CAiSEY Privacy Policy
Last updated: 2026-02-111. Introduction
CAiSEY is operated by The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York (“we,” “our,” or “us”). We operate the CAiSEY learning-through-dialogue platform and related services (the “Service”). This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information when you use the Service. By using the Service, you agree to the practices described in this policy. Our Service is used globally but is primarily offered in the United States. If you access the Service from outside the United States, please see Section 11 (International Users).2. Information We Collect
2.1 Information You Provide
- Account information. When you sign up or are provisioned through your institution, we collect your email address, first name, last name, other school-related information, and a generated identifier from our authentication provider. We store this in our systems and sync with our vendors for authentication and user management.
- Course and organization data. We store information about organizations/institutions, courses, sections, assignments, and your membership and role (e.g., administrator, instructor, teaching assistant, student). We may also store an optional external identifier (e.g., an institution-specific ID) when you register.
- Submissions and learning content. When you complete assignments, we store your conversation content and related metadata associated with your user account and the assignment. This may include dialogue with our AI assistant and summaries or insights generated from your submissions.
- Demo or contact form. If you use a demo or contact form on our site, we collect the information you enter via a form provider.
2.2 Information Collected Automatically
- Usage and technical data. We collect logs, device and browser information, and usage data in connection with your use of the Service. We use third-party vendors for analytics, which may include session recording, surveys, exception reporting, and performance (Web Vitals) data, as well as logging for tracing and observability to operate and improve the Service.
- Cookies and similar technologies. We use cookies and similar technologies for essential functions (e.g., authentication and session management). We also use analytics and related technologies that may set cookies. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:- Provide, operate, and maintain the Service, including but not limited to enabling users to create and/or engage in educational experiences, and AI-powered features.
- Authenticate you and manage your account, including your registration in the context of an institution and/or its course(s).
- Store and process your conversation history and related analytics or insights for the Service.
- Respond to your requests, including inquiries submitted through contact forms and support requests.
- Send you service-related communications where appropriate.
- Monitor, secure, and troubleshoot the Service (e.g., using logs and observability tools).
- Analyze usage, improve the Service, and measure impact on educational outcomes.
- Comply with applicable law and protect our rights and the safety of users.
4. AI and Third-Party Processing
AI (OpenAI and other providers). Conversation content you submit during assignments—including voice and text—is sent to AI providers such as OpenAI and Anthropic to power realtime dialogue, chat, summarization, and other service features. These providers’ use of data is governed by their terms and privacy policies. We do not permit them to use our user data for training purposes. Vendors & Infrastructure Providers. We share user data with other technology vendors and service providers to support application functionality and operations supporting it, including but not limited to: providers of hosting services, cloud services, support and safety monitoring services, email communication software, web analytics services, and other information technology providers. These parties will access, process, or store user data only in the course of performing their duties to us.5. Data Retention
We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service and fulfill the purposes described in this policy, in accordance with our operational and legal needs. Some voice recordings and related metadata are stored; we may use different retention periods for this data (e.g., full retention vs. rolling retention). We may retain certain information after account closure where required by law or for legitimate business purposes (e.g., security, dispute resolution).6. Sharing and Disclosure
We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information:- With the service providers described in Section 4, as necessary to operate the Service.
- With your institution or organization where you access the Service through a course or organization membership, as permitted by our agreements, your role, and the role of the users accessing your data (e.g., instructors, teaching assistants, administrators).
- When required by law, court order, or governmental authority, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.
7. Security
We implement technical and organizational measures to help protect your information, including access controls, encryption where appropriate, and secure handling of credentials and cookies. Our service providers are chosen with security in mind, but no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.7.1 Notification of Security Breaches
In the event we discover or are notified of a security breach that results in unauthorized access to or disclosure of personal information, we will:- Promptly investigate the incident and take steps to contain and remediate the breach.
- Notify affected users via email or other appropriate means without unreasonable delay.
- Provide information about what happened, what data was affected, and steps we are taking to address the situation.
- Comply with applicable data breach notification laws, which may include notifying relevant supervisory authorities.
8. Your Rights and Choices
You may have certain rights regarding your personal information, depending on where you live.- Access and correction. You may request access to or correction of personal information we hold about you.
- Deletion. You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal and operational exceptions.
- Portability. Where applicable, you may request a copy of your data in a portable format.
- Objection and restriction. In some jurisdictions, you may have the right to object to certain processing or to request restriction of processing.
- Withdraw consent. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.
- Cookies. You can manage cookies through your browser settings; some features may not work correctly if you disable essential cookies.
9. Students
9.1 Student Data
When students use the Service through their educational institution, we collect and process personal information related to identifiable students (“Student Data”), including course membership, coursework, conversation content (text and/or voice), related metadata, and performance or analytics data. FERPA Compliance. As operated by The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, CAiSEY complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Student Data is collected and used solely for educational purposes as authorized by the educational institution and subject to its control. We do not use Student Data for advertising, marketing, or any purpose other than providing the educational services requested by the institution. No Sale or Advertising. We do not sell Student Data. We do not use Student Data for targeted advertising or marketing purposes. We do not allow third parties to use Student Data for their own purposes. Student Rights. Students have the right to access, correct, and request deletion of their Student Data under FERPA and applicable law. Requests should be directed to your educational institution, which may expedite completion of your request. We will assist institutions in fulfilling student data requests as required by applicable law. Retention. Student Data is retained in accordance with our agreements with educational institutions and applicable legal requirements. We will delete Student Data when no longer needed for educational purposes or as required by law, subject to our retention obligations. Separate Agreements. Some educational institutions may have separate data processing agreements with us that govern Student Data. In such cases, those agreements take precedence over this Privacy Policy with respect to Student Data.9.2 Children
The Service is intended for use in higher education settings. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us and we will take steps to delete it.10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated policy on this page and update the “Last updated” date. For material changes, we may provide additional notice (e.g., by email or a notice in the Service). Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.11. International Users
The Service is operated from and hosted in the United States. Your data, including Student Data, submissions, and voice recordings (where applicable), is stored in the United States in systems operated by our US-based service providers. By using the Service, you consent to such transfer and processing. Where we rely on standard contractual clauses or other mechanisms for transfers from the EEA, UK, or other regions, we will apply them in accordance with applicable law.12. Contact Us
For questions about this Privacy Policy, to exercise your rights, or to submit a request, please contact us at: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York535 W 116th St, New York, NY 10027, United States
support@caisey.me