Question 1

What is Civic Scope?

Accepted Answer

Civic Scope is a free public transparency registry that tracks the public activities, travel, meetings, and expenses of New Zealand's elected Members of Parliament and Ministers. It also fact-checks public statements made by politicians using evidence-based assessments.

Question 2

How does Civic Scope track MP activities?

Accepted Answer

Civic Scope collects public activity data from official government sources including Parliament NZ, ministerial diaries, select committee schedules, Hansard, official social media, and public event announcements. Every record includes a confidence level and links to the original source.

Question 3

Are Civic Scope fact checks reliable?

Accepted Answer

Civic Scope fact checks are automated assessments that may contain errors. Every assessment links to the original statement and the evidence used so you can verify independently. Opinions and predictions are labelled as such, never as true or false. The methodology is transparent and each check includes supporting and contradicting evidence.

Question 4

Can I submit a public sighting of an MP?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Anyone can log a public sighting of a New Zealand MP or Minister at a public event or venue. Submissions are published in real-time with amber pins on the map. You can edit or delete your own submissions anonymously from the same device.

Question 5

Is Civic Scope free to use?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Civic Scope is free to use. The public activity registry, fact-check feed, and official profiles are all freely accessible. A premium subscription is available for enhanced tracking features and email alerts.

Question 6

Is there a Civic Scope mobile app for iPhone or Android?

Accepted Answer

Civic Scope is a web app, not a native app store download. It works on any iPhone, Android phone, tablet, or desktop browser — just visit civicscope.app. There is no Civic Scope app on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The web app is designed to work perfectly on mobile, so you get the full experience without installing anything. Add it to your home screen for an app-like experience.

Question 7

How do I find Civic Scope?

Accepted Answer

Search for 'Civic Scope NZ', 'Civic Scope app', or 'CivicScope' on Google or any search engine. You can also go directly to civicscope.app on any browser. Civic Scope is a New Zealand political transparency platform covering MPs, Ministers, parliament activities, expenses, and fact-checked claims.

Question 8

Where does Civic Scope get its data?

Accepted Answer

Civic Scope sources data from official government publications including Parliament NZ, the Department of Internal Affairs ministerial expense releases, the Government Electronic Tender Service (GETS), MBIE procurement open data, official social media accounts, and verified news reports. All sources are documented and linkable.