Privacy Policy
Effective date: 08/25/2025
Overview
BizChat is a research application designed to help entrepreneurs create business plans. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, how we protect it, and the choices you have. This policy should be read alongside the consent information provided to participants in our research study.
Information We Collect
- Account and authentication data: Information needed to create and secure your account.
- Content you provide: Business information and any text you enter while using BizChat.
- Usage data: Interactions with the app that help us improve functionality and reliability.
- Optional photographs during workshops: If you participate in an in-person workshop, photos may be taken in a manner intended to avoid identifying you. You may choose not to be photographed.
How We Use Information
- Operate and provide BizChat features, including drafting and exporting business plans.
- Support research on human-centered AI and tools for entrepreneurship.
- Maintain security, monitor performance, and improve the application.
Legal Basis and Consent
Participation is voluntary. By using BizChat as part of the research study, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described here and in the research consent form. You may withdraw any time by sending email to bizchatllm@gmail.com. If you withdraw, you will not be penalized and your data in BizChat will be deleted.
Data Sharing
Access to your information is limited to the principal investigator and authorized members of the research team. If findings from this study are published or presented, you will not be identified by name. Records may be reviewed by the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) Institutional Review Board (IRB) and regulatory agencies as required by law.
Data Retention and Deletion
Data are stored securely and retained only as long as needed for the research study or to operate BizChat, and no longer than necessary. If you withdraw from the study, your BizChat data will be deleted.
Security
We use technical and organizational measures to protect your information, including storage on password-protected systems, the use of identification codes on data forms, and modern security practices such as encryption. Only authorized research team members have access to identifiable data.
Your Rights
You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your information, subject to applicable research and legal requirements. You may decline optional photographs at any time.
IRB and Participant Rights
This study has been reviewed and approved by the UMBC Institutional Review Board (IRB). A representative of that Board, from the Office of Research Protections and Compliance, is available to discuss the review process or your rights as a research participant. Contact information of the Office is (410) 455-2737 or compliance@umbc.edu.
Contact
For questions about this Privacy Policy or the research study, please contact the principal investigator, Dr. Yasmine Kotturi, at kotturi@umbc.edu and (410) 455-3206.
If there is any conflict between this Privacy Policy and the research consent form, the consent form governs your participation in the study.