Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 23, 2026. This describes what we actually collect and what we actually do with it, in plain language.

Who we are

This Privacy Policy describes how Steel Collar Robotics ("we", "us"), which is owned by Arete and Associates, LLC, collects, uses, and shares information when you use steelcollarrobotics.com, including the AI concierge and any related services.

This is a plain-language description of our current practices, not legal advice. If you have a specific concern about how your information is handled, contact us using the details at the bottom of this page.

Information we collect

Information you provide directly. Anything you type into the AI concierge, including details you choose to share about your facility, your process, your equipment, and your operations. If you ask for a follow-up, we also collect the contact and qualifying details you provide, which typically include your name, email address, phone number, job title, company, and general location, along with the details of the job you are asking about, such as application, part weight, rate, shifts, and current staffing on the task.

Automatically collected information. Our hosting provider records standard server request data such as your IP address, browser and device type, pages requested, and timestamps, in the ordinary course of serving the site and protecting it from abuse. We do not currently run any third-party web analytics product on this site, and we do not use advertising or tracking cookies.

Fonts. Pages on this site load typefaces from Google Fonts. Making that request discloses your IP address and browser information to Google, which handles it under its own privacy terms.

Conversation history. Your concierge conversation is stored temporarily in your browser's own session storage so it persists as you move between pages. It is cleared when you close the browser tab. That copy stays on your device.

Conversations are not confidential

We want to be direct about this because it matters more in our line of work than in most. Conversations with the AI concierge are transmitted to us, are retained, and are reviewed by our personnel to improve the service and to follow up on inquiries. They are not confidential, they are not privileged, and no confidentiality obligation arises from your use of the concierge.

Please do not enter trade secrets, proprietary process details, drawings, customer names, pricing you are contractually obliged to protect, or personal information about your employees. You can describe a job usefully without any of that, and the concierge is designed to get a useful answer from general descriptions.

How we use information

We use the information collected to operate and improve the AI concierge and the site; to respond to follow-up requests you submit; to prepare and facilitate introductions to equipment manufacturers and certified system integrators where you have asked us to; and to understand, in aggregate, how the site is used and what kinds of automation questions manufacturers are asking.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

AI processing and service providers

To generate concierge responses, the text of your conversation is sent to Anthropic, the provider of the underlying AI model, for processing. Anthropic handles that data under its own terms, which include retaining it for a limited period for safety and abuse monitoring purposes.

We use Resend to deliver email notifications, which include conversation transcripts and follow-up requests sent to our own team. We use Vercel to host the site. Where you have submitted a follow-up request, your details may also be recorded in our own database so we can act on the request and keep a business record of it.

Each of these providers processes data under its own privacy terms. We encourage you to review them if you have specific questions about how information is handled in transit.

Who we share information with

With your consent, and for the purpose you asked us for, we may share your contact details and the relevant details of your inquiry with equipment manufacturers, distributors, and certified system integrators in order to obtain information, confirm availability, or arrange an introduction. We tell you when we are doing this, and we ask first.

We may also disclose information where required by law, to enforce our Terms of Service, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of any person.

Beyond that, and beyond the service providers described above, we do not share your information.

Data retention

Conversation transcripts and follow-up request details are retained by us as needed to respond to your inquiry, improve the service, and maintain reasonable business records.

Aggregate and de-identified information about the kinds of questions asked, such as application type, general industry, and broad equipment categories, with no names or contact details attached, may be retained indefinitely and used to improve the service and to inform what we publish. Identifiable details of your inquiry are not published or shared outside our organization without your authorization.

Your choices and rights

You may ask us to tell you what personal information we hold about you, to correct it, or to delete it, by contacting us at the address below. We will respond within a reasonable time and will verify your identity before acting on a request.

Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights under laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act or the General Data Protection Regulation, including rights of access, correction, deletion, portability, and objection. We honor these rights regardless of where you live, to the extent we are able.

You can use this site without giving us any contact details at all. The concierge will answer your questions either way, and it is instructed to ask for your details only when there is an actual reason to, such as needing to confirm current equipment specifications with a manufacturer or an integrator's availability before coming back to you.

Children

This site is intended for business use by adults. It is not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as the site and our practices change. The date at the top of this page reflects the most recent update. Material changes will be reflected here, and your continued use of the site after an update constitutes acceptance of it.

Contact

Questions about this Privacy Policy, or requests regarding your information, should be sent to contact@steelcollarrobotics.com.