Concrete Bills

Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 1, 2026

Concrete Bills is a free platform for browsing, searching, and following New York City Council legislation. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and the third-party services involved. By using Concrete Bills, you agree to the practices described here.

What We Collect

We collect different types of information depending on how you use the site:

Account data

If you create an account via Clerk, we receive your email address, display name, and profile photo. This lets you save bills, post comments, and manage preferences.

Newsletter subscription

If you subscribe to the Legislative Digest, we store your email address in our database to deliver weekly digest emails.

Usage data

We collect anonymous usage data including pages visited, features used, browser type, and device information via PostHog, Google Analytics, and Algolia search insights. This helps us understand how the site is used and where to improve. Analytics are enabled by default but you can opt out at any time via the "Cookie Preferences" link in the footer. No data is shared for advertising.

User-generated content

Comments you post on bill pages, saved bills, and any other content you create through the platform.

Third-Party Services

We rely on trusted third-party services to operate Concrete Bills. Each handles specific aspects of the platform:

Clerk — Authentication

Handles user sign-up, sign-in, and session management. Clerk processes your email, name, and profile photo. Clerk sets session cookies to keep you signed in. See Clerk's Privacy Policy.

PostHog — Analytics

Collects anonymous usage analytics including page views, feature usage, and performance metrics. Enabled by default; you can opt out via cookie preferences. PostHog may set cookies for session tracking. No data is shared for advertising. See PostHog's Privacy Policy.

Google Analytics — Analytics

Collects anonymous site traffic data including page views, session duration, and general location (country/city level). Enabled by default; you can opt out via cookie preferences. No data is shared with Google for advertising purposes. See Google's Privacy Policy.

Supabase — Database

Stores user-generated content (comments, saved bills), newsletter subscriptions, and digest data. All data is stored with row-level security enabled. See Supabase's Privacy Policy.

Algolia — Search

Powers the legislation search feature. Search queries are sent to Algolia to return relevant results. Algolia does not receive any personal data. Algolia search insights are enabled by default to help us understand which search results are most useful. See Algolia's Privacy Policy.

Legistar — Legislative Data

All bill, event, committee, and council member data is sourced from the NYC Council's Legistar API, a public government data system. We do not send any user data to Legistar.

Cookies and Local Storage

We use cookies and browser local storage for the following purposes:

  • Authentication cookies — set by Clerk to maintain your signed-in session. Always active.
  • Analytics cookies — set by PostHog and Google Analytics to track anonymous usage patterns. Enabled by default; you can opt out via "Cookie Preferences" in the footer.
  • Consent preference — stored in local storage to remember your cookie preference if you opt out.
  • Theme preference — stored in local storage to remember your dark/light mode selection.
  • Digest subscription state — stored in local storage to remember if you've subscribed to the newsletter.

Analytics cookies are enabled by default when you visit Concrete Bills. You can opt out at any time by clicking "Reject All" on the cookie banner or via the "Cookie Preferences" link in the footer. You can also clear cookies and local storage through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect authentication functionality.

How We Use Your Data

  • To provide and maintain the service, including saved bills, comments, and search.
  • To send the Legislative Digest newsletter if you subscribe.
  • To analyze anonymous usage patterns and improve the platform.
  • To authenticate your identity and protect your account.
  • To moderate user-generated content and prevent abuse.

We do not sell your personal data. We do not use your data for advertising. We do not share your data with third parties except as described in the Third-Party Services section above.

Data Retention and Deletion

We retain your data only as long as necessary to provide the service:

  • Account data — retained while your account is active. Deleted when you delete your account through Clerk.
  • Comments and saved bills — retained while your account is active. Removed upon account deletion.
  • Newsletter subscriptions — retained until you unsubscribe. You can unsubscribe at any time.
  • Analytics data — retained by PostHog according to their data retention policies, typically anonymized.

To request deletion of your data, delete your account through the account settings page or contact us directly.

Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your data. All data in transit is encrypted via HTTPS. Our database uses row-level security policies to restrict data access. Authentication is handled by Clerk, which implements industry-standard security practices. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Children's Privacy

Concrete Bills is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

External Links

Concrete Bills links to external resources including the NYC Council's Legistar system, official government documents, and council member contact pages. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be reflected by updating the date at the top of this page. Continued use of Concrete Bills after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or want to request data deletion, email us at hello@concretebills.com or reach out through our contact page.