Privacy Policy

Last updated: January 13, 2026

Introduction

Welcome to Vote Egypt, a civic engagement platform that enables Egyptian citizens to participate in democratic processes. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your data when you use our platform.

Data Collection

We collect the following types of data to provide authentication and voting services:

Primary Authentication Method: Telegram Login Widget

When you use the Telegram Login Widget on our website, we receive the following information from Telegram:

  • Telegram User ID (unique identifier)
  • First name and last name (if provided)
  • Username (if set)
  • Profile photo URL (if available)
  • Authentication timestamp

Optional Authentication Method: Phone Number

If you choose to use phone-based authentication as an alternative method, we collect:

  • Egyptian phone number (in hashed format only)
  • Telegram chat ID (for OTP delivery)

Note: We never store your actual phone number. It is immediately hashed using SHA-256 with a salt before storage.

Data Storage

We employ industry-standard security practices to protect your data:

  • Phone Numbers: Stored as cryptographic hashes (SHA-256) with salt. Your actual phone number is never stored in our database.
  • Telegram IDs: Stored securely in our database and used only for authentication and service delivery.
  • User Data: All data is stored in a secure PostgreSQL database hosted on Supabase Cloud with encryption at rest.
  • Session Tokens: JWT tokens are used for session management and stored client-side only.

Data Usage

We use your data solely for the following purposes:

  • Authentication: To verify your identity and enable secure login to the platform
  • Voting Services: To ensure one vote per user per poll and maintain voting integrity
  • OTP Delivery: To send verification codes via Telegram (only if you choose phone-based authentication)
  • Platform Functionality: To provide and improve our civic engagement services

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.

Authentication Methods

Primary: Telegram Login Widget

The recommended and fastest way to authenticate. Simply click the "Login with Telegram" button on our website. No passwords required - Telegram handles the authentication securely.

Alternative: Phone Number + OTP

If you prefer phone-based authentication, you can link your Egyptian phone number to your Telegram account and receive OTP codes for verification. This method requires you to message our Telegram bot first.

User Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Access: You can request information about the data we hold about you
  • Correction: You can update your account information through the platform
  • Deletion: You can request deletion of your account and associated data
  • Withdrawal: You can stop using the platform at any time

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the Contact section below.

Security Measures

We implement multiple layers of security to protect your data:

  • Cryptographic hashing (SHA-256) for sensitive data like phone numbers
  • Encryption at rest for database storage
  • Secure HTTPS connections for all data transmission
  • JWT tokens with expiration for session management
  • Rate limiting to prevent abuse
  • Regular security audits and updates

Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may process your data:

  • Telegram: For authentication via Login Widget and OTP delivery. Your use of Telegram is subject to Telegram's Privacy Policy.
  • Supabase: For secure database hosting and storage.
  • Vercel: For platform hosting and content delivery.

These services are compliant with industry security standards and are used solely to provide our platform services.

Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as your account is active and as necessary to provide our services. If you delete your account, we will remove your personal data within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal or regulatory purposes.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the platform after such changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us:

Platform: vote.openegy.com

Telegram Bot: @VoteOpenEgyBot

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