· Startip L.L.C.
1. Who we are
This Privacy Policy is issued by Startip L.L.C., a limited liability company organized under the laws of the State of Delaware, United States (“Startip”, “we”, “us”). Startip is a web development and digital marketing agency serving clients in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and internationally. Startip L.L.C. also operates the consumer shopping-decision brand Siftela (siftela.com); Siftela has its own privacy policy at siftela.com/privacy.
This policy covers (a) our website startip.net and its client portal, and (b) the software products Startip L.L.C. operates on behalf of its business clients:
- Nexus — customer communication (shared inbox for WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram and email), CRM and social-media publishing.
- Roviqs — a software-as-a-service platform for car-rental companies.
For our website, our own client relationships and account/billing data, Startip L.L.C. is the data controller. For personal data that our business clients process about their customers through Nexus or Roviqs (for example, the messages their customers send them), the business client is the controller and Startip L.L.C. acts as its processor / service provider, processing that data only on the client’s instructions.
Contact for all privacy matters: info@startip.net.
2. Data we collect
Website visitors
- Information you submit through our contact or lead forms, or by WhatsApp or email: name, email address, phone number, company, and the content of your message.
- Technical and usage data collected automatically: IP address, browser and device type, pages visited, referring page, and similar analytics data, collected through cookies or similar technologies where used. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings.
Clients (businesses that buy our services or use our platforms): contact details of the client’s staff, login credentials (passwords are stored only as secure hashes), account settings, invoices, billing and payment records. Card payments are handled by our payment processors; we do not store full card numbers.
End users of our clients’ platforms: when a business uses Nexus or Roviqs, we process on its behalf the data of people who contact or do business with it — for example names, phone numbers, email addresses, profile names and IDs on messaging platforms, message content and attachments sent via the WhatsApp Business Platform, Facebook Messenger, Instagram messaging and email, and booking or customer records.
Connected social-media accounts: when a client connects a Facebook Page, Instagram professional account, WhatsApp Business number, LinkedIn page or similar account, we receive and store the access tokens and account identifiers needed to operate that account on the client’s behalf, plus the content the client publishes or schedules. Access tokens are stored encrypted.
3. How we use data
- To respond to enquiries, prepare proposals and deliver the services clients have contracted.
- To provide, operate, secure and support our platforms, including routing messages to a client’s inbox and sending the replies its staff write.
- To invoice, collect payments and keep accounting records.
- To maintain security, prevent fraud and abuse, and troubleshoot problems.
- To improve our website and services using aggregated or de-identified analytics.
- To comply with legal obligations.
4. How we use data from Meta platforms
Data we receive from Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and the WhatsApp Business Platform) is used only to provide the service the business requested — publishing posts, and sending and receiving messages on the business’s own Facebook Pages, Instagram accounts and WhatsApp numbers, and showing the business the related insights for its own accounts.
We comply with the Meta Platform Terms and Meta Developer Policies (and the WhatsApp Business policies). We never sell this data, and we never use it for advertising, profiling or any purpose unrelated to the service the business requested. We do not transfer it to data brokers or use it to build audiences.
The same applies to data from other connected platforms such as LinkedIn: it is used only to operate the account for the client who connected it, in line with that platform’s terms.
5. AI-assisted features
Some features of our platforms (for example, suggested replies or content drafts) use artificial-intelligence models provided by Anthropic. When a client enables these features, the relevant message or content is sent to the AI provider only to generate the requested output for that client. We use provider settings under which this data is not used to train their models.
6. Legal bases
Where laws such as the GDPR or similar data-protection laws apply, we rely on:
- Contract — to provide services to our clients and act on their instructions.
- Legitimate interests — to run, secure and improve our website and business, and to reply to enquiries.
- Consent — where required, for example for non-essential cookies or marketing messages; you can withdraw consent at any time.
- Legal obligation — for tax, accounting and other records we must keep.
7. Sharing and sub-processors
We do not sell personal data. We share it only with service providers that help us operate, under contract and only as needed:
- Hosting, cloud infrastructure, storage and email providers.
- Meta Platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp Business Platform) and LinkedIn — to send, receive and publish content for the accounts clients connect.
- Anthropic — for AI-assisted replies and content drafts, when enabled.
- Payment processors — to process client payments.
- Professional advisers, and authorities where required by law or to protect our rights, users or the public.
- A successor entity in the event of a merger, acquisition or sale of assets, under this same policy.
8. Retention
We keep personal data only as long as needed for the purposes above. Enquiry data is kept for as long as the conversation or relationship is active and then deleted or anonymized. Client-platform data (messages, contacts, connected accounts) is kept for the duration of the client’s subscription and deleted after the account is closed or on the client’s instruction; disconnecting a social account deletes its stored access token. Invoices and accounting records are kept for the period required by law.
9. Security
We protect data with encryption in transit (HTTPS/TLS) and encryption at rest, including envelope encryption of stored third-party access tokens; role-based access control so staff and client users see only what they need; separation of each client’s data; hashed passwords; and logging and monitoring. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your data and will notify affected parties of a breach as required by law.
10. Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you;
- Correct inaccurate data;
- Delete your data (see our User Data Deletion page);
- Portability — receive your data in a common, machine-readable format;
- Object to or restrict certain processing, and withdraw consent.
To exercise any right, email info@startip.net from the address linked to your data. We respond within 30 days. If your data was collected by one of our business clients (for example, you messaged a company that uses Nexus), please contact that business first; we will assist it in responding. You may also complain to your local data-protection authority.
11. Children
Our website and services are intended for businesses and are not directed to anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact us and we will delete it.
12. International transfers
Startip L.L.C. is based in the United States and serves clients in the Gulf, Egypt and elsewhere, and our service providers may process data in other countries. When we transfer personal data across borders we use appropriate safeguards, such as contractual protections with our providers.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top shows the latest revision; material changes will be highlighted on this page or communicated to clients directly.
14. Contact
Startip L.L.C., 182-21 150th Avenue DOH 367800, Springfield Garden, New york 11413, United States of America — email info@startip.net. Website: startip.net.