Effective Date: February 20, 2026 · Last Updated: February 20, 2026
This Privacy Policy applies to Merritt Farren for Insurance Commissioner 2026 ("the Campaign," "we," "us," or "our") and covers all information collected through this website and related campaign activities.
We collect personal information you voluntarily provide to us, as well as information collected automatically when you visit our website. The categories of personal information we may collect include:
| Category | Examples | Collected? |
|---|---|---|
| Identifiers | Name, email address, postal address, phone number, IP address | Yes |
| Personal Records | Name, address, phone number provided in forms | Yes |
| Protected Classifications | Age (for voter eligibility verification only) | Limited |
| Commercial Information | Donation records, transaction history | Yes |
| Internet/Network Activity | Browsing history on our site, pages visited, links clicked | Yes |
| Geolocation Data | General location inferred from IP address or ZIP code | Yes |
| Inferences | Profile reflecting preferences or interests based on site interaction | Yes |
| Sensitive Personal Information | We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal information (see Section 6) | No |
Information You Provide Directly: When you fill out a contact form, sign up for campaign updates, volunteer, or make a donation, you may provide us your name, email, phone number, mailing address, and ZIP code.
Information Collected Automatically: When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain technical information including your IP address, browser type, device type, referring URL, pages viewed, and time spent on the site.
Information from Third Parties: We may receive information about you from third-party services such as donation processors (e.g., eFundraising Connections) and analytics providers.
We use the personal information we collect for the following purposes:
| Purpose | Description |
|---|---|
| Campaign Communications | Sending email updates, newsletters, event invitations, and campaign news |
| Volunteer Coordination | Contacting volunteers, organizing events, phone banks, and canvassing |
| Donation Processing | Processing and recording campaign contributions in compliance with California campaign finance law |
| Legal Compliance | Meeting FPPC reporting requirements and California election law obligations |
| Website Analytics | Understanding how visitors use our site to improve content and user experience |
| Responding to Inquiries | Responding to messages submitted through our contact form |
| Voter Outreach | Voter contact, persuasion, and get-out-the-vote activities |
We will not use your personal information for purposes materially different from those described above without providing you notice and, where required by law, obtaining your consent.
We do not sell your personal information for monetary consideration. We may share your personal information with the following categories of third parties:
| Recipient Category | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Service Providers | Email marketing platforms, website hosting providers, analytics tools, and CRM vendors who process data on our behalf under written agreements |
| Donation Processors | eFundraising Connections and payment processors to facilitate and record campaign donations |
| California FPPC | Donor information as required by the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) for mandatory campaign finance disclosures |
| Campaign Vendors & Consultants | Political consultants, voter data vendors, and field organizers supporting the campaign |
| Legal Authorities | When required by law, court order, or to protect the rights and safety of the Campaign or others |
All service providers who receive personal information on our behalf are contractually obligated to use that information only for the purposes for which it was shared and to implement reasonable security measures.
Important Note on Campaign Finance Disclosure: California law requires political campaigns to publicly disclose the names, addresses, occupations, and employers of donors who contribute $100 or more. This information is filed with the FPPC and becomes part of the public record. This disclosure is a legal requirement and is not subject to your opt-out rights under the CCPA/CPRA.
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (CPRA), grants you specific rights regarding your personal information. These rights are subject to certain exceptions, including an exception for personal information processed for political campaign or candidate activities protected by the First Amendment.
How to Exercise Your Rights: To exercise any of the rights above, please submit a verifiable consumer request to us using the contact information in Section 13. We will respond to your request within 45 days. If we need additional time (up to 90 days total), we will notify you in writing. We are required to verify your identity before processing your request. We will not require you to create an account to submit a request.
Authorized Agents: You may designate an authorized agent to submit requests on your behalf. We will require written authorization or a valid power of attorney, and we may verify your identity directly before processing the request.
Appeals: If we decline to take action on your request, you have the right to appeal our decision. To appeal, contact us at the information provided in Section 13. We will respond to your appeal within 45 days.
We do not sell your personal information to third parties for monetary compensation. We do not share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. If this practice changes in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy and provide a prominent "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link on our homepage. To opt out of any sharing of your personal information for campaign purposes beyond internal use, please contact us using the information in Section 13.
Under the CPRA, "sensitive personal information" includes Social Security numbers, financial account details, precise geolocation, racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, health information, and certain biometric data.
We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal information. If you voluntarily include sensitive personal information in a message to us (e.g., in the contact form), we will use it only to respond to your inquiry and will not retain it beyond that purpose.
If you are making a donation, your payment card information is collected and processed directly by our third-party payment processor (eFundraising Connections) and is subject to their privacy policy. We do not store full payment card numbers on our systems.
We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law.
Campaign finance records (donor names, amounts, and related information) are subject to California FPPC record-keeping requirements and must be retained for a minimum of four (4) years following the election. These records may not be deleted upon request due to legal obligations.
Volunteer and supporter contact information will be retained for the duration of the campaign and for a reasonable period thereafter for legal compliance. You may request removal from our marketing communications at any time by contacting us or using the unsubscribe link in any email we send you.
When personal information is no longer needed and there is no legal obligation to retain it, we will securely delete or de-identify it.
Our website may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience and understand how visitors interact with our site. The types of cookies we may use include:
| Cookie Type | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Essential | Required for basic website functionality. Cannot be disabled. |
| Analytics | Help us understand traffic patterns and improve the website (e.g., Google Analytics). Data is aggregated and anonymized where possible. |
| Marketing/Advertising | Used to deliver relevant campaign messaging. You may opt out via your browser settings or cookie preferences. |
You may control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse new cookies, disable existing cookies, and receive notifications when new cookies are set. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of this website.
California residents may also opt out of the use of cookies for cross-context behavioral advertising by contacting us using the information in Section 13.
This website is not directed to individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 16, we will promptly delete that information. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 16, please contact us immediately using the information in Section 13.
We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS), access controls, and regular security reviews.
However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you as required by applicable California law.
Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including news articles, social media platforms, and our donation processing platform (eFundraising Connections). This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party websites.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, applicable law, or for other operational reasons. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you by email or by prominently posting a notice on our website.
Your continued use of our website after any changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.
To exercise your California privacy rights, ask questions about this Privacy Policy, request removal from our mailing list, or submit any other privacy-related request, please contact us using one of the following methods:
Merritt Farren for Insurance Commissioner 2026
Email: Merritt@MerrittFarrenCA.com
Subject line: "Privacy Request"
We will acknowledge your request within 10 business days and respond fully within 45 days. If additional time is needed, we will notify you in writing and may extend the response period by up to an additional 45 days (90 days total).
To verify your identity when submitting a request to know, delete, or correct your information, we may ask you to provide information consistent with what we already have on file (e.g., name, email address, and ZIP code). We will not require more information than reasonably necessary for verification.
Opt out of email communications: You may unsubscribe from our email list at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any campaign email or by contacting us at the address above.