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Privacy policy

This website was authored by the California Office of Data and Innovation (ODI).

Effective September 30, 2026

ODI is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring transparency about how your personal data is handled through our “customer first” approach.

Authority

This policy complies with the following:

This privacy policy applies to those visiting the ODI AskCA website or using an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Assistant such as the AskCA platform. We may change our privacy policy. When changes are made, we will promptly post those changes and implement them 30 days from that posting date.

Personal information

ODI limits the collection of personal information from members of the public who use AskCA. Personal information is defined in the California Information Practices Act and is information that identifies or describes an individual. ODI collects personal information only as allowed by law. ODI limits the collection of personal information to what is relevant and necessary to accomplish a lawful purpose.

Why use the AskCA Artificial Intelligence (AI) Assistant

The AI Assistant is an all-in-one resource platform designed to help customers quickly find government services without navigating multiple websites.

  • Important: Please do not provide personal or sensitive information to the AskCA Digital Assistant. This includes your address, email or protected health information. Sharing such information when it is not required may put your privacy at risk.

How ODI collects and uses your information with the AskCA AI Assistant

  • Your Conversation: We save the information you provide to the AI Assistant, as well as the AI Assistant’s responses to you. This information is used to measure the performance of the product and better serve you.
  • Basic Information: If you provide your zip code, we may use it to assist in locating local services near you. Providing this information and using ODI services is voluntary. Choosing not to use our services will not affect your ability to use other website features.

If ODI collects personal information from you for reasons other than communication, you will be informed before we collect it and:

  • How we may use it
  • What we may use it for
  • Our authority to collect it
  • How we protect your information
  • If your information will be shared with anyone else
  • Your rights to access, review, and correct your personal information

The use of your personal information and data will be limited to and consistent with the purpose provided at collection. ODI will not share or sell electronically collected personal information about you to a third party without your written consent. However, ODI may share your personal information and other data with contractors, service providers, and other state or local agencies who support or oversee ODI programs. ODI may also share your personal information where the transfer is necessary for the transferee-agency to perform its Constitutional or statutory duties and the use is compatible with a purpose for which the information was collected. Such uses or transfers will be accounted for in accordance with California Civil Code, section 1798.25 (opens in new tab). ODI may also share personal information about individuals with other government agencies for general law enforcement purposes.

ODI may provide or distribute certain lists and statistical reports of regulatory information as provided by law. If we do, all relevant legal protections still apply to your information. You have the right to have your personal information corrected, without reuse or distribution. Contact our Privacy Officer via email privacy@innovation.ca.gov to request a copy of your personal information or request an amendment.

Children are not eligible to use services that require submission of personal information, and we require that minors (under the age of 18) do not submit any personal information to us. This includes submitting personal information to AskCA as part of a user profile or personalization profile. If you are a minor, you can use these services only if used together with your parents or guardians. If you are a minor, you should seek guidance from your parents or guardians.

How ODI protects your information

ODI has taken steps to safeguard the integrity of our website infrastructure for our visitors’ safety. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Limiting our data collection
  • Monitoring for resource availability and security risks, including unauthorized attempts to upload or change information
  • Auditing for security vulnerabilities and site performance and optimization
  • Encryption
  • Integrating security measures
  • Following statewide requirements for approved Generative AI (GenAI) tools and the use of personal information in GenAI systems

With respect to AskCA specifically, we take the following measures:

  • Data Storage: This data is securely stored in data centers located in the United States that comply with strict privacy laws and rules. Your data can’t be sold or used for advertising.
  • Privacy Scrubbing: In addition to asking that you not share personal information, we use automated tools to remove personal details (including names, addresses or emails) that you may unintentionally include before we save any information for long-term review.

What we automatically collect

When you browse our website, including downloading information, we automatically collect and store:

  • The type of browser and operating system used
  • The date and time the website was visited
  • The website webpages or services accessed
  • The link used to access our website if it was from a previous visited website
  • Information on files downloaded

ODI uses this information to improve our services and the website user experience based on how customers use our services. This information does not identify you personally. You can block the collection of some of this information through browsers and plugins.

How long we keep data

We keep a record of your chat for 60 days to improve AI Assistant answers. After that, the information is deleted or anonymized.

Tracking

ODI only tracks your activity when it improves your service experience. We may do this through cookies or local session storage. These methods do not collect personal information or compromise your privacy or security. We periodically audit the ways we track visitors and delete unnecessary trackers.

Analytics services

ODI uses outside analytics services to help improve our websites and AskCA. We only use analytics services that remove identifying details from your information. Our analytics do not store information identifying you or your device.

Our outside analytics services may track certain activities. You can block them from tracking you through privacy-focused browser extensions or plugins. This will not impact your ability to use this website.

Surveys

If you take a survey on the ODI website, we will collect information from your responses. This can include text, audio, video, images and other media you choose to upload.

Public disclosure

Laws in California ensure that the government is open and the public can access appropriate state records and information. State and federal laws provide exceptions to the public’s right to access public records. These exceptions serve various needs including maintaining the privacy of individuals.

All information we collect through this website is public record. It may be subject to inspection and copying by the public, unless an exemption in law exists. Electronically collected personal information and most sensitive personal information is exempt from requests made under the Public Records Act.

If there is a conflict between this policy and the Public Records Act, the Information Practices Act, or other law governing the disclosure of records, the Public Records Act, the Information Practices Act, or other applicable law will control.

Privacy contact

If you have questions about our privacy policy, contact our Chief Privacy Officer.

Office of Data and Innovation
Attn: Chief Privacy Officer
401 I Street, Suite 200
Sacramento, CA 95814
Email: privacy@innovation.ca.gov

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