Legal

Privacy Policy

Version 1.0 Effective 1 June 2026 ascentaai.co.uk
01

Who We Are and How to Contact Us

AscentaAI is an AI-powered customer messaging service designed for UK-based small businesses. We provide chatbot infrastructure that handles customer enquiries, appointment bookings, and automated reminder communications on behalf of our business clients.

Trading nameAscentaAI
Websiteascentaai.co.uk
Data protection contactprivacy@ascentaai.co.uk
JurisdictionEngland and Wales

AscentaAI acts as a data controller for personal data of our business clients, and as a data processor for personal data of end-customers on behalf of those clients. This distinction is explained in Section 4.

02

Legal Framework

This Privacy Policy is drafted in compliance with:

03

The Data We Collect

3.1 From Business Clients

When a business subscribes to AscentaAI:

  • Full name, business name, email address, and phone number
  • Instagram page name and linked Meta account identifier
  • Google Calendar OAuth tokens (for booking integration)
  • Business Data provided via onboarding: services, prices, opening hours, FAQs
  • Dashboard login credentials (email + hashed password)
  • Monthly message counts, subscription tier, and billing records (via Stripe)

3.2 From End-Customers

End-customers are individuals who message a business via Instagram DM or website chat widget:

  • Instagram user ID, display name, and message content
  • Message timestamps, intent classification, language, and sentiment indicators
  • Booking details: service, date, time, status, and service-specific notes
  • Optional: email address or mobile number — only if provided voluntarily for appointment reminders
Providing contact details for reminders is entirely optional. The bot states clearly: "We'll only use this to send your appointment reminder." Customers who decline still receive their confirmed booking.

3.3 Data We Do Not Collect

  • Special category data (health, ethnicity, religion, biometrics, sexual orientation)
  • Children's data — the service is for adults and their adult customers
  • Payment card or bank account numbers (all payments handled by Stripe)
  • Government-issued identifiers (NI numbers, passport numbers)
04

Our Role as Controller and Processor

AscentaAI acts as an independent data controller for personal data of its business clients (account data, billing, support), relying on contract performance, legitimate interests, and legal obligation as its lawful bases.

For end-customer data, AscentaAI acts as a data processor on behalf of the business client (the controller). Our processing is governed by the Data Processing Agreement (DPA) incorporated into our Terms of Service, satisfying Article 28 UK GDPR. As processor, we process end-customer data only on the client's instructions, implement appropriate security measures, assist with data subject rights requests, and delete data at the end of the service relationship.

Business clients are separately responsible for providing their customers with an appropriate privacy notice covering AI-powered messaging. We provide template wording on request.
05

How We Use Personal Data

5.1 Business Clients

  • Account creation, dashboard access, and service configuration
  • Monthly billing, overage calculation, and invoice generation via Stripe
  • Usage warning notifications (at 50 messages remaining) and dashboard alerts
  • Customer support and service communications
  • Fraud prevention and account security

5.2 End-Customers (on behalf of business clients)

  • Receiving, routing, and responding to Instagram DMs and website chat messages
  • Identifying returning users and retrieving conversation history
  • Intent classification: FAQ answering, booking flow, or out-of-scope escalation
  • Booking management: checking Google Calendar availability, creating, updating, and cancelling events
  • Sending SMS reminders via Twilio (Growth/Pro tiers) at 24h and 2h before appointments
  • Sending email reminders via SendGrid (all tiers)
  • Post-appointment review prompts (Pro tier only)
  • Language detection, sentiment detection, and waiting list management

5.3 Google Calendar & Instagram Integrations

OAuth tokens from Google Calendar are stored encrypted and used solely to check availability and manage booking events. We do not read any other calendar content. Instagram DMs are received via Meta webhook and replied to via the Meta Messaging API. We do not access Instagram posts, stories, or follower data.

06

Sharing Personal Data

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal data. We engage the following sub-processors:

Anthropic, Inc.AI response generation (Claude API)
Supabase, Inc.PostgreSQL database hosting
Twilio, Inc.SMS appointment reminders
Twilio SendGridEmail appointment reminders
Stripe, Inc.Payment processing
Meta Platforms IrelandInstagram Messaging API
Google LLCGoogle Calendar API
Netlify, Inc.Website hosting

All sub-processors are contractually bound to equivalent data protection standards. We will notify business clients at least 14 days before adding or changing a sub-processor.

07

Cookies

Our website and dashboard use strictly necessary cookies (session cookies, CSRF tokens) and optional functional cookies (preferences, layout settings). We may use privacy-respecting analytics cookies where consent is given via our cookie banner. You can manage cookies through your browser settings. We respect Do Not Track signals.

08

Data Retention

Client account & contact dataDuration of subscription + 7 years (HMRC requirement)
Payment records / invoices7 years from transaction date (legal obligation)
Dashboard login logs12 months
End-customer conversation logs12 months from last message
Booking records24 months from appointment date
Reminder contact detailsDeleted within 30 days of appointment
Partial booking stateDeleted automatically after 24 hours

Deletion from live databases is followed by removal from backups within 90 days. End-customers may request deletion at any time by contacting the business, or directly at privacy@ascentaai.co.uk.

09

Security

We implement technical and organisational measures in accordance with Article 32 UK GDPR, including:

10

International Data Transfers

Some sub-processors are US-based. Transfers are safeguarded via the UK-US Data Bridge, UK International Data Transfer Agreements (IDTAs), or EU Standard Contractual Clauses with a UK Addendum, as applicable. Full details of transfer mechanisms per sub-processor are available on request at privacy@ascentaai.co.uk.

11

Automated Decisions & AI Processing

Our service involves automated processing by Anthropic's Claude AI model. This includes intent classification, language detection, sentiment detection, and calendar availability checking. None of these produce legal or similarly significant effects — they are assistive functions that facilitate voluntary customer interactions.

We do not use end-customer conversation data to train AI models. API inputs and outputs are not used by Anthropic to train models without consent, per Anthropic's API data usage policy.

If you believe an automated process has produced an unfair or incorrect outcome, contact privacy@ascentaai.co.uk and we will review it manually.
12

Your Rights Under UK GDPR

Access (Art. 15)

Request a copy of your personal data. We respond within one calendar month.

Rectification (Art. 16)

Correct inaccurate or incomplete data. Update most account info directly in your dashboard.

Erasure (Art. 17)

Request deletion of your data where it is no longer necessary or processing is unlawful.

Restriction (Art. 18)

Restrict processing while accuracy or objection is pending.

Portability (Art. 20)

Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format where processing is automated.

Object (Art. 21)

Object to processing based on legitimate interests, including direct marketing.

To exercise any right, email privacy@ascentaai.co.uk with subject line "Data Rights Request".

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or 0303 123 1113.

13

Client GDPR Obligations

Business clients using AscentaAI are data controllers for their end-customers' data and are responsible for: providing an appropriate privacy notice to their customers; having a valid lawful basis for processing; responding to data subject rights requests; and ensuring they do not instruct us to process data unlawfully. Our Terms of Service incorporate a Data Processing Agreement satisfying Article 28 UK GDPR.

14

Children's Privacy

Our service is directed at business owners and adult customers. We do not knowingly collect data from individuals under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected a child's data, contact privacy@ascentaai.co.uk and we will delete it promptly.

15

Direct Marketing

We may contact business clients by email about new features or updates where you have given consent, or under the PECR soft opt-in for existing clients. You may unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email or by contacting privacy@ascentaai.co.uk. We do not send marketing to end-customers.

16

Changes to This Policy & Contact Us

We may update this policy periodically. Material changes will be notified by email at least 14 days before they take effect. Previous versions are available on request.

Privacy queries
Website
ascentaai.co.uk
ICO (complaints)
ico.org.uk · 0303 123 1113
Response time
Within 5 business days