This Privacy Policy and Terms of Use (“Policy”) governs access to and use of the Civil Strategies website (the “Site”). By accessing or using the Site, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Policy. If you do not agree, you must not use the Site.
Civil Strategies, LLC (“Civil,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) operates this Site as a private, commercial, informational service.
I. Privacy Policy
1. Purpose and Scope
Civil is committed to protecting privacy, minimizing data exposure, and maintaining strict control over its information, intellectual property, systems, and communications. This Privacy Policy explains how information is collected, used, retained, disclosed, and protected when you interact with the Site.
This Policy is intended to comply with applicable United States federal and state law, including but not limited to:
- Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. § 45
- Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510 to 2523
- Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1030
- Oregon Consumer Information Protection Act, ORS 646A.600 to 646A.628
- California Consumer Privacy Act and California Privacy Rights Act, where applicable
- General Data Protection Regulation, where applicable to non-United States users
Nothing in this Policy shall be interpreted as expanding Civil’s obligations beyond what is legally required.
2. Information We Collect
Civil follows a data minimization and necessity-based approach. Information is collected only when knowingly and voluntarily provided. Information may include:
- Name, email address, organization, role, or similar identifying information submitted through webforms
- Content voluntarily included in inquiries, messages, or subscription forms
- Limited technical and usage data such as IP address, browser type, device metadata, and pages visited, collected for security, analytics, and performance purposes
Civil does not intentionally collect sensitive personal data, financial account information, government-issued identification numbers, protected health information, or classified or controlled unclassified information. Users are advised not to submit confidential, regulated, or sensitive information through the Site.
3. Use by Government, Quasi-Government, or Institutional Users
The Site is operated as a private, commercial informational system. Use of the Site by any federal, state, or local government entity, government affiliated organization, publicly funded institution, government contractor or subcontractor, or corporate entity does not create, imply, or grant any special rights, privileges, licenses, data interests, ownership claims, access rights, oversight authority, or compliance obligations beyond those expressly stated in this Policy or in a separately executed written agreement signed by Civil Strategies.
Use of the Site does not constitute acceptance by Civil of, nor does it subject Civil to, any statutory, regulatory, procurement, disclosure, cybersecurity, records management, or audit regime applicable to government systems or government contractors. Civil expressly disclaims and does not consent to the application of the Federal Acquisition Regulation or agency-specific clauses; the treatment of Site content, communications, submissions, metadata, or analytics as public records subject to FOIA or similar disclosure statutes; any audit, inspection, monitoring, discovery, or oversight rights; or any implied license, government purpose rights, or compulsory disclosure of Civil’s proprietary information, methodologies, frameworks, or intellectual property.
No government or institutional user may assert that Civil is a government contractor, subcontractor, data processor, data steward, or covered entity solely by virtue of Site use. Any exception must be agreed to in advance, in writing, and signed by an authorized officer of Civil Strategies. Silence, continued use, or course of dealing shall not constitute consent.
4. Purpose and Legal Basis for Processing
Information is processed solely for legitimate business purposes, including responding to inquiries, managing communications or subscriptions, maintaining Site security and functionality, and complying with applicable legal obligations. Processing is based on consent, legitimate business interests, or legal obligation, as applicable.
5. Data Sharing and Disclosure
Civil does not sell, rent, license, or trade personal information. Information may be disclosed only to trusted service providers operating under confidentiality and security obligations, to comply with lawful court orders, or to protect Civil’s rights, property, security, or legal interests. Disclosures are limited to the minimum necessary scope.
6. Data Retention
Information is retained only as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill its purpose, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, or enforce agreements. Civil reserves the right to delete information at its discretion, subject to applicable law.
7. Data Security
Civil employs reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards consistent with industry standards. No system is entirely secure, and use of the Site is at your own risk.
8. User Rights
Depending on jurisdiction, users may have rights to request access, correction, deletion, or opt out of communications. Requests may be submitted to contact@civil-strategies.com and will be handled in accordance with applicable law.
9. International Users
The Site is operated from the United States. By using it, you consent to the transfer and processing of information in the United States.
II. Terms of Use
10. Informational Use Only
All content on the Site is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, policy, or professional advice. Reliance on Site content is at your own risk.
11. No Client, Fiduciary, or Advisory Relationship
Use of the Site, submission of forms, or receipt of communications does not create a client, fiduciary, advisory, or consulting relationship. Any such relationship requires a fully executed written agreement.
12. Intellectual Property and Proprietary Rights
All content on the Site is the exclusive property of Civil Strategies or its licensors and is protected under applicable intellectual property laws, including the United States Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. §§ 101 et seq.), the Lanham Act (15 U.S.C. §§ 1051 et seq.), and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 512). Protected content includes, without limitation:
- The CIVIL Framework™ and all related methodologies, models, language, diagrams, and applications
- All Insights articles, essays, commentary, analysis, newsletters, and thought leadership content
- All original text, graphics, branding, logos, and design elements
Insights content is provided for reading and reference only. No article, essay, or analysis may be copied, reproduced, summarized for redistribution, republished, scraped, trained on, or used for derivative works without prior written permission from Civil Strategies. The CIVIL Framework™ is proprietary and confidential. Unauthorized use, reproduction, reverse engineering, or derivative application is strictly prohibited.
13. Acceptable Use
You agree not to attempt unauthorized access to systems or data; interfere with Site functionality or security; use automated tools for scraping, harvesting, or surveillance; introduce malware or malicious code; or misrepresent identity, authority, or affiliation. Violations may result in civil or criminal liability.
14. Disclaimer of Warranties
The Site is provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranties of any kind, express or implied.
15. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Civil shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages arising from use of or inability to use the Site.
16. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Civil Strategies from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses arising from your use of the Site or violation of this Policy.
17. Governing Law and Venue
This Policy is governed by the laws of the State of Oregon, without regard to conflict of law principles. Exclusive venue lies in state or federal courts located in Oregon.
18. Severability and Waiver
If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect. Failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver.
19. Modifications
Civil reserves the right to modify this Policy at any time. Continued use of the Site constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy.