Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Horizon Search Institute (“HSI”) is an independent research initiative operating under 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsorship through Fiscal Sponsorship Allies (EIN 85-0839183). For any privacy-related inquiry, you can reach us at research@horizonsearch.org.

2. Information We Collect

Information you provide directly

When you use HSI’s research tools (the AI Governance Pulse, our 60-second diagnostic, and the HSI Navigator, our full 9-section AI governance assessment), subscribe to our research publications, or contact us through our website, you may provide:

• Your name and email address
• Your organization’s name, type, sector, and team size
• Diagnostic responses, including answers to the Pulse’s four-question framework, AI use case descriptions, governance practices, and risk profile
• Inquiries, messages, and correspondence you send us

The Pulse and the Navigator are designed so that you can complete them without providing identifying information. The Pulse stores anonymous responses (a session identifier, your four answers, and your computed maturity stage) to support published research on AI governance maturity across sectors. Industry, organization size, and email are optional fields you can skip. The Navigator, similarly, runs entirely in your browser and transmits no information to HSI’s servers unless you choose to save your results.

Information collected automatically

When you visit horizonsearch.org, standard web server logs record your IP address, browser type, pages viewed, and referring URL. We use this information for security, site performance, and aggregate analytics. We do not use third-party advertising trackers or behavioral tracking cookies.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information you provide for four purposes:

• Fulfillment. To send you assessment results, research publications you have subscribed to, and responses to inquiries.
• Research. Aggregated data from Pulse and Navigator submissions supports original research on AI governance patterns across sectors. Where we publish research drawing on user data, individual respondents and their organizations are not identified unless they have given explicit permission.
• Framework improvement. User assessment data helps us refine and validate the Pulse and Navigator frameworks over time.
• Engagement. We may occasionally contact users who have provided an email address to invite participation in HSI convenings, research interviews, or to share relevant publications. You can opt out at any time.

We do not sell personal information. We do not share it with third parties for marketing or advertising. We do not use it for commercial prospecting on behalf of any related or third-party entity.

4. How We Protect and Store Your Information

Assessment data and subscriber information are stored in encrypted databases managed by established infrastructure providers (currently Supabase for assessment data and beehiiv for research publication subscriptions). Access is restricted to HSI personnel with a research or operational need. We retain information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes above, or until you request deletion.

No data transmission or storage is completely secure. While we take reasonable measures to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

5. Your Rights

You have the following rights over your information, regardless of where you live:

• Access. Request a copy of the information we hold about you.
• Correction. Request that we update inaccurate information.
• Deletion. Request that we delete your information from our systems.
• Portability. Request your information in a machine-readable format.
• Withdraw consent. Unsubscribe from publications or withdraw from any optional use of your information at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, email research@horizonsearch.org. We will respond within 30 days. Residents of the European Union, United Kingdom, and California have additional rights under GDPR and CCPA respectively, which we honor.

6. Children’s Privacy

HSI’s research tools and publications are intended for professional audiences and are not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If we learn that we have inadvertently done so, we will delete it.

7. International Users

HSI is based in the United States. If you access our website or tools from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States. By using HSI services, you consent to this transfer.

8. Fiscal Sponsor Relationship

Because HSI operates under 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsorship, our fiscal sponsor may have access to certain operational records as required by their oversight responsibilities. This does not include assessment data or research-participant information beyond what is necessary for standard financial and compliance oversight.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy as our practices evolve or as required by law. The “Effective” date at the top of this page reflects the current version. Material changes will be announced through our research publications and noted on this page. Continued use of HSI services after a policy update constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

10. Contact Us