> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.itellico.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Conversation Privacy Controls

> Combine announcements, retention, recording controls, and Trust Center settings into one clear privacy model

Privacy in voice AI is not one toggle.

You shape it through several controls that affect what callers hear, what you store, what you publish, and what your team can later review or export.

This guide shows how those controls work together.

## The Four Main Privacy Layers

| Layer                   | What it controls                                                           | Main doc                                                  |
| ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Notice**              | What the caller hears before or during the conversation                    | [Announcements](/build/advanced/announcements)            |
| **Storage**             | What the platform stores and for how long                                  | [Data Retention Settings](/build/advanced/data-retention) |
| **Caller choice**       | Whether the caller can stop recording mid-call                             | [Recording Opt-Out](/build/advanced/recording-opt-out)    |
| **Public transparency** | What callers and visitors can read about how your agents handle their data | [Trust Center](/manage/trust-center/overview)             |

## Why This Matters

Most privacy failures happen at the boundaries:

* a call is recorded but callers were not prepared for it
* retention settings do not match the public policy
* a widget is live, but the privacy links are missing or unclear
* a team exports or forwards data without checking what is actually stored

The safest pattern is to make notice, storage, and public disclosure align.

## Start With The Policy You Actually Want

Before changing the UI, decide:

* do you want to store recordings, transcripts, both, or neither?
* do some agents need stricter rules than the account default?
* do callers need an explicit way to opt out of recording?
* do public web visitors need a visible Trust Center before they interact?

Once that policy is clear, configure the product around it.

## Common Privacy Patterns

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Standard customer-service workflow" defaultOpen>
    Typical setup:

    * pre-call notice enabled
    * transcripts and recordings stored with defined retention
    * public Trust Center enabled for widget traffic
    * recording opt-out enabled when required by policy or jurisdiction
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Data-minimization workflow">
    Typical setup:

    * short notice with clear disclosure
    * reduced retention windows
    * some data types set to **Do not store**
    * public Trust Center aligned to the stricter policy
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="High-sensitivity or regulated workflow">
    Typical setup:

    * explicit announcement before the agent starts listening
    * tight retention rules or no recording storage
    * recording opt-out enabled when recordings exist
    * clear internal review process for exports and webhook consumers
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## How The Controls Fit Together

### 1. Announcements set the caller expectation

Use [Announcements](/build/advanced/announcements) when callers should hear a notice before the agent begins listening.

This is the right place to explain:

* that the conversation may be recorded
* why it is being recorded
* what the caller can do if they do not want recording

### 2. Retention decides what stays in the system

Use [Data Retention Settings](/build/advanced/data-retention) to control:

* whether transcripts are stored
* whether recordings are stored
* how long analytics artifacts remain available
* whether expiry leads to deletion or anonymization

The important rule: your retention settings should match what your team promises publicly.

### 3. Recording Opt-Out handles live caller objections

Use [Recording Opt-Out](/build/advanced/recording-opt-out) when recordings are enabled and callers may reasonably ask for recording to stop.

If recordings are already set to **Do not store**, this control becomes less relevant because the recording is not kept in the first place.

### 4. Trust Center explains your public-facing posture

Use the [Trust Center](/manage/trust-center/overview) to publish:

* privacy policy links
* subprocessors information
* retention posture
* transparency material for website visitors

This matters most for web widgets, public demos, and externally shared assistants.

## Widgets Need Extra Care

For widget-based conversations, align these three things:

1. the widget consent and privacy copy
2. the public Trust Center page
3. the actual retention and recording behavior behind the widget

If those three are inconsistent, visitors lose trust quickly.

See [Web Widget Deployment](/launch/web-widget-deployment) and [Web Widget Implementation](/launch/web-widget-implementation) for the deployment side.

## Privacy Review Checklist Before Launch

1. Confirm whether transcripts and recordings are stored.
2. Confirm whether the agent-level retention overrides match the account default you intended.
3. If recordings are enabled, decide whether callers should hear a notice and whether they can opt out.
4. If a widget is public, confirm the Trust Center and policy links are live.
5. Check which downstream systems receive conversation data through exports or webhooks.
6. Run a real test conversation and confirm the behavior matches the policy you plan to publish.

## Common Mistakes

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Publishing a strict policy but leaving permissive retention settings live" icon="triangle-exclamation">
    The strongest public privacy copy does not help if the actual settings still store more than your policy says.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Forgetting about downstream consumers" icon="share-nodes">
    Webhooks, exports, and internal review workflows can extend the privacy footprint beyond the voice call itself. Review the full flow, not only the agent tab.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Only testing happy-path consent" icon="clipboard-check">
    Also test what happens when a caller asks not to be recorded, stays silent during the notice, or abandons the interaction early.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Announcements" icon="bullhorn" href="/build/advanced/announcements">
    Configure the notice callers hear before the conversation begins
  </Card>

  <Card title="Data Retention Settings" icon="database" href="/build/advanced/data-retention">
    Set agent-level storage and expiry rules
  </Card>

  <Card title="Recording Opt-Out" icon="microphone-slash" href="/build/advanced/recording-opt-out">
    Let callers stop recording during a live conversation
  </Card>

  <Card title="Trust Center" icon="shield-check" href="/manage/trust-center/overview">
    Align your public privacy posture with the actual system behavior
  </Card>
</CardGroup>