This Privacy Policy explains how Crosstalk ("Crosstalk," "we," "us" or "our") collects, uses, shares and protects personal information when you visit our website, apply to contribute recordings, request a dataset, or otherwise interact with us (together, the "Services"). Crosstalk sources multi-participant interaction data, such as recorded meetings, podcasts and calls, and licenses it to organizations as datasets.
1. Scope and applicability
This policy applies to personal information we process about three groups of people:
- Visitors who browse our website.
- Contributors who apply to share, or do share, recordings with us, and the participants who appear in those recordings.
- Business contacts who request datasets or otherwise contact us on behalf of an organization.
This policy does not apply to information that our dataset customers process under their own privacy policies after receiving a licensed dataset, although our agreements with them restrict how they may use it (see Section 4).
2. What information we collect
Information you provide to us
Contributor applications. When you apply to contribute, we collect your name, email address, phone number, the type of recordings you have and an estimate of how many recordings you can share.
Dataset requests. When you request a dataset, we collect your name, work email, the type of conversation you need, the volume you need and any details you choose to include.
Submitted recordings. If you are accepted as a contributor and share recordings, we collect the audio, video, transcripts and related metadata (such as date, length, platform and number of speakers). Recordings contain the voices, and often the images, of every participant, along with anything said during the session.
Consent records. For every participant in a submitted recording, we collect a record of their consent, which may include their name, email address, the time and method of consent and the specific recording it covers.
Payment information. To pay contributors, we or our payment providers collect the details needed to send payments and meet tax obligations. We do not store full bank or card numbers on our own systems.
Communications. If you email us or otherwise contact us, we keep the contents of that message and our response.
Information collected automatically
Log data. Like most websites, our hosting provider automatically records basic technical information when you visit, such as your IP address, browser type, the pages you request and the time of your visit. We use this to keep the Services running and secure.
Fonts. Our website loads typefaces from Google Fonts. When it does, your browser sends your IP address and browser details to Google.
We do not currently use advertising cookies, analytics trackers or cross-site tracking on our website.
Information from other sources
We may receive information about you from the contributor who submitted a recording you appear in (for example, your name and email so we can request your consent), from your employer if it arranges a collection with us, or from publicly available sources when we vet business contacts.
3. How we use information
We use personal information to:
- Review contributor applications and dataset requests, and respond to you.
- Request, record and verify consent from every participant in a recording.
- Review recordings for quality, remove or redact personal details such as names, email addresses and phone numbers, and prepare transcripts and annotations.
- Assemble, license and deliver datasets to our customers.
- Pay contributors and meet tax, accounting and legal obligations.
- Honor withdrawals of consent, including removing recordings from future datasets.
- Operate, secure and improve the Services and prevent fraud or abuse.
- Comply with law and enforce our Terms of Service.
We do not sell contributor application details or business contact details to third parties.
4. How we disclose information
Dataset customers. Licensing recordings is the core of our business. When a participant has consented, we disclose that recording, its transcript and annotations to customers who license a dataset. Before delivery, we redact direct identifiers we can detect, such as names, email addresses and phone numbers spoken or shown in a session. Our customer agreements prohibit attempting to identify, contact or profile any participant, and require customers to delete recordings when we tell them a participant has withdrawn consent.
Service providers. We share information with vendors who help us run the Services, such as website hosting and storage (Vercel), font delivery (Google Fonts), transcription, payment processing and email. They may only use the information to provide services to us.
Legal and safety. We may disclose information if we believe it is required by law or legal process, or to protect the rights, property or safety of Crosstalk, our users or others.
Business transfers. If Crosstalk is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing or sale of assets, information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to this policy.
With your direction. We may share information with others when you ask us to or give us permission.
5. Cookies and tracking technologies
Our website does not set advertising or analytics cookies. Your browser may store small preferences locally, such as the dataset filter you last selected; this stays on your device. If we add analytics or similar tools in the future, we will update this section first.
6. How we secure information
We use administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect personal information. Form submissions and recordings are stored in private storage that requires authentication to access, connections to our website are encrypted, and access within Crosstalk is limited to people who need it. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
7. Data retention
We keep personal information only as long as we need it for the purposes in this policy:
- Applications and requests are kept while we evaluate them and for a reasonable period afterward, then deleted.
- Recordings are kept while they remain part of our library. Recordings we reject are deleted.
- Consent records are kept for as long as the recording they cover exists, and for a period afterward to show that consent was obtained.
- Payment and tax records are kept as long as the law requires.
8. Voices, faces and biometric information
Recordings naturally contain people's voices and, for video, their faces. We do not use recordings to create voiceprints, face geometry or other biometric identifiers, and we do not use them to identify individuals. Our customer agreements prohibit customers from using licensed recordings to identify, verify or track any participant. Where state law treats voice or facial data as biometric information, we obtain the consent that law requires before collecting it, and we destroy it on the schedule that law requires.
9. Individuals under 18
Our Services are not directed to children. You must be at least 18 to apply as a contributor. We do not knowingly accept recordings that include anyone under 18 unless a parent or legal guardian has given verifiable consent for that participant. If you believe we have information about a minor without that consent, contact us and we will delete it.
10. Users outside the United States
Crosstalk is based in the United States, and information we collect is processed and stored there. If you are located elsewhere, your information will be transferred to the United States, where privacy laws may differ from those in your country. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards for these transfers. If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, we process participant recordings on the basis of consent, and other information on the basis of our legitimate interests in running the Services or to perform a contract with you.
11. Your privacy rights
Depending on where you live, you may have some or all of these rights:
- Withdraw consent: Participants can withdraw consent for a recording at any time. We will remove it from future datasets and instruct customers who received it to delete it.
- Access: Ask what personal information we hold about you.
- Correction: Ask us to correct inaccurate information.
- Deletion: Ask us to delete your information, subject to legal exceptions.
- Restriction and objection: Ask us to limit or stop certain processing.
- Portability: Ask for a copy of your information in a portable format.
- Non-discrimination: We will not treat you differently for exercising your rights.
To make a request, contact us using the details in Section 14. We will verify your identity before acting on a request, and you may use an authorized agent where the law allows. If you are unhappy with our response, you may have the right to complain to your local data protection authority.
12. Notice of financial incentive
Crosstalk pays contributors for accepted recordings. Some laws treat payment in exchange for personal information as a financial incentive. The amount we pay is based on our good-faith estimate of the value of the recording, taking into account factors such as its length, quality, format, number of participants, language and current demand. Contributors see the terms that apply to them before sharing any recording. Taking part is voluntary, and contributors and participants can withdraw at any time as described in Section 11.
13. Additional notice to California residents
In the past 12 months, we have collected the following categories of personal information, as defined by the California Consumer Privacy Act: identifiers (such as name, email, phone number and IP address); commercial information (such as dataset requests); audio, electronic and visual information (recordings); professional information (for business contacts); and internet activity (log data).
We collect this information from you, from contributors and from your device, for the purposes described in Section 3. We disclose recordings of consenting participants to dataset customers for a fee, which may be considered a "sale" under California law; we do this only with the participant's consent, and you can opt out at any time by withdrawing consent. We do not sell or share the personal information of anyone we know to be under 16. California residents may exercise the rights in Section 11, including the right to know, delete, correct and opt out.
14. Contact us
For questions about this policy or to exercise your rights, contact us at:
CrosstalkEmail: [privacy contact email]
Mailing address: [company mailing address]
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will change the "Last updated" date above, and for material changes we will provide additional notice.