Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Middle Seat Consulting LLC (“Middle Seat,” “we,” “us”) collects, uses, discloses, sells, and shares personal information, and the rights available to you. It covers our websites and web properties: middleseat.co, leftnet.org, act.leftnet.org, and their subdomains (together, the “Sites”). LeftNet is a Middle Seat program, and this policy covers it.
The disclosures in this policy describe our practices during the 12 months before the effective date. We review and update this policy at least once every 12 months.
Our Work for Clients
Middle Seat provides digital fundraising, advertising, and organizing services to campaigns and organizations. When we handle supporter, donor, or voter data on a client’s behalf, we act as a service provider under our agreement with that client. That data is governed by the client’s own privacy policy, not this one. If you want to exercise privacy rights over information a campaign or organization holds about you, contact that organization directly.
Personal Information We Collect
We have collected the following categories of personal information in the preceding 12 months:
| Category | Examples | Collected |
| Identifiers | Name, email address, phone number, ZIP code, organization, IP address | Yes |
| Customer records (Cal. Civ. Code ยง 1798.80(e)) | Contact details you provide in an inquiry or signup | Yes |
| Protected classifications | Voluntary EEO self-identification, if you choose to complete the optional survey when applying for a job | Yes (voluntary, applicants only) |
| Commercial information | None | No |
| Biometric information | None | No |
| Internet or network activity | Pages visited, browser and device type, interactions with the Sites, cookie data | Yes |
| Geolocation data | Approximate location inferred from IP address | Yes |
| Sensory data (audio, visual) | None | No |
| Professional or employment information | Resume, work history, current employer (job applicants and client inquiries) | Yes |
| Education information | Degrees and schools listed on a resume | Yes |
| Inferences | Analytics segments about Site usage and advertising interest categories | Yes |
| Sensitive personal information | We do not collect or use sensitive personal information for the purpose of inferring characteristics about you | No |
Sources. We collect personal information directly from you (forms, petition signatures, email, job applications), automatically when you use the Sites (cookies, analytics, server logs), from service providers that operate parts of the Sites for us, and from outside sources, including data providers, partner organizations, and publicly available records, which we may combine with information you provide.
How We Use Personal Information
We use personal information for these business purposes:
- Responding to inquiries and providing information about our services.
- Running LeftNet campaigns and actions, and sending news and updates about them. You can unsubscribe from email at any time using the link in each message.
- Building, maintaining, and licensing LeftNet contact lists (see “Sale and Sharing” below).
- Evaluating job applications and managing recruiting.
- Operating, securing, and improving the Sites, including analytics and debugging.
- Advertising our work, including interest-based advertising (see “Sale and Sharing” below).
- Detecting and preventing fraud, abuse, and security incidents.
- Complying with legal obligations and enforcing our rights.
How We Disclose Personal Information
We disclose personal information as described here:
- Service providers and contractors. Companies that host the Sites, provide analytics (Google Analytics via Google Tag Manager), power our action pages (ActionKit, Action Network), send our email, and process job applications (Workable). In the preceding 12 months we disclosed identifiers, internet activity, geolocation, professional and employment information, education information, and inferences to service providers and contractors for the business purposes above.
- Organizations that license LeftNet data. See “Sale and Sharing” below.
- Advertising partners. See “Sale and Sharing” below.
- Professional advisors. Lawyers, accountants, and insurers as needed.
- Legal. When we believe in good faith that disclosure is required by law (for example, a lawful subpoena), or is necessary to protect our rights or the safety of any person.
- Business transfers. In connection with a merger, acquisition, or reorganization, as permitted by law.
Sale and Sharing of Personal Information
California law defines “sell” and “share” broadly, and under those definitions we do both:
- Sale. Through our LeftNet program, we sell or transfer contact information collected on LeftNet pages, along with contact information obtained from outside sources, to [RECIPIENT WORDING: other progressive organizations, advocacy groups, and political campaigns]. In the preceding 12 months, we sold or transferred identifiers (such as name, email address, phone number, and ZIP code).
- Sharing. We use advertising cookies and pixels on the Sites, and we disclose identifiers and internet activity to advertising partners, including Google, to show you ads based on your visits to the Sites (cross-context behavioral advertising). In the preceding 12 months, we shared identifiers and internet or network activity with advertising networks.
You can opt out at any time, using any of these methods:
- Our opt-out and request form: https://forms.gle/vVJPPsgE4ePaM9wS8
- Email to [email protected].
Once you opt out, we will stop selling and sharing your personal information within 15 business days, we will notify recipients of your data of the request, and we will not ask you to opt back in for at least 12 months.
We do not have actual knowledge that we sell or share the personal information of consumers under 16 years of age. We do not use or disclose sensitive personal information for purposes that would trigger a right to limit under California law.
Cookies, Analytics, and Advertising
The Sites use cookies and similar technologies for functionality, to measure aggregate usage (visitor counts, popular pages), and for advertising. We use Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics to understand traffic patterns and diagnose problems. Emails we send may include an embedded image that tells us open rates.
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Google offers an Analytics opt-out browser add-on. You can opt out of interest-based advertising through the “Your Privacy Choices” link in our footer, the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page, or the Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out page. Opting out of interest-based advertising does not remove all ads; it makes them less relevant.
How Long We Keep Personal Information
We keep personal information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described above. In deciding how long to keep each category, we consider the nature of our relationship with you, our legal and contractual obligations, the sensitivity of the information, and whether the purpose can be met with less data. Contact records tied to an active list or program are kept while the program operates, unless you opt out or ask us to delete them. Job application materials are kept for [APPLICATION RETENTION, e.g., two years after the position closes]. Analytics data is retained according to our analytics configuration.
Your California Privacy Rights
If you are a California resident, you have these rights, subject to certain exceptions:
- Right to know and access. You can request the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources, our purposes, and the categories of recipients.
- Right to delete. You can request that we delete personal information we collected from you.
- Right to correct. You can request that we correct inaccurate personal information.
- Right to opt out of sale or sharing. Use any of the methods listed in “Sale and Sharing” above.
- Right to limit use of sensitive personal information. We do not use sensitive personal information for purposes that require this right, so no limit option is provided.
- Right to non-discrimination. We will not discriminate or retaliate against you for exercising any of these rights.
These rights also apply to personal information we hold about California job applicants, employees, and contractors. Residents of other states with comprehensive privacy laws may have similar rights; you can use the same contact methods to exercise them.
How to Submit a Request
You can submit a request to know, access, delete, or correct by:
- Emailing [email protected]
- Using our request form: https://forms.gle/vVJPPsgE4ePaM9wS8
- Writing to Middle Seat Consulting LLC, PO Box 21600, Washington, DC 20009
We will confirm receipt within 10 business days and respond within 45 calendar days. If we need more time (up to 45 additional days), we will tell you why and give you an estimated date. We will verify your identity by matching the information you provide against information we already have, typically your email address plus one or two other data points. You do not need an account to submit a request. Opt-out requests do not require verification. You may use an authorized agent to submit a request on your behalf; we will require proof of your written permission and may verify your identity directly. If we deny a request, we will explain why, and you may contact us to ask that we reconsider.
Opt-Out Preference Signals (Global Privacy Control)
We honor opt-out preference signals, including Global Privacy Control (GPC). When your browser or extension sends a GPC signal, we treat it as a valid request to opt out of the sale and sharing of personal information linked to that browser and device, and to you if you have otherwise identified yourself to us. The Sites display confirmation when your opt-out preference signal has been processed.
Job Applicants
When you apply for a job, your application flows through our applicant tracking provider, Workable, acting as our service provider. We collect the information in your application and resume: identifiers, professional and employment history, education, and anything else you choose to include. If you are asked to complete an equal-opportunity (EEO) demographic survey, it is voluntary, the responses are used only in aggregate for compliance and monitoring, and they are not part of hiring decisions. We use application information to evaluate your candidacy, communicate with you, and comply with legal obligations. We do not sell or share job applicant information. California applicants have all the rights described above.
Children
The Sites are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. We do not sell or share the personal information of anyone we know to be under 16. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
How We Protect Personal Information
We use commercially reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information against loss, misuse, and unauthorized access. Access is limited to employees and contractors who need it to do their jobs. No system is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Links to Other Websites
The Sites link to third-party websites. We are not responsible for their content or privacy practices. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of every site you visit.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy when our practices change. We will post the updated policy here with a new “Last updated” date, and for material changes we will provide more prominent notice on the Sites.
Contact Us
Questions about this policy or your rights:
- [email protected] (or [email protected])
- Middle Seat Consulting LLC, PO Box 21600, Washington, DC 20009