VOICE — Privacy Policy & Terms of Use

What we collect

VOICE collects information you provide directly when you create an account, submit a campaign, or make a contribution. This includes your name, email address, and payment information. Payment details are processed and stored by Stripe and are not retained by VOICE.

We also collect standard usage data when you interact with the platform — pages visited, actions taken, device type, and browser information. This is collected through standard analytics tools and is used solely to improve the platform.

We do not sell your personal information. We do not share it with advertisers. We do not use it for any purpose beyond operating the platform and complying with applicable law.

How we use your information

Your information is used to operate your account, process contributions, communicate campaign updates, and comply with legal obligations. Specifically:

To verify your identity and maintain your account
To process contributions and issue refunds where applicable
To send you campaign updates, activity reports, and platform notifications
To review campaign submissions and communicate our decision
To comply with anti-money laundering and know-your-customer obligations
To respond to your questions and support requests

We will not send you marketing communications unrelated to your platform activity without your explicit consent.

What we share

VOICE does not sell or rent your personal information. We share information only in the following limited circumstances:

With Stripe for payment processing. Stripe's privacy policy governs their handling of your payment data.
With lobbyist firms engaged on funded campaigns — limited to what is necessary to manage the engagement. Individual contributor identities are not disclosed to lobbyists.
With government authorities if required by law, court order, or to prevent fraud or harm.
With service providers who help us operate the platform (hosting, analytics, email delivery), under confidentiality obligations.

Contribution amounts are visible in aggregate on the platform. Individual contribution amounts are not publicly displayed unless you choose to make them visible.

Lobbying disclosure and your privacy

        Important: For purposes of the Lobbying Disclosure Act, the registered client in all VOICE-facilitated lobbying engagements is VOICE LLC, not individual contributors. Your name does not appear in federal lobbying disclosure filings. Your contribution is private.
      

This structure is intentional. It protects contributor privacy while ensuring full legal compliance with federal lobbying disclosure requirements. The lobbying firm discloses VOICE LLC as the client, the issue areas being lobbied, and the agencies and legislative bodies contacted — as required by law. None of this disclosure includes individual contributor identities or contribution amounts.

If you have questions about how lobbying disclosures work or what information is publicly available, please contact us.

Data retention

We retain your account information for as long as your account is active. If you close your account, we will delete your personal information within 90 days, subject to retention obligations required by law — including financial records related to contributions, which we are required to retain for a minimum of seven years.

Campaign contribution records are retained for the duration of the campaign and for seven years thereafter for compliance purposes.

Your rights

You may request access to the personal information we hold about you, request correction of inaccurate information, or request deletion of your account and associated data, subject to legal retention requirements. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the address below.

If you are a resident of California, the European Union, or another jurisdiction with specific data protection laws, additional rights may apply. Contact us for information specific to your jurisdiction.

Eligibility

VOICE is available to individuals who are at least 18 years of age and have a valid United States phone number. By creating an account, you represent that you meet these requirements.

VOICE is a US-only platform. Account creation requires verification of a US phone number (+1). Non-US phone numbers are not accepted. This requirement exists because the platform facilitates US federal and state lobbying activity, which is governed exclusively by US law.

VOICE is not available to foreign nationals acting on behalf of foreign governments or foreign political parties. Use of the platform to conduct foreign lobbying activity as defined under the Foreign Agents Registration Act is prohibited.

Platform rules

The following uses of the platform are prohibited:

Submitting campaigns to address personal legal disputes rather than policy issues of broad public concern
Coordinating with a lobbying firm outside the VOICE platform to circumvent the escrow and accountability mechanisms
Creating multiple accounts to inflate vetting votes or contribution counts
Submitting materially false or misleading information in a campaign proposal
Using the platform for any purpose that violates applicable federal, state, or local law

VOICE reserves the right to reject any campaign submission, suspend any account, and return contributed funds if we determine that platform rules have been violated. VOICE further reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to decline to approve any campaign with which it is not comfortable, for any reason, without obligation to provide an explanation.

Contributions and escrow

Contributions to campaigns are processed through Stripe and held in escrow until a campaign reaches its funding threshold. VOICE charges a 10% platform fee on all funded campaigns, deducted at the time of activation.

If a campaign reaches its threshold: Escrow is released and a lobbyist engagement begins. Funds are disbursed to the lobbyist in monthly tranches contingent on verified activity.

If a campaign does not reach its threshold within 90 days: Contributions are automatically returned to contributors minus the payment processing fee charged by Stripe (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). VOICE does not retain any platform fee on unfunded campaigns. The Stripe processing fee is non-recoverable as it is charged at the time of the original transaction.

If a funded campaign is terminated early for any reason — including inability to find a replacement lobbyist, platform closure, or VOICE's determination that the campaign cannot continue — contributors receive a pro-rata refund of remaining escrow funds minus the 10% platform fee and any payment processing fees already incurred. Funds already disbursed to the lobbyist for completed months of work are not refundable.

If VOICE is unable to engage a suitable lobbyist for a campaign that has reached its funding threshold: contributions are returned to contributors minus payment processing fees. No platform fee is deducted in this scenario. VOICE will notify all contributors with an explanation.

Contributions are not tax-deductible. They do not constitute political donations under federal election law.

No guarantee of outcomes

        VOICE funds professional registered advocacy — not guaranteed legislative or regulatory outcomes. No lobbying firm, however experienced, can guarantee a result in a process ultimately controlled by elected officials and agency administrators. Contributors should not contribute with an expectation of guaranteed policy success.
      

The measure of a successful VOICE campaign is whether professional advocacy was delivered as described — a qualified registered lobbyist engaged, active, filing required disclosures, and working the issue through the appropriate channels. VOICE makes no representation beyond this.

Lobbyist performance and replacement

VOICE monitors lobbyist performance through required monthly activity reports and federal lobbying disclosure filings. If a lobbyist fails to file a required activity report, escrow for that month's tranche is frozen automatically.

Lobbyist engagement timeline: Upon a campaign reaching its funding threshold, VOICE will engage a registered lobbyist within 14 days. If VOICE is unable to engage a suitable lobbyist within that period, all contributions will be returned to contributors minus Stripe's payment processing fee and the campaign will be closed.

Verified activity defined: For purposes of monthly tranche release, "verified activity" means at least one of the following documented within the calendar month: a meeting or call with a congressional office, agency official, or relevant committee staff; submission of written materials, testimony, or comments to a federal agency or legislative body; a filed quarterly lobbying disclosure report with the Senate Office of Public Records; or other documented advocacy action approved by VOICE in advance. A lobbyist who fails to document verified activity within a calendar month forfeits that month's tranche.

If VOICE determines that a lobbyist is materially underperforming or non-responsive, VOICE reserves the right to terminate the engagement and seek a replacement from its network. If a suitable replacement cannot be identified, remaining escrow is returned to contributors on a pro-rata basis minus fees already incurred and the campaign is closed.

VOICE does not administer a contributor vote mechanism for lobbyist removal at this stage of the platform. Removal decisions are made by VOICE based on objective performance criteria and contributor feedback submitted through the platform.

Campaign extensions

Policy timelines do not always cooperate with campaign timelines. Where a funded campaign has made demonstrable progress but requires additional time, VOICE may offer contributors the option to vote on a campaign extension.

Extensions work as follows:

VOICE proposes an extension with a plain-language explanation of why more time is needed and what the lobbyist has accomplished to date
Contributors are notified by email and have 14 days to cast a simple yes or no vote
A simple majority of responding contributors approves the extension
If approved, the campaign continues for the extended period with the existing lobbyist
If rejected, or if fewer than 20% of contributors vote, the campaign closes and remaining escrow is returned pro-rata
Each campaign may have a maximum of one extension

Contributors who do not wish to participate in an extension may request a pro-rata refund of their remaining contribution regardless of the vote outcome, within 7 days of the extension vote closing.

Conduct and termination

VOICE reserves the right to suspend or terminate any account that violates these terms, engages in abusive behavior toward platform staff or other users, or uses the platform in a manner inconsistent with its civic mission.

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware.

Arbitration and class action waiver

        Please read this section carefully. It affects your legal rights. By using the VOICE platform, you agree to resolve disputes through binding individual arbitration rather than in court, and you waive the right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration.
      

Binding arbitration: Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms, the VOICE platform, or your use of any VOICE service — including any question of whether a dispute is subject to arbitration — shall be resolved exclusively through final and binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules. The arbitration shall be conducted by a single arbitrator. The arbitrator's decision shall be final and binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Class action waiver: You expressly waive any right to bring or participate in any class action, collective action, or representative action against VOICE. All claims must be brought in your individual capacity only. The arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims and may not preside over any form of representative or class proceeding. If this class action waiver is found to be unenforceable for any reason, the entire arbitration provision shall be null and void.

Informal resolution first: Before initiating arbitration, you agree to contact VOICE at legal@voiceprotocol.io and provide a written description of your dispute and the relief sought. VOICE will attempt to resolve the dispute informally within 30 days. If the dispute is not resolved within that period, either party may initiate arbitration.

Exceptions: Either party may seek emergency injunctive or other equitable relief from a court of competent jurisdiction to prevent irreparable harm pending the outcome of arbitration. Claims related to intellectual property rights may be brought in court without first going to arbitration.

Opt-out: You may opt out of this arbitration agreement within 30 days of first accepting these Terms by sending written notice to legal@voiceprotocol.io. If you opt out, disputes will be resolved in the courts of the State of Delaware.

VOICE reserves the right to modify these terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated to registered users by email with at least 30 days notice before taking effect.

Contact

For privacy requests, compliance questions, or any other inquiry:

VOICE LLC

Washington, D.C.

[email protected]

For campaign-related questions, contributor support, or lobbyist performance concerns, contact [email protected]