can understand how the Platform is used and improve it. Using our own analytics, we record activity such as the pages you view, the links and elements you click, referring sites, and approximate location, device, and browser derived from your IP address and user agent. When you are signed in, this activity is associated with your account.

This analytics is first-party: the data stays on our own infrastructure, is used only to operate and improve GvilleTX (including the proactive notifications you opt into), and is never sold. We do not use third-party advertising trackers.

Device characteristics and browser fingerprint. We collect technical characteristics of your browser and device — such as screen dimensions, color depth, time zone, language preferences, hardware concurrency, and rendering properties of the graphics and audio subsystems — and combine them into a device fingerprint. This fingerprint is computed on our servers and used to recognize a returning browser even when cookies are absent, so we can accurately count unique visitors and understand cross-session journeys. The fingerprint is a numeric hash; raw device signals are stored only for re-matching purposes and are covered by the deletion rights described below.

Durable visitor identifier. In addition to the gtx_vid cookie, we store a copy of your visitor identifier in several places in your browser — local storage, IndexedDB, the window name, and (where enabled) the browser cache and an HTTP cache validator — so the identifier can be restored if some of these are cleared while others survive. This helps us avoid accidentally treating a returning visitor as a new one. The identifier is the same value as the gtx_vid cookie; it carries no login or account credentials. All of these copies honour the opt-out below and are covered by the deletion rights described here.

Network and ISP information. We derive an approximate network provider (ISP name and autonomous system number) from your IP address using a locally-hosted database. This tells us, for example, whether traffic comes from residential connections versus business networks, without identifying you individually.

Detailed on-page interactions. We record granular interactions during your visit, including click positions on the page, which page regions you scroll through and how far, time spent on individual sections, form field engagement (which fields you focus and how long), and text selection and copy lengths. We do not capture the content of anything you type or select — only metadata such as lengths and timing.

We keep detailed event records for up to two years and remove the raw IP address from older records while retaining only the derived approximate location and ISP.

Opt out. If you prefer not to be measured at all, set a gtx_dnt=1 cookie for this site and we will stop. This opt-out is honored on our servers before any data is stored, and it covers every form of collection described above: standard analytics, device fingerprinting, local storage mirroring, network enrichment, and detailed interaction recording. Nothing is recorded while the opt-out cookie is present.

You can also clear every copy of your visitor identifier from this device right now:

Public Information

GvilleTX aggregates publicly available information from government agencies, public records, and open data sources. This includes events, government documents, public safety records (jail bookings, sex offender registry), business listings, and news. This information is already public; we organize and present it for community convenience.

How We Use Your Information

• Provide and maintain the Platform
• Send notifications you have opted into
• Improve our services
• Prevent abuse and enforce our terms

Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We may share data with service providers who help operate the Platform (hosting, email delivery) under strict confidentiality agreements.

Data Security

We use industry-standard security measures including encryption, secure authentication, and access controls. However, no system is 100% secure.

Your Rights

You may request to view, update, or delete your personal data at any time by contacting us. You can delete your account through your profile settings.

Contact

Privacy questions? Contact us at [email protected].