Privacy Policy — Benson Fechter for Congress (PA-12)

Effective date: September 12, 2025

Benson Fechter for Congress (“we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Campaign”) respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what we collect, how we use and share it, and the choices you have when you visit our website, sign up to receive updates, donate, volunteer, attend events, or otherwise interact with us online or offline (together, the “Services”).

By using the Services, you agree to this Policy.

Information we collect

We collect information you provide directly, information collected automatically, and information from trusted partners.

You may provide your name, email address, phone number, mailing address, county/ZIP code, employer and occupation (for campaign-finance compliance), donation amount and payment details entered with our payment processor, message contents, event RSVPs, petition signatures, and volunteer preferences. If you apply for a job or internship, you may provide resume and background information. If you contact us by email, phone, text, mail, or web form, we collect the information in that communication.

When you use our website, we and our service providers automatically collect device and usage information, such as IP address, browser and device type, operating system, referring URLs, pages viewed, time spent, and general location derived from IP. We use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to enable site functionality, remember preferences, measure traffic, improve the site, and show ads and messages that may be more relevant to your interests.

We may receive information from partners and publicly available sources, including voter-file or demographic data permitted by law, social media platforms when you interact with our pages, security providers, analytics providers, and advertising platforms. If you donate, we may receive confirmation from our payment processor that a transaction cleared or failed.

How we use information

We use information to operate and improve our Services; communicate with you about news, events, policies, and opportunities to support the Campaign; process donations and comply with election laws; manage volunteer activities and events; personalize content and measure campaign effectiveness; secure our systems and prevent fraud; and comply with legal obligations.

For donors, we are required by federal law to collect certain information, including name, mailing address, occupation, and employer. If an individual’s aggregate contributions exceed $200 in an election cycle, the Campaign must publicly report those details to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). These disclosures are public records.

How we share information

We share information with vendors and service providers that perform services for us, such as payment processing, email and text messaging platforms, customer relationship management (CRM), analytics, security, website hosting, forms, event management, printing, and digital advertising. These partners are permitted to use information only to provide services to the Campaign or as required by law.

We may share limited, privacy-protected identifiers (for example, hashed email addresses) with advertising or social media platforms to find and reach people with similar interests (“custom audiences”) and to measure performance. You can opt out of this use as described below.

We disclose information if required by law, regulation, subpoena, or government request; to protect rights, safety, and security; to investigate misuse or fraud; or with your direction or consent. If the Campaign’s structure changes (for example, forming or working with authorized committees), information may be shared as part of that transition to the extent permitted by law.

We do not sell personal information for money. Some state laws define “sale,” “share,” or “targeted advertising” more broadly to include certain data uses with advertising partners. Where those laws apply, we honor your choices as described in “Your privacy choices” below.

Cookies, analytics, and advertising

We use first- and third-party cookies and similar technologies for site operations, performance measurement (for example, aggregated metrics via analytics tools), and outreach (for example, ad pixels). Most browsers allow you to delete or block cookies; doing so may affect site functionality. You can learn about interest-based advertising and opt out of many participating companies at aboutads.info/choices and optout.privacyrights.info. Your browser may offer a Global Privacy Control (GPC); where applicable law recognizes GPC as a valid opt-out signal for “sale”/“share,” we will honor it for that browser.

Email and text messaging

If you provide an email address, you may receive campaign emails. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails or by contacting us.

If you provide a mobile number, you consent to receive campaign calls and text messages, including via autodialer or prerecorded voice, from Benson Fechter for Congress. Message frequency may vary. Message and data rates may apply. Consent is not a condition of any purchase or donation. Text STOP to end or HELP for help. We may use your number to confirm event details, volunteer shifts, donations, or to share campaign updates. Carrier delivery is not guaranteed.

Children’s privacy

Our Services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child provided us information, contact us and we will delete it.

Data retention

We retain information for as long as needed for campaign operations, to comply with election-law recordkeeping, to resolve disputes, and to enforce our agreements. Public FEC reports are retained per federal law.

Security

We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the nature of the information to protect against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alteration. No system is perfectly secure. Please use caution when sharing information online and notify us promptly of any suspected incident.

Your privacy choices

You may unsubscribe from emails using the link in any message, opt out of texts by replying STOP, and request updates or corrections to your contact details by reaching us at the contact information below.

If you are in a state with privacy laws providing additional rights (for example, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, Utah), you may have the right to request access to, deletion of, or correction of personal information, and to opt out of “sale,” “sharing,” or targeted advertising, as those terms are defined by law. To exercise these rights, contact us using the methods below and include “Privacy Request” in the subject or first line, along with your name, state of residence, the right you wish to exercise, and a way for us to verify your identity. If you opt out of “sale”/“share,” we will apply your choice to advertising uses covered by applicable law. We do not knowingly sell or share the personal information of individuals under 16.

Your browser settings may also allow you to send a Global Privacy Control signal. Where required, we will treat a valid GPC signal as an opt-out for that browser.

Do Not Track signals are not standardized; we do not respond to them, but you can use the choices described above.

Links and third-party services

Our website may link to third-party sites and services, including donation processors, event platforms, social media, and embedded content. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies, which we encourage you to review. We do not control and are not responsible for third-party practices.

International visitors

We are based in the United States and process information in the U.S. If you visit from another country, you understand your information will be transferred to and processed in the U.S., where laws may differ from those in your country.

Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy to reflect operational, legal, or regulatory changes. The “Effective date” indicates when it was last revised. Material changes will be noted on this page.

Contact us

If you have questions, requests, or complaints about this Privacy Policy or our practices, please contact us. We aim to respond within two business days.

Email: fechterbenson@gmail.com
Phone/Text: (412) 660-0266
Mailing address: 526 E Bruceton Rd, Suite 110A, Pittsburgh, PA 15236

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Campaign-finance note for donors: Federal law requires us to use best efforts to obtain and report name, mailing address, occupation, and employer of individuals whose aggregate contributions exceed $200 in an election cycle. Contributions are not tax-deductible. Limits and eligibility rules apply.