Privacy Policy
Effective October 17, 2026
RateTheUSGov.com is an independent civic information project operated personally by Steven under the NoisyCricketCreations name in Tennessee. It is not a government website. For privacy questions, contact noisycricketcreations@outlook.com.
Information involved when you visit
The site uses WordPress.com hosting and Jetpack services from Automattic. Delivering pages, keeping the site secure, and measuring visits can involve your IP address, browser and device information, pages visited, referring page, access time, and an approximate location inferred from your IP address. Jetpack Stats is enabled. We use visitor statistics to understand how the project is used and where it needs improvement.
The site does not need your street address, government ID, voter registration, or precise GPS location to show a profile. A profile visit or community account does not verify that someone is a voter or constituent.
Email, existing accounts, and earlier submissions
If you email us, we receive your address, message, and any information you choose to include. We use it to respond, investigate corrections or reports, and maintain relevant correspondence. Please avoid sending identity documents, account passwords, or another person’s private information. Email is handled through the Outlook service used for our contact address.
Existing site accounts can contain a username, email address, display name, account settings, and authentication records. Earlier ratings or comments can contain the submitted text, score, public display name, time, associated profile, and technical information used for moderation or spam prevention. Pausing submissions does not automatically erase existing records.
Approved public contributions, where present, can be read, copied, or indexed by others. Private account email addresses are not intended to be displayed as part of a review or comment. WordPress and connected services may process login activity and password-reset requests. When comment features are used, Automattic services such as Akismet or Gravatar may process submission or profile information; those features are not currently open for new public comments.
Cookies and service providers
WordPress.com and Jetpack use cookies or similar technologies for functions such as sign-in, preferences, security, service delivery, and usage measurement. Handling can differ when you are already signed in to WordPress.com. Hosting infrastructure, image delivery, and font delivery also receive the technical information needed to serve those resources.
You can use your browser’s settings to review, block, or remove cookies. Blocking them can affect sign-in or other functions. This site does not currently offer a custom cookie-preference panel. More detail is available in Automattic’s visitor privacy notice, its cookie policy, and the Jetpack Privacy Center.
When information is shared
Information is handled by the operator and the service providers needed to host, secure, maintain, and operate the project or deliver email. Providers may process information in the United States or other countries under their own applicable terms and privacy notices. We may disclose relevant information when legally required or reasonably necessary to address fraud, security issues, or threats to safety.
The operator does not sell or rent private account details, email correspondence, or contact lists. This statement does not replace the separate disclosures made by hosting, email, or payment providers about their own processing.
External websites and financial support
Links to official records, social platforms, Venmo, and Cash App take you to separate services. Those services apply their own privacy rules. We do not collect payment-card or bank-login details through this website. If you contribute using an external service, the recipient may receive transaction information and identifiers that the service makes available. Review that service’s privacy and visibility settings before paying.
Retention and security
Account records and earlier submissions may remain stored while participation is paused. Email correspondence is retained while relevant to the request, project operations, or applicable obligations. We review deletion requests individually. Security records and provider backups can have separate retention periods; we cannot promise immediate removal from every backup or a third party’s records. Automattic describes its own retention practices in its visitor privacy notice.
We use the hosting platform’s security features and limit administration to authorized access. No website, email system, or storage service can guarantee absolute security.
Your requests and choices
Email noisycricketcreations@outlook.com to ask about information associated with you, request an available export, correct account information, or request deletion of an account or contribution. Include the relevant username or page link and, where possible, contact us from the account’s email address. We may need to confirm that the request is yours. Do not send a government ID unless a separate, appropriate process has been agreed.
Some records may need to be retained for security, administration, or legal obligations. Available rights and response requirements can depend on your location. Information published about officials is drawn from public sources; factual correction requests are welcome through the same address.
Age and future community features
The intended participation age is 18 or older. We do not currently verify visitors’ ages, and public viewing is not behind an age gate. New registration and contributions remain disabled while the participation safeguards are prepared. If you believe we hold personal information submitted by someone under 18, contact us so we can investigate and address it, including deletion where appropriate.
Changes to this notice
We will revise this notice as the site’s services or data practices change and update the effective date above. Community features will require additional setup before reopening.