Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are & Scope

Kinect, Inc. (“Kinect,” “we,” “us”) provides an AI commerce platform for Shopify brands, including an embedded merchant admin app, an on-storefront shopping assistant, and a merchant analytics dashboard. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices and rights you have. It covers our Shopify app, our storefront widget, and this website (trykinect.ai). When a merchant installs Kinect, the merchant is the data controller for its store and shopper data; Kinect acts as a data processor that handles that data on the merchant’s behalf and in line with our agreement with the merchant.

2. Information We Collect

We collect only the information needed to operate and improve the service. This falls into three groups:

• •Merchant & store data (via Shopify APIs): When a merchant installs the app, we access store data permitted by the access scopes the merchant approves — products, collections, product listings, store content and policies, themes, and order data. We request read-only scopes and only the scopes needed for the app to function. We do not request write access to a merchant’s storefront, customers, or checkout.
• •Shopper & conversation data: When a shopper interacts with the on-store assistant, we process the messages they send, the AI responses, products viewed or compared, an anonymous visitor identifier, and basic technical data (such as A/B test cohort and coarse session context). Conversations are keyed to anonymous visitor IDs, not to Shopify customer accounts. If a shopper is logged in and the merchant has enabled it, a conversation may be linked to a Shopify customer ID so the merchant can recognize returning customers.
• •Website & inquiry data: On trykinect.ai, we collect information you voluntarily submit through forms (such as a demo request, audit request, or waitlist sign-up) — typically your name, email, store URL, and any message — along with referrer and basic analytics data.

3. How We Use Information

We use the information above to: provide and operate the AI shopping assistant and merchant dashboard; generate AI responses and product recommendations; build per-store knowledge and configuration so the assistant reflects the merchant’s catalog, voice, and policies; produce commerce analytics and insights for the merchant; maintain security, prevent abuse, and enforce rate limits; provide support and respond to inquiries; and improve the reliability and quality of the service. We do not sell personal information, and we do not use shopper data to build cross-merchant advertising profiles.

4. AI Processing & Subprocessors

Kinect uses large language models to power the shopping assistant. Shopper messages and the relevant store context are sent to AI model providers through an AI gateway solely to generate a response. We rely on the following categories of subprocessors to deliver the service:

• •AI model routing & providers: Vercel AI Gateway routes inference requests to LLM providers (such as Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google) to generate assistant responses.
• •Hosting & infrastructure: Fly.io hosts the application and serves API traffic.
• •Database: A managed PostgreSQL database (Supabase) stores conversations, store configuration, and analytics.
• •Voice transcription (optional): If a shopper uses push-to-talk voice input, the audio is transcribed via a speech-to-text provider (Groq Whisper).
• •Email & forms: Transactional and inquiry email is sent via Resend; website form submissions are handled via Formspree and stored in Supabase.

5. How We Share Information

We share information only as needed to run the service: with the merchant whose store a shopper is interacting with; with the subprocessors listed above, who are bound by contract to protect the data and use it only to provide their service to us; and where required by law or to protect the rights, safety, and security of Kinect, merchants, or shoppers. Customer data collected through Shopify-hosted surfaces remains accessible to the merchant in their Kinect dashboard. We do not sell or rent personal information to third parties.

6. Shopify Protected Customer Data

Where Kinect accesses protected customer data through Shopify’s APIs, we comply with Shopify’s Protected Customer Data requirements and the Shopify API License and Terms of Use. We collect only the data required for the app to function, use it solely to provide the features the merchant has enabled, limit staff and system access, encrypt data in transit and at rest, and apply data-retention and deletion controls. We do not use protected customer data for advertising or for any purpose unrelated to the service the merchant installed.

7. Data Retention

We retain store configuration and conversation data for as long as the merchant’s app remains installed and the data is needed to provide the service, and as required to meet legal, security, and accounting obligations. When a merchant uninstalls the app, or upon a valid deletion request, we delete or redact the associated data within the timeframe described below. Website inquiry data is retained for as long as needed to respond and maintain our business records.

8. Data Deletion & Mandatory Webhooks

Kinect implements Shopify’s mandatory privacy webhooks so merchants and shoppers can exercise data rights:

• •customers/data_request: When a shopper requests their data through a merchant, we locate and make available the conversation data we hold that is linked to that customer.
• •customers/redact: When a merchant requests redaction of a customer, we delete or anonymize the conversations and related records tied to that customer.
• •shop/redact: After a merchant uninstalls the app, Shopify sends a shop-redaction request and we delete the store’s data from our systems.

9. Your Rights

Depending on where you live (for example, under GDPR in the EU/UK or the CCPA/CPRA in California), you may have the right to access, correct, delete, or port your personal information, to object to or restrict certain processing, and to withdraw consent. Shoppers should direct requests to the merchant whose store they interacted with, since the merchant controls that data; the merchant can fulfill the request using the tools described above. You may also contact us directly at hello@trykinect.ai and we will help route or fulfill the request. We do not discriminate against you for exercising these rights.

10. Data Security

All data exchanged between clients and our servers is encrypted in transit using TLS/SSL, and data is encrypted at rest. We follow least-privilege access controls, validate request origins, rate-limit our public endpoints, and use authenticated, verified webhooks. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your information using industry-standard safeguards.

11. Cookies & Tracking

The embedded Shopify admin app functions without third-party cookies. The storefront widget uses a first-party visitor identifier to maintain conversation continuity and assign A/B test cohorts; it does not require third-party cookies. Our website may use first-party cookies and privacy-respecting analytics to understand site usage and improve content.

12. International Data Transfers

Kinect is based in the United States, and our subprocessors may process data in the United States and other countries. Where personal data is transferred across borders, we rely on appropriate safeguards (such as standard contractual clauses) and require our subprocessors to maintain comparable protections.

13. Children’s Privacy

Kinect is built for merchants and their adult customers. The service is not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age in the applicable jurisdiction), and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date below and, where appropriate, notify merchants. Continued use of the service after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.