Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Bay Area Support (“Bay Area Support,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) provides IT support and protection to businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area, including remote support, on-site visits, and optional monitoring, backup, security, privacy, and network packages.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through our website, our customer portal, and our support services, how we use and share it, and the choices you have. It applies to our website at bayarea.support and to the accounts and services we provide to our customers and their authorized users.

2. Information we collect

We collect the information we need to set up your account, provide support, run the tools you ask us to run, and keep everything secure.

Information you give us

• Account and contact details. Your name, business name, work email, phone number, role, and the password you set (stored only in a hashed form). If you sign in with Google, Microsoft, or Apple, we receive the basic profile information those services share to confirm your identity.
• Billing details. Your plan, seat count, and billing status. Card payments are processed by our payment provider (Stripe); we do not store full card numbers on our own systems.
• Support content. The messages, tickets, screenshots, files, and other information you send us or share with us while we help you, including anything you provide during a remote session.
• Messages to us. Contact-form submissions and emails you send us.

Information we collect automatically

• Device and diagnostic data. When you use remote support, run one of our diagnostic tools, or add a package that includes security or network monitoring, we collect technical details about the covered device or network equipment, such as its host name, operating system, hardware specifications (processor, memory, storage), network identifiers (such as IP and MAC addresses), logged-in user, security posture (such as firewall, antivirus, disk-encryption, and update status), approximate device location, and diagnostic output. Some packages place security or monitoring software on covered devices, such as antivirus on covered computers or a monitor for covered network equipment, and that software may run with the privileges it needs to protect and support your systems.
• Usage and technical data. When you visit our website or portal we collect your IP address, approximate location derived from it, browser and device type, the pages you view, and timestamps.
• Cookies. Small files that keep you signed in, remember your language preference, and keep the site working. See Cookies and similar technologies.

3. How we use your information

We use the information we collect to:

• Set up and manage your account and your team’s seats;
• Provide support, run diagnostics, and carry out remote and on-site sessions you request;
• Deliver the optional packages you add, such as monitoring, backup, privacy, and network coverage;
• Process payments and manage billing;
• Secure accounts, prevent abuse, and detect and respond to incidents;
• Communicate with you about your account, tickets, appointments, and service updates;
• Improve our services and our website; and
• Meet our legal, tax, and accounting obligations.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use your support content or device diagnostics for advertising.

4. Remote access and device monitoring

Because we provide hands-on IT support, some of what we do involves accessing your computers and viewing your screen. We treat this access carefully:

• You are in control. We connect to a device only when you authorize it. Remote sessions are encrypted and permission-based, and you can end a session at any time.
• Limited to what support needs. The security and monitoring software included in the packages you add collects diagnostic and inventory information to help us keep your systems healthy. We access files or applications only as needed to carry out the support you have asked for.
• We keep it confidential. Information we see during support is used only to provide the service, and we do not sell it.

You are responsible for backing up your data before any support work. See our Terms & Conditions for more on how support and remote access work.

5. How we share information

We share information only in the ways described here. We do not sell your personal information.

• Service providers. We use trusted vendors to run parts of our service, and they may process your information on our behalf under confidentiality obligations. These include our payment processor (Stripe), our file storage provider (Cloudflare), our location-lookup provider (IPstack) for approximate visitor location, our screen-sharing provider (Daily) for guided remote-support sessions, our email delivery provider, and the single sign-on providers (Google, Microsoft, Apple) you choose to sign in with. If you add a package that uses one, we also work with the provider of that package’s security or monitoring software, and we will name it here once it is in use.
• Within your organization. Some account information, such as company-level plan and device details, is visible to the authorized contacts on your company account.
• Legal and safety. We may disclose information if required by law, to comply with legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our customers, our business, or others.
• Business transfers. If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will let you know if it becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

6. Cookies and similar technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to keep you signed in, remember your language preference, keep the portal working, and understand basic site usage. Essential cookies are required for the site and portal to function.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Blocking essential cookies may prevent you from signing in or using parts of the portal.

7. How long we keep your information

We keep your information for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide our services. After that, we keep information only as long as necessary for legitimate business needs, such as resolving disputes, maintaining records, and meeting legal, tax, and accounting requirements.

Support records and uploaded files are retained according to our internal retention practices. You can ask us to delete information associated with your account, subject to the limits described in Your rights and choices.

8. How we protect your information

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information, including encryption in transit, access controls, and permission-based remote access. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we work to protect your information and to respond promptly if a problem occurs.

9. Your rights and choices

You have choices about your information:

• Access and update. You can view and update much of your account information directly in the portal.
• Deletion. You can ask us to delete your personal information. We will honor your request except where we need to keep information for legal, security, or legitimate business reasons.
• Communications. Service and account messages are part of providing the service. Where we send optional messages, you can opt out.

California residents. Depending on your circumstances, California law may give you the right to know what personal information we collect and how we use it, to request access to or deletion of that information, to correct it, and to not be discriminated against for exercising these rights. We do not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details below and we will verify and respond as required by law.

10. Children’s privacy

Our website and services are intended for businesses and their authorized users. They are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

11. Third-party links

Our website and portal may link to third-party sites and services we do not control. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those sites, and we are not responsible for their content or privacy practices. Please review the privacy policies of any third-party services you use.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will change the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. If we make material changes, we will provide additional notice, such as by email or through the portal. Your continued use of our services after an update means you accept the revised policy.

13. Contact us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, or if you would like to exercise any of your rights, please reach out through our Contact page or email us at privacy@bayarea.support.