1. Introduction
Welcome to Kosmo Research ("Company", "we", "our", "us"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you use our services or join our research panel.
Website: kosmoresearch.com
Email: [email protected]
Location: Greece, European Union
2. Information We Collect
Research Panel Signups (LinkedIn and Other Channels)
When you sign up to join the Kosmo Research panel through advertisements on LinkedIn or other platforms, we collect:
- Email address
- Country of residence
- Year of birth
- LinkedIn profile URL
- Industry and professional role
- Languages spoken
- Phone number (optional, for WhatsApp study delivery)
- Other professional information you choose to provide
- Details needed to send your study rewards (for example, your PayPal email address or Grab phone number)
- A record of your consent choices, including any optional AI project opt-ins
This data is collected with your consent at the time of signup. We use it to verify your identity and professional background (including by reviewing your LinkedIn profile, at signup and from time to time while you are a member), match you with relevant paid research studies, invite you to participate in studies that fit your professional background, and communicate with you about your panel membership. If you separately opt in, we may also use it to invite you to AI evaluation or AI data collection projects (see Section 5). You can withdraw your consent and request data deletion at any time by emailing us at [email protected].
Consulting Clients
- Name and email address
- Company information
- Project details and research objectives
- Payment information (processed securely by PayPal or Fiverr)
AI Evaluation and Recruitment Clients
- Name, email address, and company information
- Project details and screening criteria
- Model outputs or other materials you send us for evaluation ("Client Materials")
Client Materials are handled under our Terms of Service, including confidentiality and deletion commitments. We ask clients not to include personal data in Client Materials unless agreed in advance. Where they do, we process it only to deliver the project and on the client's instructions.
AI Interviewer (Researchers)
- Email address
- Account information
- Interview campaigns and questions you create
- Payment information
AI Interviewer (Participants)
- WhatsApp phone number (for WhatsApp interviews)
- Text responses
- Voice message recordings and transcripts
- Images or files you upload, where a study asks for them
- AI-generated summaries of responses
Website Visitors
- Basic usage data (pages visited)
- Device and browser information
- IP address
3. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
We process your data based on:
- Contract: To deliver services you purchased
- Consent: For panel members, research participants, marketing communications, and optional AI projects (collected separately)
- Legitimate interest: To improve our services, prevent fraud, and ensure security
4. How We Use Your Information
We use your information to:
- Verify panel members' identity and professional background, at signup and from time to time while they are members, including by reviewing their LinkedIn profile
- Match panel members to relevant paid research studies
- Invite panel members to participate in studies that fit their background
- Invite panel members who have opted in to AI evaluation or AI data collection projects
- Send study rewards to participants
- Provide and improve our services
- Process payments
- Send project updates and support messages
- Transcribe voice messages and generate research insights
- Comply with legal obligations
We do not sell your data to third parties.
5. AI Processing
Our AI interviewer, delivered via WhatsApp and web, uses:
- OpenAI GPT-4: For AI conversations and analysis
- OpenAI Whisper: For voice message transcription
Voice messages are automatically transcribed. Responses are processed to generate research summaries for the researcher or client running the study.
Kosmo does not use your interview responses, recordings, or profile data to train AI models.
Optional AI Projects: Some of our research partners build or test AI systems. Panel members who have separately opted in may be invited to:
- AI evaluation: reviewing, rating, or giving feedback on AI outputs and behaviour
- AI data collection: completing tasks or providing content, such as text, voice recordings, or images, that the project organiser may use to develop or train AI systems
Each type is a separate opt-in. Every invitation explains who is running the project, what you will be asked to provide, and how it will be used, and you can decline any project. When a project runs on our platform, we share your project responses with the partner running it, as described in the invitation. When a project runs on a partner's platform, the partner collects your project data under their own terms. Full details are in our Panel Member Terms.
6. Data Sharing
We share data only with:
- OpenAI (USA): AI processing and transcription
- Supabase (EU): Platform database
- Airtable (USA): Panel management
- Google Workspace (EU/USA): Email and file storage
- Railway (EU/USA): Application hosting
- Cloudflare: Website hosting and security
- Meta (WhatsApp): Message delivery for WhatsApp interviews and communications
- PayPal and Fiverr: Client payments
- PayPal, Grab, and Tremendous: Participant rewards, sharing only the details needed to send your reward
- Research partners: Limited information for study matching and to confirm participation, such as screening answers or an anonymous participant ID
- Research clients and project partners: Your study responses, only with your explicit consent at the time of each study invitation, and only for the specific study or project you agree to take part in
- Legal authorities: If required by law
We do not share your email address, phone number, or LinkedIn profile with clients or partners unless you agree to this for a specific study.
Our service providers are bound by data protection agreements or equivalent terms.
7. International Data Transfers
Our platform database is stored in the EU (Supabase). Some data is processed or stored outside the EU, including in the United States (OpenAI, Airtable, Google, Meta, Tremendous). Our website is served through Cloudflare's global network, and reward payments in Southeast Asia may be processed by Grab. We use appropriate safeguards, such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), to protect your data during international transfers.
8. Data Storage and Security
- Platform data stored on EU servers (Supabase)
- Panel administration data held in Airtable and Google Workspace
- All data encrypted in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
- All data encrypted at rest
- Access limited to authorised personnel only
- Regular security reviews
9. Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Access: Request a copy of your personal data
- Rectification: Correct inaccurate data
- Erasure: Request deletion of your data
- Portability: Export your data in a readable format
- Restriction: Limit how we process your data
- Objection: Object to certain processing
- Withdraw consent: At any time, including switching off any AI project opt-in
Panel members may have additional rights under the laws of their country, as listed in our Panel Member Terms.
To exercise these rights, email [email protected]. We respond within 30 days.
10. Data Retention
- Panel member data: Up to 24 months after your last interaction with the panel, or until you request deletion or withdraw consent
- Consent records: Kept for as long as needed to show when and how you gave or withdrew consent
- Consulting project data: Deleted 12 months after project completion (unless otherwise agreed)
- AI Interviewer campaigns: Retained until you delete them or close your account
- Participant data: Retained until the researcher deletes the campaign or the participant requests deletion
- Invoices and financial records: 7 years (legal requirement)
- WhatsApp phone numbers collected for a campaign: Deleted when the campaign is deleted (phone numbers in a panel profile follow panel member retention)
11. Participant Data (AI Interviewer)
For research participants:
- Consent collected before the interview starts
- Participants informed they are interacting with AI
- WhatsApp phone numbers collected only for interview delivery
- Voice messages transcribed automatically
- Participants can request data deletion at any time
- Data shared only with the researcher or client running that study, as explained when you agree to take part
Researchers are responsible for:
- Informing participants about the research purpose
- Ensuring appropriate consent for their specific research
- Handling participant data ethically
12. Cookies
We use minimal essential cookies only for site functionality. We do not use advertising, tracking, or analytics cookies.
13. Children
Our services are not intended for anyone under 18 years of age. All panel members must be 18 or older. We do not knowingly collect data from children.
14. Data Breaches
In the event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will:
- Notify the relevant supervisory authority within 72 hours where required
- Notify affected users without undue delay where the breach is likely to put their rights at risk
- Take immediate steps to mitigate the breach
15. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. For significant changes, such as new uses of your data, we will notify you by email and ask for your consent where required.
16. Contact and Complaints
Questions or requests? Email [email protected]
If you are unsatisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority:
- Greece: Hellenic Data Protection Authority (dpa.gr)
- Your local data protection authority