1. Why consent matters to us
Hamton works by preserving the voices and memories a person trusts, then bringing them back to provide comfort in moments of distress. Because a voice is among the most personal things anyone can share, we will not record or use one without clear permission. This policy explains how consent works on Hamton and the control everyone keeps over their own voice.
2. Who needs to consent
Before any voice is recorded or used on Hamton, permission is required from:
- The care recipient — the person Hamton's calls are intended to comfort — or their authorized representative (see Section 3); and
- Each voice contributor — every family member or friend whose recorded voice is used in a profile (see Section 6).
The account holder is responsible for confirming that all required consent has been obtained before adding recordings.
3. When the care recipient's capacity is limited
Dementia can affect a person's ability to give informed consent. Where the care recipient cannot consent for themselves, consent must come from a person legally authorized to act on their behalf — for example, a healthcare proxy, agent under a healthcare directive or power of attorney, court-appointed guardian or conservator, or other representative authorized under the law of the state or country where the care recipient lives (in Minnesota, for example, under the Health Care Directives Act and the guardianship statutes).
Even when a representative provides consent, we ask families to honor the person's dignity and preferences: involve them where possible, watch for signs of distress or objection, and stop using a voice profile if it does not bring comfort. By providing consent as a representative, you confirm you have the legal authority to do so.
4. How we capture consent
When you set up a voice profile, Hamton asks the account holder to confirm that the required consent has been obtained. Consent is captured as an explicit attestation in the app: before a voice can be recorded, the account holder confirms that the care recipient (or their authorized representative) and each voice contributor have agreed, and the account holder's name, the date and time, and the type of consent given are stored as a consent record. Call recording and voice-profile consent are each recorded separately. We keep these records so there is a clear, dated trail for every profile.
5. What you are consenting to
Consent on Hamton covers the recording, secure storage, and processing of a person's voice and shared memories for the purpose of:
- building a recognizable voice profile;
- generating transcripts of recorded memories;
- powering familiar-voice, consented de-escalation calls for the care recipient; and
- operating, securing, and maintaining the Service, as described in our Privacy Policy.
Consent does not permit us to sell voice data, share it outside your circle of care, or use it to train public or general-purpose AI models. We don't do those things.
6. Consent from voice contributors
If you record your own voice for use in a profile, you are consenting to its use within that family's account. If you record or submit someone else's voice, you must have first obtained their permission (or their representative's). Each contributor may withdraw consent for their own voice at any time, after which we will stop using and delete that contributor's recordings as described below.
7. Withdrawing consent
Consent can be withdrawn at any time, by the care recipient, their authorized representative, or an individual voice contributor (for their own voice). You can withdraw consent at any time from the app under Settings → Privacy & Consent, where each consent can be switched off and any voice profile or recording can be deleted, or by emailing privacy@hamton.co.
When consent is withdrawn, we will stop using the affected voice profile or recordings promptly and delete them as described in Section 8. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing that already took place before withdrawal.
8. Deleting recordings and profiles
You can delete individual recordings, memories, an entire voice profile, or your whole account at any time. When you do, the data is removed from our live systems immediately and from encrypted backups within 30 days, except for limited records we are legally required to keep (such as the dated consent record itself and security audit logs). Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone, so keep your own copies of anything you wish to preserve.
9. Honesty, comfort, and dignity
Hamton's goal is comfort, never deception. In an agitated state, a familiar voice and familiar stories can provide regulation regardless of full awareness, and many families choose to be open about the tool during calm periods. We encourage families to use Hamton in a way that respects the care recipient's dignity, and to stop if it causes distress rather than relief. Hamton is a support tool and never a substitute for human presence or professional care.
10. Consent in care facilities
For facility and care-partner accounts, the facility is responsible for ensuring that valid consent (from the resident or their authorized representative, and from voice contributors) is obtained and documented before a profile is created, in line with the facility's own policies and applicable law. Role-based access limits voice profiles to authorized staff within the resident's circle of care. See our Care Partners page.
11. Your legal responsibilities
Laws about recording a person's voice differ by location and can include all-party (two-party) consent requirements and biometric-data protections. You are responsible for complying with the laws that apply to you when you record and use voices through Hamton. If you are unsure, seek legal advice before recording.
12. Contact us
Questions about consent, or want to withdraw consent or delete data? Email privacy@hamton.co or write to Hamton, 1500 Jackson St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413, United States.
This Consent Policy works alongside our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Hamton is a support tool and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.