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: 22 June 2026
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.
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.
We use your information to run the service:
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.
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) |
Because HeyOperator is a safety companion, the things you say to Sam — for example that you feel unsafe, that you're being followed, that you're unwell, or that you're in distress — can reveal sensitive information about your health, safety or situation. UK GDPR calls this "special category" data and gives it extra protection.
We don't ask for this information, but we recognise it may come up naturally during a call. Where it does, we rely on one or both of the following conditions under Article 9 UK GDPR, in addition to the lawful basis above:
You can withdraw your explicit consent at any time by contacting us (this won't affect anything we've already done). We don't use the sensitive content of your calls for marketing, and Sam doesn't use it to make automated decisions that have a legal or similarly significant effect on you.
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:
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.
The short version: when Sam calls you, the recording may pick up people around you — a taxi driver, someone on the street, a friend. We know this, we keep it to a minimum, and we don't use it for anything.
HeyOperator is designed for moments when you're not alone: in a taxi, walking past people, waiting for a bus. That means a call with Sam can incidentally capture the voice of someone who isn't a HeyOperator user and hasn't agreed to anything.
We take that seriously. Here's how we handle it.
Why it happens. The recording captures whatever your phone's microphone hears. We can't record your side of the conversation without also picking up ambient sound. Nobody is being deliberately recorded, and Sam doesn't listen out for, identify or respond to other people in the background.
Our lawful basis. For any incidental audio of people other than you, we rely on our legitimate interests under Article 6(1)(f) UK GDPR — delivering a safety service you've asked for, and keeping a record in case something goes wrong on a journey. We've assessed this against the rights of anyone captured, and concluded the impact is low: the audio is incidental, short-lived, never analysed for who those people are, and never shared.
What we do to limit it:
When we might share it. If you or someone else were harmed on a journey and a recording were needed by the police or a court, we'd disclose it in response to a valid legal request. That's the reason recordings exist. It's also the only circumstance in which anyone outside HeyOperator would hear one.
If you think you were recorded. People captured incidentally have rights under UK GDPR too. In practice we usually can't identify a voice in the background, so we may not be able to locate a recording from a description alone. If you believe you were recorded and want to ask about it, email us at sam@heyoperator.uk with as much detail as you can — the date, approximate time and location — and we'll do what we can.
| 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 |
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.
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.
Some rights have limits — for example, we have to keep billing records for tax purposes even if you ask us to delete them.
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.
HeyOperator uses cookies and similar storage in a small number of places:
We don't use advertising or tracking cookies. We don't follow you around the internet.
Currently UK only: HeyOperator works with UK phone numbers (starting 07 or +44). We're planning to expand.
You must be at least 18 years old to use HeyOperator.
If you're a UK user travelling abroad:
We may update this policy as the service evolves. When we do:
Remember: