Privacy policy

Last updated: 08/4/2025

At start-the-convo.org, we respect your privacy and we are committed to protecting your information. The following privacy policy gives you information on how we handle information collected through your use of this website. No personally identifiable information is gathered through your use of this website, but if you engage with Crisis Text Line’s services then certain personal information will be collected. The privacy policy for Crisis Text Line, which covers the use of their services, can be found here.

Here are some of the main points from our privacy policy. For more information, read the entire privacy policy below. This website is not intended for children under the age of 16 and we do not knowingly collect data relating to children. If you have any questions about this privacy policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at contact@start-the-convo.org.

What data we collect passively: We may collect anonymized information on how you use our site and services, information about your device and browser through cookies and similar technologies, and aggregated data such as demographic data. This information is not linked to your identity or contact information. When you reach out to Crisis Text Line for support, they keep a record of each conversation, and they may automatically receive the phone number, mobile service provider, IP address, and/or internet service provider that you used to contact them.

When and why we may share data that identifies you: Personal identifiable information will only be collected by Crisis Text Line and used to provide a service that you have requested, respond to communication from you, to help prevent death or serious injury, or to comply with our legal obligations. No personally identifiable information is collected through your engagement with this website.

When and why we may share data that does not identify you: We may use and share anonymized data to assess and improve our website and services. This may include disclosure to third party service providers who assist us in operating our website and providing services to you. Crisis Text Line may also use and share anonymized data with third parties (such as researchers, partners, or the public) to inform public health, improve or raise awareness of our service, or for any other reasons.

How we protect your data: We have many security measures in place to protect your data, including encryption, access controls, regular security audits, and other methods. We have procedures in place to deal with any suspected data breach and will notify any applicable regulator of a breach where legally required to do so.

How long we will retain your data: We will retain your anonymized data (e.g. usage information or technical information) for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes we collected it for, and for the purposes of satisfying any legal, regulatory, tax, accounting or reporting requirements. You can ask Crisis Text Line to delete the personal data collected by them during your engagement with them by texting or messaging the word “DELETE” to 741741.

Introduction

This privacy policy (v1.1) is the most up-to-date version of the Start-the-convo.org privacy policy.

Third-party links and services

This website may provide access to third party services, including links to third-party websites, plug-ins and applications. Clicking on those links or enabling those connections may allow third parties to collect or share information about you. We do not control these third-party services or websites and are not responsible for their privacy practices. We do not have access to the information that these third-party services collect. When you leave our website, we encourage you to read the privacy policy of these service providers and every website you visit.

The information we collect about you

This website collects anonymized, non-identifying information to measure overall trends in user engagement with our website. Start-the-convo.org does not collect personal information about you (i.e. information which can be used to identify you), though Identity Information (e.g. name), Contact Data (e.g. phone number), and Additional Volunteered Data (i.e. any other personal information volunteered by you) may be collected by Crisis Text Line through your engagement in their services. Please refer to their full privacy policy here for more information.

This information collected by Start-the-convo.org may include:

  • Technical Information includes your browser type and version, time zone setting and general location (not your address – at most, this would be at the town, city, or county level), browser plug-in types and versions, operating system and platform, and other technology on the devices you use to access this website. This does not include information like your IP address.

  • Usage Information includes information about how you use our website.

We collect, use and share Aggregated Data such as statistical or demographic data for any purpose. Aggregated Data could be derived from your personal information but is not considered personal information data because this data cannot be used to directly or indirectly reveal your identity. For example, we may aggregate your usage information to calculate the percentage of users accessing a specific website feature.

How is your personal information collected?

As you interact with our website, we will automatically collect technical and usage information about your equipment, browsing actions and patterns. We collect this data by using cookies, pixels, server logs and other similar technologies. We may also receive technical information about you if you visit other websites employing our cookies. 

How we use your information

We may use anonymized and aggregated information about user engagement with our website as permitted by law and specifically in the following circumstances:

  • To improve our products and services

  • To comply with our legal obligations

Disclosures of your personal information

We may share aggregated and anonymized information with the parties set out below for the purposes described above:

  • ​​Our affiliated companies;

  • Professional advisers, including lawyers, bankers, auditors, insurers and others who provide consulting services; and

  • Service providers who provide services that you request

  • Service providers who assist us in operating our website and providing services to you

  • Government authorities and others acting through lawful legal processes

  • Third parties to whom we may choose to sell, transfer or merge parts of our business or sell substantially all of our assets. Alternatively, we may seek to acquire other businesses or merge with them.

We require third parties to respect the security of your data and to treat it in accordance with the law.

Data retention

We will retain data (e.g. usage information, technical information) for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes we collected it for, and for the purposes of satisfying any legal, regulatory, tax, accounting or reporting requirements.

Your rights

You have the right to know whether we hold personal information about you and ask questions about how we have collected, used and retained information about website user activity, and to whom it has been disclosed. In some situations, it may not be possible for us to disclose all of the data that we have gathered. Exceptions to the access requirements are limited and specific. The reasons for denying access are provided upon request.

These exceptions include information that is prohibitively costly to provide the existence of legal, security or business reasons that prevent the provision of the information and the fact that the information is protected by solicitor-client or litigation privilege.

If you would like to exercise any of your other rights or ask any questions, please contact contact@start-the-convo.org.