Effective: 2 September 2026
Business data processing
This page explains in factual terms what 4word does with the information of customers who call the business: what is stored, for how long, who may see it, and what the business is responsible for. It is a summary, not a data-processing agreement.
The short version
Toward the customers who call the business, the business is the controller and 4word processes their information on its behalf. Call content and the caller's number are held in the business's CRM, and the retention periods are set out below. The duty to inform customers rests with the business, and the assistant identifies itself as an AI assistant on every call.
What this page covers
This page covers the business product: the phone receptionist that answers in the business's name, the messaging channel when it is enabled, and the CRM where inquiries are collected. It does not cover the personal product, which is described in the privacy policy. It is a factual summary and not a data-processing agreement; when such an agreement is required, this page is its factual basis.
Who is responsible for what
For information a business owner provides directly - contact details, the knowledge base and system settings - 4word acts as controller. For the information of customers who call the business - name, phone number, reason for the inquiry, call transcript and summary - the business is the controller and 4word processes it on the business's behalf and per its instructions. In practice: the lawful basis for the processing and the duty to inform customers rest with the business, and we supply the tools.
What is stored about each caller
For each call we store the caller's phone number, their name if it was given during the call or identified, the call time and duration, the reason for the inquiry as understood, the call transcript, an automatically generated summary, and the lead details extracted - for example an appointment request, a callback number or an item of interest.
The call is transcribed and is not recorded as an audio file. Extracted details are the product of natural conversation and may contain hearing or transcription errors, so any critical detail should be verified with the customer. The assistant opens every call by identifying itself as an AI assistant, and the business owner cannot remove that disclosure.
How long it is kept
Once automatic deletion is enabled for the business, call content - the transcript, the summary and the extracted details - is deleted 30 days after the call. The call row itself, including the caller's number, stays in the business's CRM. The knowledge base and the settings are kept for as long as the account is active. The full retention table is on the privacy policy page.
Third parties
To provide the service, information from calls and conversations is passed to third parties acting for us, only to the extent needed for that. A business customer can obtain from us the details it needs to meet its own obligations.
Controls already in place
The information is protected by standard security measures: traffic is encrypted, call content is encrypted in storage, dashboard permissions separate the owner from team members, and certain administrative actions are recorded in an audit trail.
What deactivation does
Deactivating the receptionist stops incoming calls and deletes nothing: calls, enquiry details and the knowledge base stay as they are, and the retention clock keeps running.
A request to access, correct or delete a caller's information
A customer who contacted the business and wants to access, correct or delete their information should approach the business, which is the controller.
For questions or requests concerning deletion of information associated with a business account, contact us at support@4word.io. Requests that apply under applicable law will be reviewed and handled in accordance with applicable law and the applicable agreement.
4word operates the service.
What the business is responsible for
Informing its customers that phone inquiries are answered by an AI assistant and transcribed, and holding a lawful basis for the processing. The assistant states that it is AI on every call, but that statement does not replace a privacy notice from the business itself.
Handling its own customers' requests for access, correction and deletion, and passing on to us any such request it cannot carry out itself.
Using the leads export only for the purpose for which the information was given, keeping it secure, and not passing it to a third party without a lawful basis. The exported file contains third parties' personal information.
Contact
4word operates the service. For questions about this page or about the processing, write to support@4word.io or use the contact form on the site.