Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Anchor Systems ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website anchorsystems.ai and use our services.

By using our website and services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access our website or use our services.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide to Us

We collect information that you voluntarily provide when you:

• Contact Form Submissions: Name, email address, company name, phone number, message content, and service interest
• Project Communications: Any additional information shared during consultations, project discovery, or implementation
• Service Usage: Information related to custom AI solutions we develop for you

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain information about your device and usage:

• Log Data: IP address, browser type, operating system, pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring website
• Cookies: Small data files stored on your device to enhance your browsing experience (see Section 6)
• Analytics Data: Aggregated usage statistics to improve our website and services

2.3 Client Project Data

When we develop AI solutions for clients, we may process:

• Training Data: Documents, FAQs, support tickets, or other content you provide for chatbot or RAG system training
• Integration Data: Information necessary to integrate with your existing systems (CRM, databases, APIs)
• Technical Data: System logs, performance metrics, and error reports from deployed solutions

Important: Client project data remains your property. We process this data solely to deliver contracted services and never use it to train public AI models or share it with third parties.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Service Delivery: To respond to inquiries, provide consultations, and deliver contracted AI solutions
• Communication: To send you project updates, technical support, and important service announcements
• Improvement: To analyze website usage and improve our services, user experience, and technical offerings
• Security: To detect, prevent, and address technical issues, fraud, or security threats
• Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes
• Marketing: To send promotional materials about our services (you can opt-out anytime)

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

4.1 Service Providers

We may share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business:

• Cloud Hosting: Google Cloud Platform (GCP), AWS, or Azure for website and database hosting
• Email Services: Email providers for sending communications
• Analytics: Web analytics tools to understand website usage patterns
• Payment Processing: Payment processors for invoicing and transactions (when applicable)

All service providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for the purposes we specify.

4.2 LLM Providers (For Client Projects)

When building AI solutions, we may use Large Language Model (LLM) providers such as:

• OpenAI (GPT-4, GPT-4o, GPT-4o-mini)
• Anthropic (Claude)
• Google (Gemini)
• Open-source models (hosted on your infrastructure)

Data Protection Guarantee: We configure all LLM integrations to prevent your data from being used for model training. Most providers offer enterprise agreements with zero data retention policies. For maximum privacy, we can deploy open-source models entirely within your infrastructure.

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to valid legal requests (e.g., court orders, subpoenas, government investigations).

4.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify you before your information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

5. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:

• Encryption: Data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256)
• Access Controls: Strict role-based access controls limit who can view or process your data
• Secure Infrastructure: We use enterprise-grade cloud platforms with SOC 2 compliance
• Regular Audits: We conduct security reviews and vulnerability assessments
• Data Minimization: We collect only the data necessary for service delivery

Note: While we use commercially reasonable security measures, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve your experience on our website:

6.1 Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential Cookies: Required for website functionality (e.g., form submissions, session management)
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our site (e.g., pages visited, time spent)
• Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences for future visits

6.2 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect website functionality. Most browsers allow you to:

• View and delete existing cookies
• Block third-party cookies
• Block all cookies (may limit site functionality)
• Clear cookies when closing your browser

7. Data Retention

We retain your information only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy:

• Contact Form Data: Retained for up to 2 years for business development and customer service purposes
• Client Project Data: Retained for the duration of the project plus 1 year for support purposes, unless otherwise agreed
• Website Analytics: Aggregated data retained indefinitely; identifiable data deleted after 26 months
• Legal Obligations: Some data may be retained longer to comply with legal or regulatory requirements

You may request deletion of your data at any time (see Section 9).

8. International Data Transfers

Anchor Systems operates from Ethiopia and serves clients globally. Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. We ensure that:

• Data transfers comply with applicable data protection laws (GDPR, CCPA, etc.)
• Appropriate safeguards are in place (e.g., Standard Contractual Clauses)
• Cloud infrastructure is deployed in your preferred region when required
• Enterprise clients can request on-premises or private cloud deployments

9. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

9.1 General Rights

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal obligations)
• Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time
• Object: Object to certain types of data processing

9.2 GDPR Rights (EU/EEA Residents)

If you are in the European Union or European Economic Area, you have additional rights under GDPR:

• Right to restrict processing
• Right to withdraw consent at any time
• Right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority

9.3 CCPA Rights (California Residents)

If you are a California resident, you have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to know what personal information is collected, used, and shared
• Right to delete personal information
• Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell your data)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

9.4 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at contact@anchorsystems.ai. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

10. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites (e.g., LinkedIn, GitHub, social media). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

11. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child without parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of any material changes by:

• Posting the updated policy on this page with a new "Last Updated" date
• Sending an email notification to registered users (for significant changes)
• Displaying a prominent notice on our website

Your continued use of our services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

14. Consent

By using our website and services, you consent to this Privacy Policy and agree to its terms. If you do not agree with this policy, please discontinue use of our services immediately.