Privacy Policy
Last updated: August 28, 2026
Your privacy matters, especially when you are reaching out for help. This policy explains, in plain language, what JohnHelp collects, why, who sees it, how long it is kept, and what you can ask us to do. JohnHelp is run by the American Society for the Prevention of Hunger and Poverty (ASPHP), a US nonprofit.
1. What we ask for
Before you start, John asks for a first name so he can greet you, and you may add your age if you wish. We never ask for your full legal name, Social Security number, immigration status, or financial account details, and you should not type them into your messages. If you tell us you are under 18, your visit is not recorded and is never analyzed.
2. What you tell John
When you search, chat, use the benefits check, or call the phone line, you type or say things like what you need, your ZIP code, and details about your situation. We keep a record of these so John can help you better during your visit, so we can see whether people are finding help, and so we can fix problems. If you ask for details to be texted or emailed to you, we keep the phone number or email address you gave us and a copy of what was sent.
3. What we collect automatically
When you visit, our servers record your internet (IP) address, the type of browser and device you use, the pages you viewed and how long you were active on them, the page or link you arrived from, and any campaign codes in that link. We use your IP address to estimate your city and region and to group visits that come from the same connection. We do not use advertising trackers and we do not build advertising profiles. If you press "Use my location", your browser's location is used once to find your ZIP code and is not stored.
4. Session recordings
To find and fix problems on the site, JohnHelp records how pages are used during a visit: what appears on the screen, where you tap or click, and how you scroll. Anything you type is masked before it leaves your browser, and your name, your messages to John, your answers to the benefits check, and any phone number or email address you enter are masked too. Recordings are encrypted, can be viewed only by a small number of authorized JohnHelp staff, and are deleted automatically after 30 days.
5. How we measure whether JohnHelp is working
JohnHelp exists to serve people with low incomes. To check that we are reaching them and actually helping, we use an AI service to read conversations after they end and estimate, from what was said, the kind of hardship the person was facing and whether they got useful help. These estimates are used only in summary form to improve the service and to report to our funders. They are never used to decide what help you are offered, are never shared with any service provider, and stop being linked to you after 90 days.
6. Service providers we use
To run JohnHelp we rely on a small number of companies that process information on our behalf and may not use it for their own purposes: Anthropic (the AI that powers John and our quality review), Google (reCAPTCHA to block automated abuse, map and address lookups, and web fonts), Twilio (text messages and the phone line), Brevo (email), Amazon Web Services and OpenAI (turning speech into text and text into speech, when you use voice), and ipapi.co (estimating your city from your IP address). Each of them receives only what is needed for its task. We never sell your information and we do not share it with advertisers.
7. How we keep your information safe
Everything you share with John, your conversations by web, phone, and text, along with any name, phone number, or email address, is encrypted while stored, using strong industry-standard encryption (AES-256). The keys that unlock it are kept separately in a secure, managed key vault, never alongside your data. All traffic between you and JohnHelp, and between JohnHelp and its service providers, is encrypted in transit. Only authorized staff can view your information, every one of them signs in with a strong password, and access to recordings is limited to the most senior administrators.
8. How long we keep it
Session recordings are deleted after 30 days. The link between an AI estimate and a particular visitor is removed after 90 days. Your searches, messages, texts and emails sent, phone call transcripts, feedback, and visit history are deleted after 12 months, and your visitor record is then anonymized so it no longer holds your address, name, phone, age, browser, or location. We keep only counts after that.
9. Your rights
You can ask us to show you, correct, or delete the information we hold about you, whoever you are and wherever you live. Email legal@asphp.com from the address, or text from the phone number, you used with JohnHelp, and tell us roughly when you visited. We will answer within 30 days. We will never refuse help or treat you differently because you made a request. Residents of California and other US states with privacy laws have these rights by law; we give them to everyone.
10. Cookies
JohnHelp sets only the cookies it needs to work: one that remembers you passed the "I am not a robot" check for a day, and one for staff sign-in. Your language, first name, and session are remembered in your browser's storage so you do not have to enter them again. Google reCAPTCHA may set its own cookie on google.com. None of these are used for advertising.
11. Children
JohnHelp is intended for adults seeking help. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13, and anyone who tells us they are under 18 is not recorded or analyzed. If you believe a child has given us information, email legal@asphp.com and we will delete it.
12. Who to contact
For any question about this policy or your information, email legal@asphp.com. For help using JohnHelp itself, email hello@asphp.com.
13. Changes
We may update this policy from time to time. The "last updated" date above shows when it last changed, and you will be asked to accept the new version the next time you visit.
JohnHelp is an independent service and is not affiliated with findhelp.org.