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Privacy Policy

Privacy policies are usually long and dull. We've tried to make this one readable and to be straight about what we do (and don't) do with your data.

This policy applies to people who use HeyOperator in the United Kingdom.

Last updated: 3 May 2026

What is HeyOperator?

HeyOperator is your AI safety companion — a friendly voice (Sam) on the phone when you're travelling alone. It's designed to make late-night walks or solo taxi rides feel safer. It is not, and is not a substitute for, an emergency service.

Who is responsible for your data?

HeyOperator is operated by Chapter 33 Ltd., a company registered in England and Wales. We are the data controller for the personal data described in this policy.

You can contact us about anything in this policy at sam@heyoperator.uk.

What information do we collect?

Information you give us

• Your name — so Sam can address you by name during calls
• Your phone number — so we can call you, and to identify your account (we currently use phone number as your unique identifier)
• Your safety contact (optional) — name and phone number of someone who receives a text when you confirm you're home safe

Information we collect when you use the service

• Call audio and transcripts — when you speak with Sam, the conversation is recorded and transcribed by our voice partner ElevenLabs to deliver the conversation in real time and to help us improve the service. See "How long we keep data" below for retention details.
• Location data (optional) — if you choose to share it, we use your approximate location to give Sam useful context (e.g. roughly where you are) and to send a map link to your safety contact when you start a journey or arrive home. You can refuse or revoke location access at any time in your phone settings.
• Service usage data — the date, time and duration of calls, and which features you've used, so we can run, support and improve the service.
• Anonymous analytics — we use Fathom Analytics, a privacy-focused, cookie-free tool, to understand things like which features are popular and how people navigate the app. This cannot be linked back to you personally.

Information we collect if you subscribe to Always On

• Billing details — handled by Stripe. We never see or store your full card number; we only receive a record of the payment, the last four digits, and your subscription status.
• Subscription history — start date, renewal date, cancellation date, and amount charged. We are required to keep billing records for 6 years for tax purposes.

How do we use your information?

We use your information to run the service:

• Making calls — calling your number when you tap "Call me now" and routing the call to Sam
• Personalising Sam — so he can use your name and reference your safety contact's name where relevant
• Texting your safety contact — when you confirm you're home safe, or to share a journey map link if you've enabled this
• Managing your subscription — if you've signed up to Always On, processing payments, sending receipts and renewal reminders
• Improving the service — reviewing calls, transcripts and anonymous usage data to make Sam better and more reliable
• Customer support — responding when you contact us
• Legal and safety obligations — meeting our legal obligations and protecting users where we have to

Automated processing and AI

Sam is an AI agent, not a human. We are upfront about this and Sam will say so if you ask. Sam uses automated processing to understand what you say and respond appropriately.

Sam's responses are generated by AI based on the conversation. Sam does not make legally significant decisions about you, but he can take actions during a call (for example, prompting you to confirm you're safe). You always remain in control: you can hang up at any time, and you should always call 999 in a real emergency rather than relying on Sam.

Our legal basis for using your data

Under UK GDPR we need a lawful basis to process personal data. Here's how that maps to HeyOperator:

What we do	Lawful basis
Storing your profile and making calls	Performance of a contract — necessary to deliver the service you've signed up for
Recording and transcribing calls	Performance of a contract (delivering the call) and legitimate interest (improving the service)
Texting your safety contact	Consent — you choose whether to add a contact and when to notify them
Sharing your location	Consent — you can refuse or revoke this at any time
Processing Always On payments	Performance of a contract
Keeping billing records	Legal obligation (UK tax law)
Anonymous analytics	Legitimate interest (understanding how the app is used)

Where your data lives and who we share it with

We never sell your data. Ever.

To run HeyOperator we use a small number of trusted service providers (sub-processors). Each one only receives the information needed to do their job:

Provider	What they do	What they receive
Supabase	Secure database hosting your profile and account data	Name, phone number, safety contact, subscription status
ElevenLabs	AI voice agent — generates Sam's voice and handles the live conversation	Call audio, transcript, your name (for personalisation)
Twilio	Telephony — places the actual phone call and sends SMS	Phone numbers, call metadata (time, duration), SMS content
Zapier	Connects services together (e.g. triggering an SMS to your safety contact)	Phone numbers, trigger events
Stripe	Payment processing for Always On subscriptions	Card details (held by Stripe, not us), email, billing address
Google Maps	Converts GPS coordinates into readable addresses	Approximate coordinates
Netlify	Hosts the website and app	Standard server logs (IP, browser type)
Fathom	Anonymous, cookie-free analytics	Anonymised, aggregated usage data only

We may also share your information:

• With your safety contact — only when you choose to send them a check-in or a map link
• If legally required — for example, in response to a valid court order, lawful request from law enforcement, or to protect someone from serious harm
• If our business changes — if Chapter 33 Ltd. is ever sold, restructured or merged, your data may transfer to the new entity, but the protections in this policy will continue to apply

International transfers

Some of our providers (including ElevenLabs, Twilio, Stripe, Supabase and Netlify) are based in or process data in the United States and other countries outside the UK. Where data leaves the UK we rely on appropriate safeguards under UK GDPR, including the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, the UK Data Bridge with the United States, or Standard Contractual Clauses. You can request more information about these safeguards by emailing sam@heyoperator.uk.

How long we keep data

Data type	How long we keep it
Profile data (name, phone, safety contact)	While your account is active, plus 30 days after deletion
Call recordings and transcripts	Held by ElevenLabs in line with their retention policy; we delete our own copies after 90 days unless you ask us to delete sooner
Call metadata (time, duration)	12 months for service support and troubleshooting
Subscription and billing records	6 years (HMRC tax requirement)
Anonymous usage analytics	Indefinite (cannot be linked to you)
Customer support emails	2 years after the issue is resolved

How we keep your data safe

• All data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS / TLS)
• Data in our database (Supabase) is encrypted at rest
• We use reputable providers with strong security practices (SOC 2, ISO 27001, etc.)
• We collect only the minimum data we need
• Access to user data within Chapter 33 Ltd. is restricted to people who need it

No system is perfectly secure. If we ever experience a data breach that puts your rights at risk, we'll notify you and the Information Commissioner's Office as required by law.

Your rights under UK GDPR

You have the following rights over the personal data we hold about you. To exercise any of them, email us at sam@heyoperator.uk and we'll respond within 30 days.

• Right to be informed — that's what this policy is for
• Right of access — ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification — ask us to correct anything that's wrong
• Right to erasure — ask us to delete your data ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to restrict processing — ask us to pause using your data while we sort something out
• Right to data portability — get a copy of your data in a portable, machine-readable format
• Right to object — object to us processing your data on the basis of legitimate interest
• Rights related to automated decision-making — Sam doesn't make legally significant decisions about you, but you have the right to ask about, and not be subject to, automated decisions that significantly affect you
• Right to withdraw consent — where we rely on consent (e.g. location), you can withdraw it at any time

Some rights have limits — for example, we have to keep billing records for tax purposes even if you ask us to delete them.

Complaints

If you're not happy with how we handle your data, you have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk. We'd appreciate the chance to fix things first, so please get in touch with us before you escalate.

Cookies and similar technologies

HeyOperator uses cookies and similar storage in a small number of places:

• Essential — small bits of browser storage that keep you logged in or remember your session
• Stripe Checkout — Stripe uses cookies on its checkout pages for fraud prevention; these are essential for payments to work
• Fathom Analytics — does not use cookies

We don't use advertising or tracking cookies. We don't follow you around the internet.

Who can use HeyOperator?

Currently UK only: HeyOperator works with UK phone numbers (starting 07 or +44). We're planning to expand.

You must be at least 16 years old to use HeyOperator. If you're under 18, please speak to a parent, guardian or trusted adult about using the service.

International use

If you're a UK user travelling abroad:

• International call and SMS charges may apply from your mobile carrier
• Location accuracy can vary by region
• Service quality depends on local mobile coverage

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the service evolves. When we do:

• We'll update the date at the top
• We'll let you know about significant changes (e.g. new sub-processors or material changes to how we use data) by email or in the app
• If you keep using HeyOperator after a change, that means you accept the updated policy

Contact

• Email: sam@heyoperator.uk
• Website: heyoperator.uk
• Postal address: Chapter 33 Ltd., 10 Marine Terrace Mews, Brighton, BN2 1AR
• ICO registration number: 00013957915