CAUNSEL – Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 4, 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: Text messages, voice recordings, and transcripts submitted to the AI Legal Advisor, AI Legal Expert Panel, or AI Fact Checker.
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 submitted to AI features are processed by third-party large language model services (including Google Gemini). These providers may retain data according to their own policies.
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

Purpose	Information used
Create and manage your account	Registration details, phone number, email
Provide AI features (text chat, voice chat, panel review, fact checker)	Legal queries, voice recordings, transcripts
Match customers with lawyers for video consultations	Location (country / state), specialisation preference, description
Facilitate and record video consultations	Consultation details, payment information
Process payments and payouts	Payment method details (via Stripe / Razorpay), lawyer payout details
Deliver push notifications (incoming calls, messages)	Push notification token, device info
Verify lawyer credentials	Certificates, licences, professional description
Calculate and display ratings	Ratings submitted after consultations
Improve AI models and platform quality	Anonymised interaction data, usage patterns
Customer support and dispute resolution	Support requests, consultation history
Comply with legal obligations	Any information required by applicable law
Fraud prevention and security	Device identifiers, IP address, usage patterns

III. AI Features and Data Processing

When you use AI features (AI Legal Advisor, Voice Chat, Legal Expert Panel, Fact Checker), your queries and voice recordings are transmitted to third-party AI providers for processing. You should be aware that:

These providers may retain interaction data according to their own retention policies;
Do not include highly sensitive personal information (government ID numbers, financial account details, health records) unless directly relevant to your query;
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), crash monitoring (Sentry), and push notifications (Firebase Cloud Messaging). These providers are contractually required to protect your data.

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: Processed in real-time and not permanently stored by us (may be retained by AI providers 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:

Encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest for sensitive data;
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. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials 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