Your Privacy
Written in plain English — no legal jargon
Last updated: June 2026 · We are ClearStep, operated by Polsia Ltd
The short version
- We collect your email address and name so you can log back in
- Your raw chat messages are deleted automatically within 24 hours
- If you have a carer linked, a short AI-generated summary may be kept so your carer can check on you
- We never sell your information to anyone
- You can download a copy of all your data at any time
- You can ask us to delete all your data at any time
- Payments are handled securely by Stripe — we never see your card number
Who are we?
ClearStep is a tech-help assistant built especially for older adults. It is operated by Polsia Ltd, a company based in the United Kingdom.
If you have any questions about your privacy, you can email us at: clearstep@polsia.app
What information do we hold?
Here is a simple list of everything we store and why:
| What | Why we need it | How long we keep it |
|---|---|---|
| Your email address | So you can log back into ClearStep | Until you delete your account |
| Your first name (if you give it) | So ClearStep can address you by name | Until you delete your account |
| Emergency contact name, phone & email (if you set one) | So you can call or email a trusted person with one tap in an emergency, and so ClearStep can send that person a scam alert if needed | Until you remove it or delete your account |
| Your chat messages | So the conversation flows naturally during your session | Automatically deleted within 24 hours |
| Conversation summaries (only if you have a carer linked) | So your carer can see a short AI-generated summary of recent conversations and be alerted to anything that might concern them | Kept until you delete your account, so your carer can review patterns over time |
| Topics you ask about often | So ClearStep can show you quick-access buttons for your favourite topics | Until you delete your account |
| Feedback you submit (if you use the feedback button) | To help us improve ClearStep; a copy is also emailed to the ClearStep team | Until you delete your account |
| Payment record | To confirm you have paid and can access ClearStep | As required by UK law (6 years) |
🔒 Important: We never store your bank card number, PIN, or password. If you accidentally share sensitive financial information in the chat, our system automatically removes it before anything is saved.
Voice messages and photos
ClearStep has two optional features that involve sending information to an external service:
- Voice messages — if you speak instead of type, your voice recording is sent to OpenAI's Whisper service, which converts it to text. The audio recording is then immediately deleted. Only the text version is saved as a message in your conversation (and deleted within 24 hours like all messages).
- Screen photos — if you share a photo of your screen for ClearStep to analyse, the image is sent to OpenAI's GPT-4o service, which reads it and replies. The photo is then immediately deleted. Only the AI's text reply is saved.
We only use these features when you actively choose to use them (by pressing the microphone or camera button). We never record you without your knowledge.
Family carer and professional carer access
You can choose to invite a family member or a professional carer to your ClearStep account. This is entirely optional.
What a linked carer can see:
- AI-generated summaries of your conversations, including any concerns flagged
- Your recent conversation history (the last few messages from a session, while they are still within the 24-hour window)
- Your emergency contact details (name, phone, email)
- How often you have been using ClearStep
Scam alerts: If ClearStep detects that you may have encountered a scam or fraud attempt, it can send an email alert to your linked carer — including a description of what was detected — so they can help you.
Professional carers also have the ability to write private notes about your care and to record safeguarding actions they have taken.
You are in control. You choose who to invite, and you can remove them at any time by emailing us at clearstep@polsia.app.
Who else sees my information?
We only share your information with three trusted services:
| Service | What they receive | Why |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | The text of your conversations, and (if you use them) voice recordings or screen photos | To generate ClearStep's replies, convert voice to text, and read screen photos |
| Stripe | Your email address and payment details | To process your payment securely |
| Polsia (our email service) | Your name, your carer's email address, and the content of alerts (e.g. scam descriptions or feedback text) | To send emails to you, your carer, or the ClearStep team on your behalf |
We do not sell your information, share it with advertisers, or give it to anyone else.
OpenAI processes conversations on servers that may be located outside the UK. They follow strict data protection rules. You can read more at openai.com/privacy.
Does ClearStep use cookies?
ClearStep does not use tracking cookies. Instead, we store a small access token in your browser's local storage — this is simply a key that lets your device remember you are logged in, like a key to your front door. It is not used for advertising or tracking.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:
- See what we hold about you — you can download a copy of all your data instantly by emailing us or by using the "Download my data" option in your account settings. We will also send it by email within 30 days if you ask.
- Correct anything that is wrong — we will update it promptly
- Delete your account and all your data — you can do this from your account settings, or by emailing us. We will delete everything within 30 days (payment records kept 6 years as required by UK tax law).
- Object to certain processing — for example, if you do not want us to generate conversation summaries for your carer, you can remove your carer's access at any time.
- Complain to the ICO — if you are not happy with how we have handled your data, you can contact the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk
How to delete your account
You can delete your account from within the ClearStep app (look for "Delete my account" in settings), or by sending an email to clearstep@polsia.app with the subject "Please delete my account".
When your account is deleted, we permanently remove: your name, email address, emergency contact details, all chat messages, conversation summaries, topic history, feedback submissions, and carer links.
We keep a record of your payment for 6 years, as required by UK tax law — but all other personal details are deleted.
Downloading a copy of your data
You have the right to receive a copy of all the personal information ClearStep holds about you. To request this, email us at clearstep@polsia.app with the subject "Please send me my data" and we will send you a full export within 30 days.
Keeping your information safe
We take sensible steps to protect your information:
- All connections to ClearStep are encrypted (the padlock in your browser)
- Sensitive financial information (card numbers, PINs) is automatically removed before storage
- Chat messages are automatically deleted within 24 hours
- Voice recordings and screen photos are deleted immediately after processing — we never store them
- We do not store your payment card details — Stripe handles this securely
Changes to this page
If we change how we handle your information, we will update this page and let you know by email. We will always be transparent about any changes.
Still have questions?
We are happy to explain anything on this page. Drop us an email — we reply within one working day.
clearstep@polsia.app