AI-generated content must be independently verified before publication. This tool does NOT perform journalistic fact-checking. AI can and does fabricate facts, misattribute quotes, invent sources, and produce flawed analysis. Publishing unverified AI output may constitute defamation or spread misinformation. This is not a substitute for professional journalism. You are solely responsible for everything you publish.
By downloading, installing, or using the Civic Transparency Toolkit ("the Software"), you agree to these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not use the Software.
The Civic Transparency Toolkit is a free, open-source desktop application that uses the Anthropic Claude API to run a nine-agent editorial pipeline for civic reporting. It searches public government sources, detects story leads, performs adversarial verification, and produces draft stories for human review. The Toolkit is a community tool — it is not a news organization, not a journalism credential, and not a substitute for professional reporting.
The Civic Transparency Toolkit is released under the MIT License.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
The Software is provided without any warranty. The authors make no guarantees that:
You are solely responsible for all content you publish using this Software.
AI language models can fabricate facts, misattribute statements, invent quotes, and mischaracterize public officials' positions. Publishing such fabrications may expose you to defamation claims. The Software's integrity checking and adversarial verification reduce but do not eliminate this risk. You must independently verify every factual claim, attribution, and quote before publication.
AI models synthesize information from their training data, which includes published journalism. The Software includes anti-plagiarism protocols, but no automated system can guarantee that output does not inadvertently reproduce or closely paraphrase another outlet's original reporting.
AI models can produce outputs that appear authoritative but contain fabricated information, including invented meeting dates, fabricated quotes, nonexistent government documents, and incorrect characterizations of policy changes.
Using this Software does not make you a journalist, does not confer press credentials, and does not grant legal privileges associated with professional journalism.
Unlike the prompt-only Civic Newsroom, this toolkit automates the pipeline execution. Multiple AI agents process your sources in sequence. Errors in early stages may cascade through the pipeline, compounding inaccuracies in the final output. Always review the complete output, not just the final stories.
The Toolkit uses the Anthropic Claude API, which charges for usage. You are solely responsible for monitoring your API costs. Cost estimates in the documentation are approximate.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the authors and contributors shall not be liable for any:
This limitation applies regardless of the theory of liability.
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the authors and contributors from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorney fees) arising from your use of the Software, including but not limited to claims related to published content, defamation, plagiarism, or misrepresentation.
Nothing produced by the Software constitutes professional advice of any kind — including but not limited to legal, journalistic, editorial, or public relations advice. The First Amendment Counsel agent provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Always consult qualified professionals when needed.
The Software is intended for users aged 18 and older.
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Colorado, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes shall be resolved in the courts of Colorado.
© 2026 Scott Converse. Civic Transparency Toolkit is released under the MIT License.