Privacy Policy - Answerlux

Privacy Policy

1. Who this policy is for

This policy uses a few terms throughout:

  • Visitor - anyone who uses this website or the "Talk with me" voice demo.
  • Customer - a business that subscribes to the Maya receptionist service.
  • Caller - a person who phones a Customer's number that Maya answers.
  • We, us, Answerlux - the operator of the website and the service. Maya is the name of the AI receptionist.

2. Information we handle

a. Website visitors and the voice demo

When you use the website, our hosting records basic technical data such as your IP address, browser type, and the date and time, and we use cookies and similar technologies for analytics and advertising (see section 3). If you press "Talk with me", your browser asks for microphone permission and starts a live conversation with our AI demo agent; your spoken audio is streamed to a third-party voice technology provider that runs the conversation, a running transcript is shown back to you, and the demo conversation is stored so we can analyse and improve the service (see section 9).

b. When Maya answers calls (Callers)

Every call Maya answers for a Customer is recorded, transcribed and summarised. Anything a Caller says during the call is captured in that recording and transcript and is shared with the Customer. The information involved includes the recording, the transcript and summary, the Caller's phone number, and whatever the Caller chooses to share during the call - such as their name, address, the reason for calling, and appointment details. Maya does not ask Callers for sensitive information, and Callers should avoid sharing more than the call requires.

c. Businesses that use the service (Customers)

When you contact us or sign up as a Customer, we collect your name and business name, your email address and phone number, sometimes your postal address, and the business information used to build and run Maya - for example your services, hours, pricing and service area - along with any other information you choose to give us. Where a Customer pays through an online payment method, related billing details are handled by that payment provider.

3. Cookies and advertising

The website uses cookies and similar technologies. Some are necessary to make the site work. We also use the following, which load by default when you visit the site:

  • Analytics - Google Analytics, to understand how visitors use the site so we can improve it.
  • Advertising - Google Ads and the Meta (Facebook and Instagram) Pixel, to measure our advertising and show you relevant ads on those platforms. These tools share information about your visit - such as your activity on the site and online identifiers - with Google and Meta.

These analytics and advertising cookies load by default when you visit the site. You can opt out at any time by clearing or blocking cookies in your browser or using its tracking protection, and through Google's and Meta's own ad-preference settings (and, for Google Analytics, Google's opt-out browser add-on). Necessary cookies cannot be turned off, as the site relies on them. Some laws treat advertising cookies as "sharing" or "selling" of personal information - see section 11 for how to opt out.

4. How we use information

  • To run the website and demo - to connect the demo when you start it and to keep the site secure and working.
  • To answer and handle calls - to let Maya understand the Caller, answer from the Customer's information, book or route the call, and produce the recording, transcript and summary the Customer receives.
  • To run, support and improve the service - to operate each Customer's setup, provide support, keep the service secure, and improve how the service and the demo perform over time.
  • To manage Customer accounts - to provide the service, handle billing where applicable, and meet our legal obligations.
  • For analytics and advertising - to measure how the site and our ads perform and to show relevant ads, using the tools in section 3.

We do not sell your personal information for money. We do use the advertising cookies described above, which some laws treat as "sharing" or "selling" - you can opt out as described in section 11.

Automated handling, with human oversight

Maya handles calls automatically - she works out what a Caller needs, gauges how urgent it is, books or routes the call, and writes the summary. These steps are automated, but Maya is not used to make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on a Caller on her own. The Customer decides how to act on each call, and a person can step in at any time - for example, Maya transfers urgent or sensitive calls to the Customer's team.

Our legal bases (where the GDPR applies)

Where the GDPR or a similar law applies, we rely on these legal bases to handle personal information: performing our contract with a Customer, so we can provide the service; the legitimate interests of Answerlux and its Customers in answering calls, in running and securing the service, and in measuring and promoting the service, which we rely on for analytics and advertising; and compliance with our legal obligations. A Customer is responsible for the legal basis it relies on to have its Callers' calls handled by Maya.

5. The voice demo

The demo is a demonstration of an automated AI agent, not a call with a person. Your audio and the transcript are processed by our third-party voice technology provider to run the conversation, under its own terms and security practices, and the demo conversation is stored so we can analyse and improve the service. We do not sell demo conversations.

6. Call recording and consent

For the live service, every call Maya answers is recorded, and a transcript and summary are produced. Laws about notifying callers and recording calls differ from place to place. The Customer is responsible for telling its Callers that the call is handled by an automated assistant and is recorded, and for obtaining any consent the law requires in its area. Answerlux can set up greetings and disclosures for a Customer, but the legal responsibility for notice and consent rests with the Customer.

7. When we share information

We share information only in these limited ways:

  • With the Customer. The information from a call - its recording, transcript, summary and the Caller's details - is made available to the business the Caller dialed. That is the purpose of the service.
  • With the Customer's connected tools. As the Customer directs, we pass booking and caller details into the scheduling or CRM tools the Customer connects (for example its calendar), and route transferred calls through telephony.
  • With our service providers. The third-party voice technology provider that powers Maya, plus telephony, cloud hosting, and (where used) a payment provider. They may only handle information to provide their service to us, under appropriate confidentiality and data-protection terms.
  • With analytics and advertising providers. By default when you visit the site, information about your visit is shared with Google and Meta through the tools in section 3, unless you opt out as described in sections 3 and 11.
  • Legal and safety. Where we reasonably believe we must by law, or to protect the rights, safety or security of people, the public or Answerlux.
  • Business transfers. If Answerlux or its assets are involved in a merger, acquisition or sale, information may transfer as part of that transaction, subject to this policy.

8. Where information is processed

The website and the small backend that connects the demo are hosted on cloud infrastructure in the European Union (Frankfurt, Germany).

Calls that Maya answers are processed by our voice technology provider, and that processing - together with the recording, transcript and summary - may take place outside your country and outside the European Economic Area, including in the United States. Our analytics and advertising providers (Google and Meta) may also process information in the United States. Where required, transfers of personal information are covered by appropriate safeguards.

9. How long we keep it

  • Demo conversations - stored so we can analyse and improve the service, and kept no longer than we need for that purpose.
  • Website server logs and cookie data - logs are kept for a short period for security and troubleshooting; cookies last for their own lifespans or until you opt out or clear them.
  • Call recordings, transcripts and summaries - stored in our third-party voice provider's platform. Answerlux has access to all of them in order to run and support the service, and keeps no separate copy of its own. They are kept while the Customer's service is active and deleted a short time after the Customer's service ends, and can be deleted sooner at the Customer's request.
  • Customer account and billing records - kept while the service is active and for as long as needed afterward for legal and accounting purposes, then deleted.

10. Security and compliance

Traffic to and from the website is encrypted in transit using HTTPS, and the credentials that authorise the demo are held only on the server. Call data held in our voice technology provider's platform is protected with encryption in transit and at rest, and access is limited to the Customer's business and the Answerlux team that runs the service. No method of transmission or storage is ever completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

We are continuing to develop our privacy and security program and do not hold formal certifications. This service is not designed or intended for HIPAA-regulated health information, and you should not use it where HIPAA applies.

11. Your choices and rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights over your personal information - such as the right to access it, correct it, delete it, object to or restrict its use, or ask for a copy. Residents of the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom have these rights under the GDPR; residents of California and some other regions have comparable rights under local law. You also have the right to complain to your data-protection regulator.

Cookies and advertising. Analytics and advertising cookies are on by default. You can opt out at any time by clearing or blocking cookies in your browser or using its tracking protection, through Google's and Meta's own ad-preference settings, or by contacting us. We do not sell your personal information for money, but our use of advertising cookies may be treated as "sharing" or "selling" under some laws, including in California - opting out through any of these methods opts you out of this.

If you are a Caller, the business you called decides how your call information is used, so it is the best first point of contact - for example to access or delete what was recorded. You can also contact us and we will help route your request. If you are a Visitor or a Customer, contact us directly. We may need to verify your request before acting on it, and you will not receive a different level of service for exercising your rights.

12. Children

The website and service are intended for businesses and adults, and are not directed to anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from people under 18. If you believe a minor's information has reached us, please contact us and we will address it.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page, and we will make significant changes clear here. Your continued use of the website or service after an update means you accept the revised policy.

14. Contact us

If you have questions about this policy or your information, contact us at:

[LEGAL ENTITY NAME]
[BUSINESS ADDRESS]
[CONTACT EMAIL]