Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy describes how Ryan McHarg ("I," "me," or "my"), a sole proprietor, collects, uses, and protects your personal information when you use mcharg.site ("Website"). This is a personal portfolio and demonstration website, not an enterprise commercial service.

By using this Website, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

2. Information I Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

When you interact with this Website, you may provide:

• Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number
• Professional Information: Company name, job title, job descriptions (for recruiters)
• Account Credentials: Username and password
• Communications: Messages sent through the chat widget, contact forms, email, and audio/video calls including transcriptions
• Preferences: Communication preferences and settings

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit the Website, I may automatically collect:

• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, device type
• Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, time spent on pages
• Log Data: IP address, access times, referring URLs
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: Session identifiers, preferences

3. How I Use Your Information

3.1 Provide and Operate the Website

• Create and manage your account
• Process your contact requests and inquiries
• Facilitate communications between you and me
• Provide access to demonstrations and features

3.2 Communications

• Respond to your inquiries and requests
• Send account-related notifications (verification, security alerts, password resets)
• Notify you of updates to features you've requested
• Send SMS messages if you've provided your phone number and consented

3.3 Improve the Website

• Analyze usage patterns to improve features
• Debug and fix technical issues
• Develop new features and demonstrations

4. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

4.1 AI-Powered Features

This Website uses AI and machine learning technologies. When you interact with AI-powered features:

• Your inputs (messages, questions, audio/video content) are processed by AI systems
• AI responses are generated based on your inputs and context
• Conversation history may be maintained to provide contextual responses
• Audio and video from meetings may be transcribed and processed by AI

4.2 AI Infrastructure and Data Handling

AI features are powered by Amazon Bedrock, a managed AI service provided by Amazon Web Services. Foundation models accessed through Bedrock include Anthropic Claude and Amazon Titan.

Under the AWS and Anthropic agreements governing this service:

• Your prompts and outputs are not used to train any AI models
• Model providers (such as Anthropic) do not have access to your data—AWS operates isolated copies of the models
• Data is processed within AWS infrastructure and is not stored or logged by the Bedrock service
• Processing is covered by the AWS Data Processing Addendum (GDPR, SOC2, ISO compliant)

4.3 Audio, Video, and Transcription

If you participate in audio or video communications through this Website:

• Calls are processed through Amazon Chime SDK
• Transcription services may convert speech to text for AI processing
• Recordings and transcripts are stored securely and used only for the stated purposes

Note: While strong data protections are in place, you should still exercise discretion when sharing highly sensitive personal, financial, or health information through any digital communication channel.

5. SMS and Text Message Privacy

5.1 Consent and Phone Number Collection

SMS messages are only sent with your explicit opt-in consent. When you provide your mobile phone number during account creation or through our contact form, you may choose to opt in to SMS messages by checking the SMS consent checkbox. This checkbox is unchecked by default — we will not send SMS messages without your explicit consent.

If you opt in, your phone number may be used to:

• Send account notifications (e.g., account approval confirmation)
• Send appointment reminders
• Respond to your contact requests

Note: Account verification codes (MFA) are sent separately by our authentication provider and are not subject to SMS marketing consent — they are transactional security messages.

Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply.

5.2 SMS Service Providers

Non-MFA SMS messages are sent through:

• Twilio: A third-party communications platform, from a registered phone number

5.3 Opting Out of SMS

You may opt out of SMS communications at any time by:

• Replying STOP to any message
• Replying HELP for help or contacting ryan@mcharg.site
• Updating your preferences in your account settings (Profile > Communication Preferences)

5.4 No Sharing of Mobile Information

I do not sell, rent, or share your phone number or mobile information with third parties. Your mobile phone number and SMS consent information will not be shared with or sold to third parties or affiliates for any purpose.

6. Third-Party Services

6.1 Cloud Infrastructure

This Website is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS). Relevant AWS services include:

• Amazon Cognito (authentication)
• Amazon DynamoDB (data storage)
• Amazon S3 (file storage)
• Amazon CloudFront (content delivery)
• Amazon Chime SDK (messaging, voice, and video)
• Amazon Bedrock (AI/ML foundation models)
• Amazon Transcribe (speech-to-text)
• AWS Lambda (serverless computing)

7. Data Security

7.1 Security Measures

I implement reasonable security measures to protect your information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
• Encryption of sensitive data at rest
• Access controls and authentication
• Regular security reviews

7.2 Personal Website Limitations

As a personal website operated by an individual:

• Security measures may not match enterprise-grade standards
• I cannot guarantee absolute security of your data
• You should use strong, unique passwords for your account
• Please report any security concerns promptly

8. Your Rights and Choices

8.1 Access and Correction

You may:

• Access the personal information I hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Update your account information through your account settings

8.2 Deletion

You may request deletion of your account and associated personal information. Some information may be retained as required by law or for legitimate business purposes.

8.3 California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you may have additional rights under the CCPA, including:

• Right to know what personal information is collected
• Right to request deletion of personal information
• Right to opt out of the sale of personal information

Note: I do not sell personal information.

9. Children's Privacy

This Website is not intended for children under 13 years of age. I do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal information, please contact me to have it removed.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of the Website after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the modified Privacy Policy.

11. Contact Information

For questions about this Privacy Policy or to exercise your privacy rights, please use our Legal & Privacy Request Form.

Request Types Available:

• Data Access Request (CCPA/GDPR)
• Data Deletion Request
• Data Correction Request
• Privacy Policy Question
• Terms of Use Question
• Other Legal Inquiry

Ryan McHarg
Website: https://mcharg.site

Summary of Key Points