Ascendant App, Inc.
Last updated June 30, 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how Ascendant App, Inc. (“Ascendant,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) collects, uses, discloses, and otherwise processes personal information in connection with our constituent engagement platform — including our customer relationship management (CRM), SMS/text messaging, email and eNewsletter, and resident contact data services, together with our related websites, applications, and software (collectively, the “Services”).
We provide the Services primarily to government agencies, public officials, special districts, and other public-sector organizations (“Clients”). Clients use the Services to communicate and engage with the residents, constituents, and other individuals they serve (“Constituents”).
This Privacy Policy applies to Constituents, to visitors to our websites and applications, and to the individuals who register or administer accounts to use the Services on behalf of a Client (“Account holders”).
Our role: service provider vs. business
For much of the personal information we process about Constituents, we act as a service provider (processor) on behalf of our Clients. In those cases, the Client — not Ascendant — decides what information is collected and how it is used, and the Client’s own privacy policy governs. Where we act as a service provider, we process Constituent information only on a Client’s documented instructions and as permitted by law and our agreements.
This Privacy Policy describes Ascendant’s own practices and applies where Ascendant acts as a business (controller) — for example, in connection with our Account holders, our websites and applications, and the resident contact data we source and maintain. This Privacy Policy does not cover the independent practices of our Clients or of third parties. Before engaging with a Client through the Services, we encourage you to review that organization’s privacy policy.
Please also review our Terms of Service, which govern your use of the Services.
1. Information we collect
We collect the following categories of information, depending on how you interact with the Services:
Contact information. Name, email address, mailing or physical address, phone number, and — where relevant to constituent engagement — demographic or district-related details such as preferred language, age range, or the legislative district, precinct, or service area associated with you. We collect Contact Information directly from you, from our Clients, and from third-party data sources (see “Resident contact data” below).
Resident contact data. A core part of the Services involves compiling, verifying, and maintaining resident contact information for our Clients’ service areas. We obtain this data from our Clients and from licensed third-party data providers and commercial data sources, and we may verify, correct, append, de-duplicate, and standardize it. As a result, we may hold Contact Information about you that you did not provide to us directly.
Messaging information. When you send or receive text (SMS/MMS) messages through the Services, or interact with messages we deliver, we collect message content and related metadata — including the phone number involved, timestamps, delivery and read status, attachments or media, links clicked, and opt-in and opt-out (for example, STOP/START) status.
Email and eNewsletter information. When you receive email or eNewsletter communications through the Services, we collect related information such as delivery status, opens, clicks, bounces, and unsubscribe requests.
CRM and engagement information. Clients use our CRM tools to organize their engagement with Constituents. This may include tags, segments, notes, case or request history, survey responses, and inferences or insights derived from interactions (for example, the topics you have contacted an official about, or the service area you belong to). This information may be created within the Services or imported by a Client from outside sources.
Account holder information. When an individual registers an account to use the Services on behalf of a Client, or is added as an authorized user, we collect information such as name, work email, phone number, job title, agency or organization details, login credentials, and account configuration (such as display names, branded images, signatures, and automated responses). If a Client connects a third-party system (such as a CRM, data source, or email platform), we may receive information from that integration.
Technical information. When you use our websites or applications, or interact with links, forms, or tracking tags in messages we deliver, we automatically collect technical information from your device and browser — such as device and operating-system type, browser type and version, IP address, approximate location derived from your IP address, cookie and device identifiers, app version, and server log information.
Correspondence. When you contact our support or sales teams, respond to a survey, or otherwise communicate with us, we collect the information you provide and what we need to respond.
Information from other sources. We may receive or combine information about you from Clients, third-party services, partners, and public or commercial data sources.
Aggregated and de-identified information. We may aggregate or de-identify information so that it cannot reasonably be used to identify you. We may use and disclose such information for any lawful purpose, and it is not subject to this Privacy Policy.
A note on location. We do not collect precise, GPS-level geolocation from your device. Geographically targeted outreach — for example, sending an alert to residents within a defined area — is based on the mailing address and service-area information associated with Constituent records, not on real-time device location.
2. How we use information
We use the information described above for the following business purposes:
- To provide, operate, and maintain the Services, including CRM, SMS/text messaging, email and eNewsletter, and resident contact data services;
- To compile, verify, and maintain resident contact data and to deliver Client communications, including segmented and geographically targeted outreach directed by our Clients;
- To onboard users, manage accounts, and authenticate access;
- To send and respond to communications, including customer support;
- To analyze, develop, improve, test, and secure the Services (including troubleshooting, analytics, research, and statistical purposes);
- To protect the Services and our users, enforce our Terms and policies, and comply with legal and contractual obligations; and
- To establish, exercise, or defend legal rights and to respond to lawful requests.
Where we act as a service provider, we use Constituent information only as needed to perform the Services for the applicable Client and as permitted by law.
3. How we disclose information
We may disclose the information described above as follows:
- With the Client you are engaging with. We disclose Constituent information to the Client on whose behalf we process it. That Client’s own practices and privacy policy govern its use of the information, and are not covered by this Privacy Policy.
- With vendors and service providers. We use third-party service providers — including SMS aggregators and telecommunications carriers — to deliver messages and operate the Services. These providers process information solely to perform services for us and are contractually prohibited from using it for their own purposes.
- With corporate affiliates. We may share information with entities under common ownership or control with Ascendant, for purposes consistent with this Privacy Policy.
- In business transfers. If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, asset sale, or similar transaction, or in the event of insolvency or bankruptcy, we may disclose or transfer your information to the parties involved and their advisors, before and after the transaction closes, subject to customary confidentiality protections.
- For legal, safety, and government purposes. We may disclose information to comply with law; to respond to subpoenas, court orders, legal process, law-enforcement requests, or government inquiries; and to protect the rights, property, safety, and security of Ascendant App, Inc., our affiliates, our users, and the public.
- With your consent. We may disclose information for other purposes that we describe to you at the time of collection or to which you otherwise consent.
We do not sell or rent personal information, and we do not disclose end-user information to third parties or affiliates for their own marketing or promotional purposes.
4. SMS / text messaging program and consent
SMS opt-in and consent data is handled with particular care. We do not sell, rent, share, or otherwise disclose SMS opt-in consent, phone numbers, or text-messaging consent information to third parties or affiliates for their own marketing or promotional purposes. Information collected as part of an SMS opt-in is used only to deliver the messaging program you opted into and to provide related support.
When you opt in to receive text messages from a Client through the Services, message frequency varies and message and data rates may apply. You can opt out at any time by replying STOP to a message from the relevant number, and you can reply HELP for assistance. Opting out stops further messages from that program; we and the relevant Client may continue to retain your information as described in this Privacy Policy. Mobile carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
5. Cookies and similar technologies
When you use our websites and applications, we and our providers use cookies, pixel tags, local storage, and similar technologies (collectively, “cookies”) to operate, secure, and improve the Services and to understand usage. We do not use these technologies to sell or share your information for cross-context behavioral advertising. You can usually refuse or disable cookies through your browser settings; because each browser is different, consult your browser’s help resources. If you disable cookies, some features of the Services may not function properly. For more detail, see our Cookie Policy.
6. Data retention
We retain personal information for as long as needed to provide the Services, fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, comply with our legal and contractual obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Where we process Constituent information on behalf of a Client, retention is also governed by our agreement with that Client and the Client’s instructions, and the Client may retain its own copies. Because many of our Clients are public-sector entities, records-retention and public-records requirements may also apply.
7. Data security
We maintain administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, use, alteration, and destruction, appropriate to the nature of the information and our role in processing it. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, however, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Your rights and choices
Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or obtain a copy of your personal information, and to object to or request restriction of certain processing. You also have the following choices:
- Text messages. Reply STOP to opt out of a messaging program, and START to opt back in.
- Email and eNewsletters. Use the unsubscribe link in any message, or contact us.
- Requests. Submit a request in writing to support@ascendantapp.com. We will respond as required by applicable law and may ask you to verify your identity before acting.
An important note for Constituents. For information we process on behalf of a Client, we will act on the Client’s instructions and may refer your request to that Client; in some cases you will need to contact the Client directly, and the Client may retain copies of your information after we act on a request. There may also be legal or records-retention requirements that prevent us from deleting certain information.
9. Children’s privacy
The Services are intended for use by adults and are not directed to children under 13 (or under 16 where a higher age threshold applies). We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children. Resident contact data is intended to reflect adult residents and registered contacts. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child in a manner inconsistent with applicable law, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.
10. California privacy disclosures
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (together, the “CCPA”), provides you with specific rights regarding your personal information, subject to certain exceptions:
- The right to know the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources, the business or commercial purposes for collection, and the categories of third parties to whom we disclose it;
- The right to delete personal information we have collected from you;
- The right to correct inaccurate personal information;
- The right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information; and
- The right to limit the use and disclosure of sensitive personal information.
We do not sell personal information, and we do not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. We use and disclose the limited sensitive personal information we process (for example, account log-in credentials) only to provide and secure the Services and for other purposes that do not require offering a right to limit. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.
To exercise your rights, email us at support@ascendantapp.com. You may also use an authorized agent; we may ask the agent for proof of authority and may ask you to verify your identity directly. The table below summarizes the statutory categories of personal information we collect and disclose for business purposes:
| Statutory category (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.140) |
Collected |
Disclosed for a business purpose |
Examples |
|
Identifiers |
Yes |
Yes |
Name, mailing address, email, phone number, account and device identifiers, IP address |
|
California customer records (§ 1798.80) |
Yes |
Yes |
Contact Information and Account holder information described above |
|
Protected classification characteristics |
Limited |
Limited |
Age range, language preference, or district/precinct where provided or sourced for constituent outreach |
|
Commercial information |
Yes |
Yes |
CRM and engagement records, service history, message and campaign activity |
|
Biometric information |
No |
n/a |
n/a |
|
Internet or other electronic network activity |
Yes |
Yes |
Technical information, link and message interaction data |
|
Geolocation data |
Yes (approximate) |
Yes |
Approximate location from IP address; mailing address and service-area information. We do not collect precise (GPS-level) device location. |
|
Audio, electronic, visual, or similar information |
Limited |
Limited |
Images or other media attachments sent via messages (MMS) |
|
Professional or employment information |
Yes |
Yes |
Account holder job title, agency, and organization details |
|
Education information |
No |
n/a |
n/a |
|
Inferences |
Yes |
Yes |
Tags, segments, and insights generated about engagement and interests |
|
Sensitive personal information |
Limited |
Limited |
Account log-in credentials, used only to provide the Services |
In the preceding 12 months, we have not sold or shared personal information as those terms are defined under the CCPA. We collect personal information from the sources described in “Information we collect,” use it for the purposes described in “How we use information,” and disclose it for the business purposes described in “How we disclose information.”
11. Other U.S. state privacy rights
Residents of certain other states (such as Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and others with comprehensive privacy laws) may have rights to access, correct, delete, and obtain a copy of their personal information, and to opt out of targeted advertising, the sale of personal information, and certain profiling. We do not engage in targeted advertising or the sale of personal information. To exercise these rights, contact us at support@ascendantapp.com. If we decline a request, you may appeal by replying to our response; we will inform you of the outcome as required by law.
12. Government Clients and public records
Many of our Clients are government entities. Information held by a Client through the Services may be subject to public-records, freedom-of-information, open-meeting, or records-retention laws. Ascendant does not control how those laws apply to a Client’s records. If you have questions about a particular Client’s obligations or how it handles your information, please contact that Client directly.
13. Third-party links and services
The Services may link to or integrate with third-party websites and services that we do not control. Their collection and use of your information is governed by their own privacy policies, not this one. We encourage you to review those policies.
14. International users
Ascendant is based in the United States and processes information in the United States. If you access the Services from outside the United States, you understand that your information will be processed in the United States, where data-protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction.
15. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date above and post the updated policy at ascendantapp.com. If we make changes that materially affect how we process or protect your information, we will provide additional notice as required by applicable law.
16. Contact us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our information practices, contact us at:
Ascendant App, Inc.
730 Arizona Avenue, Suite 200
Santa Monica, CA 90401
support@ascendantapp.com