CAUNSEL – Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 22, 2026

Caunsel LLC ("Company", "we", "us", "our") operates the website at www.caunsel.com and the Caunsel mobile application available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store (collectively, the "Platform" or "Service"). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding it. It should be read together with our Terms of Use.

By accessing or using the Platform you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.

I. Information We Collect

1. Information You Provide Directly

• Account registration: Name, date of birth, phone number, email address, country and state.
• Lawyer registration (additional): Professional description, areas of specialisation, certificates, and licence documents uploaded as PDF or image files.
• Legal queries and AI sessions: Text messages, voice recordings, and transcripts submitted to the AI Legal Advisor, Legal Expert Panel, Fact Checker, and related tools. Copies we store on our systems are PIN-encrypted.
• Document Vault and Cases: Documents, voice memos, and case materials you store in those features. Stored files are PIN-encrypted on our systems. If you use those materials with AI features, they are decrypted so the model can process them (see Section III).
• Consultations: Description of your legal issue submitted when booking a video consultation.
• Post-consultation messages: Text messages and file attachments exchanged with lawyers via direct messaging.
• Support requests: Name, email, phone number, and message content submitted through the Contact Us form.
• Account deletion requests: Information provided when requesting account deletion.
• Profile photo: Optional image you upload to your profile.
• Ratings and reviews: Star ratings and written feedback submitted after consultations.

2. Information Collected Automatically

• Usage data: Features used, screens visited, button taps, session duration, and error logs.
• Device information: Device model, operating system version, app version, unique device identifiers.
• Network information: IP address, connection type (Wi-Fi / cellular).
• Push notification tokens: FCM (Android) and APNs (iOS) tokens used to deliver notifications.
• Subscription status: Plan tier, credit balance, transaction identifiers from Apple App Store and Google Play.

3. Information from Third Parties

• Payment processors: Stripe (international) and Razorpay (India) provide us with transaction identifiers, payment status, and payout information. We do not store full card numbers.
• AI providers: Queries, documents, voice audio, and transcripts submitted to AI features are processed by third-party organisations that operate the models (including Google Gemini via Vertex AI). Those providers receive the content in a form they can process (not PIN-encrypted in that transmission). They may retain data according to their own policies. Caunsel does not control those organisations.
• Video infrastructure: Real-time video calls are routed through the 100ms (HMS) platform, which may process audio/video streams and connection metadata.
• Error monitoring: Crash reports and diagnostic data are collected via Sentry.
• Google Sign-In (web): If you sign in with Google, we receive your Google account's name and email address.

4. Children's Privacy

The Platform is not directed to anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us at contact@caunsel.com and we will delete it promptly.

II. How We Use Your Information

III. AI Features and Data Processing

When you use AI features (AI Legal Advisor, Voice Chat, Legal Expert Panel, Fact Checker, ambient listening, court debrief, voice-memo transcription, document extraction, and other case AI tools), your queries, documents, voice recordings, and transcripts are transmitted to third-party organisations that operate the AI models (including Google Gemini via Vertex AI and their subprocessors) so the model can generate a response. You should be aware that:

• PIN encryption covers what we store, not what we send to the model. Content stored on our systems — including text chat, audio chat and transcripts, legal panel inputs and reports, Document Vault files, and Case materials — is PIN-encrypted at rest. That encryption does not apply while text or audio is sent to third-party AI model operators so they can generate a response. If you attach stored Vault, Case, chat, or panel material to an AI feature, it is decrypted as needed so the model can read it. Copies we keep on our systems after the session are stored encrypted.
• Network connections may use standard transport security (such as TLS). That protects the connection hop; it is not end-to-end encryption of your query or audio to the model operator, and it does not prevent that operator from receiving the content in a processable form.
• These providers may retain, log, use for safety or service improvement, or otherwise handle interaction data according to their own retention and privacy policies. Caunsel is not responsible for those organisations' security, retention, subprocessors, or use of your data.
• Do not include highly sensitive personal information (government ID numbers, financial account details, health records) unless directly relevant to your query and you are willing to share it with those providers;
• AI outputs are not confidential legal communications and do not attract attorney-client privilege;
• We may use anonymised, aggregated interaction data to improve platform features.

IV. How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as described below:

With Lawyers (for consultations)

When you book a consultation, your name, consultation description, country, and state are shared with the matched lawyer. Lawyers do not receive your full account details or payment information.

With Service Providers

We share information with vendors who perform services on our behalf, including: cloud hosting (Firebase / Google Cloud), payment processing (Stripe, Razorpay), real-time video (100ms / HMS), AI processing (Google Gemini / Vertex AI), crash monitoring (Sentry), and push notifications (Firebase Cloud Messaging). These providers process data under their own terms and privacy policies. We do not control how organisations that operate AI models handle text, audio, or documents once received. This Privacy Policy does not govern those organisations.

Legal Compliance

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or government authority, or if we have a good-faith belief that disclosure is necessary to: (a) comply with legal process; (b) protect the rights, property, or safety of Caunsel, our users, or the public; or (c) detect and prevent fraud or security incidents.

Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity, subject to this Privacy Policy.

Aggregated / Anonymised Data

We may share anonymised, aggregated data (for example, usage statistics) with partners or for public reporting. This data cannot be used to identify you.

V. Data Storage and Retention

Your data is stored in Google Firebase (Firestore, Cloud Storage, and Firebase Auth), with servers primarily in the United States. By using the Platform, you consent to the transfer and processing of your data in the United States and other jurisdictions where our service providers operate.

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. Specifically:

• Account data: Retained until you request deletion or 2 years of inactivity.
• Consultation records: Retained for 5 years for legal and dispute-resolution purposes.
• AI query transcripts: Retained for 12 months, then anonymised.
• Voice recordings sent to AI: Processed by third-party model operators in a form they can use (not PIN-encrypted in that transmission). Copies we store on our systems are PIN-encrypted. Those providers may retain audio or transcripts per their policies.
• Payment records: Retained as required by applicable tax and financial regulations.
• Support requests: Retained for 3 years.

VI. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including:

• Standard encryption in transit (TLS) on connections to our services, where supported;
• PIN-derived encryption for content we store on our systems, including text chat, audio chat, panel reviews, Document Vault files, and Case materials. Caunsel cannot read that stored plaintext. PIN encryption does not apply to text, audio, transcripts, or documents while they are sent to AI model operators, or to live consultation media routed through our communications provider;
• Firebase Authentication for secure account access;
• Firestore Security Rules restricting data access to authorised users only;
• Firebase Storage access controls for uploaded documents;
• Monitoring and alerting via Sentry for anomalous behaviour.

Despite these measures, no security system is infallible. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of your information. In particular, once text or audio is sent to a third-party AI model operator, that organisation's security and privacy practices apply, and Caunsel is not responsible for them. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and PIN, and for any activity under your account.

VII. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and personal data (see below).
• Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Opt-out of marketing: Unsubscribe from promotional emails at any time using the "Unsubscribe" link or by contacting us. Note: transactional and service communications are not affected.
• Withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time (this does not affect prior processing).

Users in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, and California have additional rights under GDPR, UK GDPR, and the CCPA respectively. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at contact@caunsel.com. We will respond within 30 days.

VIII. Account Deletion

To permanently delete your account, submit a deletion request through Profile → Delete Account in the app, or email contact@caunsel.com. Upon receiving your request:

• Your personal identifiers will be removed from active systems within 30 days;
• Consultation and payment records may be retained as required by law for up to 5 years in anonymised form;
• Backups may retain data for up to 90 days before being purged.

IX. Subscriptions and Payment Data

Subscription purchases are processed by Apple App Store or Google Play. We do not receive or store your full payment card details. We receive transaction identifiers, purchase receipts, and subscription status from Apple and Google. Lawyer payout accounts are managed through Stripe (outside India) and Razorpay (India); their privacy policies apply to information provided during payout setup.

X. Push Notifications

With your permission, we send push notifications for incoming consultation requests, messages, and platform updates. You may disable push notifications at any time through your device settings. Disabling notifications may affect real-time features such as incoming call alerts.

XI. Links to Third-Party Sites

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites and services. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those services. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party services you access through our Platform.

XII. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be notified via email or in-app notification at least 14 days before they take effect. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. The current version is always available at www.caunsel.com/privacy.

XIII. Contact Us

For privacy-related questions, requests, or complaints:

Caunsel LLC
Email: contact@caunsel.com
Website: www.caunsel.com

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