Privacy Policy for zmstats.com
Effective Immediately

zmstats.com (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates this website and related SMS services exclusively to support city‑mandated surveys. We do not sell, rent, trade, or share your personal information with any third party. All data collected is used solely to contact you about a required survey and then anonymized for resource planning and service improvement.

Please read this policy carefully. By providing your information or opting in to SMS messages, you acknowledge and agree to the practices below.

1. Information We Collect
a. Directly from You
Mobile phone number – collected only when you consent to receive SMS messages about a city‑mandated survey.

Survey responses – any answers you provide through the survey itself.

Opt‑out preferences – records of STOP requests to ensure we do not contact you again.

b. Automatically from SMS Interaction
Message delivery status (e.g., sent, delivered, failed) – used only to manage survey outreach.

Reply keywords (e.g., STOP, HELP) – used to honor your requests.

c. No Other Data Collected
We do not collect names, email addresses, IP addresses, browser data, cookies, or location information unless explicitly required for the survey and disclosed separately.

2. How We Use Your Information – Limited Purposes Only
Your information is used exclusively for:

Sending SMS messages regarding a city‑mandated survey (e.g., survey invitation, reminder, or completion confirmation).

Responding to your HELP request with instructions.

Processing opt‑out (STOP) requests to ensure you receive no further messages.

Anonymizing data – after survey collection, any identifiable information (phone number) is permanently removed. Only aggregated, anonymous data remains.

We will never:

Share, sell, or transfer your phone number or any personal information to any third party (including the city itself – the city receives only anonymized survey results).

Use your information for marketing, advertising, or any purpose unrelated to the city‑mandated survey.

Retain identifiable information beyond the survey period.

3. Data Anonymization & Use for Improvement
Anonymization process: Once the survey is complete (or as soon as technically feasible), your phone number is stripped from your survey responses. The remaining data (e.g., survey answers, timestamps, zip code if collected) cannot be linked back to you.

Anonymized data uses: The city and zmstats.com may use aggregated, anonymous data to:

Improve allocation of public resources.

Understand community needs.

Plan future city services.

No individual identification: Anonymized data will never be used to identify or re‑identify you.

4. SMS Consent & Opt‑Out (City‑Mandated Survey)
a. How Consent Is Obtained
Directly via zmstats.com – An unchecked checkbox on our website with full disclosures (message frequency, data rates, STOP/HELP, and link to this Privacy Policy).

Via a city government – If the city collects your phone number on our behalf, they use our required disclosure language and provide you with a copy of this Privacy Policy.

b. Opt‑Out (STOP)
You may stop all survey‑related messages at any time by replying STOP to any SMS from zmstats.com. You will receive a confirmation of opt‑out, and we will not send any further messages.

c. HELP
Reply HELP for assistance or contact us at [support email/phone].

d. Message Frequency & Rates
Message frequency may vary (typically 1–3 messages per survey). Standard message and data rates from your mobile carrier may apply.

5. No Sharing of Personal Information – Absolute
We make this commitment without exception:

zmstats.com will never, ever share your personal information – including your phone number, survey responses, or opt‑out status – with any third party. Not for marketing, not for analytics, not for any purpose.

The only possible disclosures are:

To comply with a lawful court order (rare, and we will notify you if legally permitted).

To our SMS gateway provider (Twilio, etc.) solely to deliver messages – they are contractually bound to use the data only for that purpose and cannot retain or share it.

Even in those cases, the data remains encrypted and is never sold or monetized.

6. Data Retention & Deletion
Type of Data    Retention Period
Phone number + linked survey responses    Deleted immediately after survey closes or as soon as anonymization is complete (max 30 days after final message).
Anonymized survey data (no phone number)    Retained indefinitely for resource planning and improvement.
Opt‑out (STOP) records    Retained permanently to ensure compliance (we will never text that number again).
You may request deletion of your identifiable data before the survey closes by replying STOP or contacting us directly.

7. Your Rights
Opt out of SMS: Reply STOP at any time.

Withdraw consent before survey closes: Contact us at [email/phone]. Note that if you withdraw, you may not receive survey reminders, but the city may still contact you through other means.

Access or deletion: Because we anonymize data quickly, we may no longer have identifiable information to provide. If you contact us before anonymization, we will honor your request.

8. Security
We use industry‑standard encryption for data in transit and at rest. Access to identifiable data is limited to the zmstats.com system administrator and the SMS gateway. No human at zmstats.com will view your phone number except to troubleshoot delivery issues.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy
If we change this policy, we will post the new version on this page with an updated Effective Date. For material changes (e.g., expanding use of data), we will obtain your consent again before proceeding.

10. Contact Us
For questions, opt‑out assistance, or deletion requests:

zmstats.com
Email: [mlewis@zmstats.com]


This Privacy Policy applies only to zmstats.com’s SMS survey services. For the city’s own privacy practices regarding the survey, please contact the city directly.