Privacy policy

Effective October 20, 2026

What Is Congress Doing? (“we,” “us”) is a free, nonpartisan service operated by Knowledge Is Power LLC. It runs at whatiscongressdoing.org and app.whatiscongressdoing.org. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. We collect as little as we can: you can use the service without an account.

Information we collect

Your address, when you look up your representatives. We send the address, or your device's location if you choose “Use my location,” to the U.S. Census Bureau's public geocoder to find your congressional district. We don't store the address or location on our servers. Your browser keeps only your state, your district and your members of Congress, so the app can show them next time.

Account information, if you create an account. An account is optional. If you create one, we store:

• your email address, and your first name if you give it;
• a password, which is stored in hashed form by our sign-in provider and never visible to us;
• your state and congressional district;
• the bills and members of Congress you choose to follow.

Information from Google, if you sign in with Google. See “Google user data” below.

Technical information. Like most websites, our servers record basic request information, such as your IP address, the page requested, and the time. We use it only to keep the service secure and working. These logs are deleted automatically within 14 days.

We don't use advertising cookies, analytics trackers, or tracking pixels. The app stores your sign-in session and saved representatives in your browser's local storage, which is needed for it to work.

Google user data

If you choose “Continue with Google,” Google shares your name, email address and a unique account identifier with us, using the openid, email and profile permissions. We use this information only to create and sign in to your What Is Congress Doing? account and to show you who you're signed in as. We don't request access to your Gmail, contacts, files or any other Google data.

We don't sell Google user data, use it for advertising, or share it with anyone except the service providers listed below that run our sign-in system. Our use of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including its Limited Use requirements. You can remove our access at any time from your Google Account settings.

How we use information

• To show you your representatives, how they voted, and the bills you follow.
• To create and secure your account, including sending sign-up and password-reset codes by email.
• To keep the service running, fix problems and prevent abuse.

We don't send marketing email. If we add optional updates in the future, such as alerts about bills you follow, you'll have to turn them on yourself.

What we never do

• We don't sell or rent your information.
• We don't share it with political campaigns, parties, advocacy groups or advertisers.
• We don't build profiles of your political views. The bills you follow are used only to show them back to you.

Service providers

We use a small number of providers to run the service. They may process information on our behalf only to provide their services:

• Amazon Web Services hosts the site, database and sign-in system (Amazon Cognito), in the United States.
• Google, if you sign in with Google. Our pages also load fonts from Google Fonts.
• U.S. Census Bureau, which receives the address you look up, as described above.
• GitHub Pages, which serves official member photos from the public @unitedstates project.

Services that deliver fonts and photos receive your IP address when your browser requests them. We may also disclose information if required by law.

How long we keep it

We keep account information until you delete your account. Server logs are deleted within 14 days. Database backups are kept for 7 days, so deleted information disappears from backups within that time.

Your choices

• Use it without an account. Everything except following bills and members works without signing in.
• Clear what your browser saved by changing your address in the app, signing out, or clearing this site's data in your browser.
• See, correct or delete your account. Email support@whatiscongressdoing.org from the address on your account and we'll send you a copy of your information, correct it, or delete your account and everything stored with it, within 30 days.

Security

Information is encrypted in transit and at rest. Our database isn't reachable from the internet. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect what you share with us.

Children

The service is meant for a general audience. Accounts are for people 13 and older, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has created an account, email support@whatiscongressdoing.org and we'll delete it.

Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we'll post the new version here and update the effective date. If a change significantly affects how we use information you've already given us, we'll ask for your consent or tell account holders by email first.

Contact

Questions or requests about privacy: support@whatiscongressdoing.org