Privacy Policy

Last updated: 10 October 2026

1. Introduction

Al Hatem Trading / شركة الحاتم للتجارة ("we," "us," or "our") is a general trading company operating in Syria and Lebanon. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. This policy covers our website at https://alhatemtrading.com and our automated customer-support assistant that receives and responds to messages on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram.

2. Information We Collect

When you contact us through our website, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or Instagram, we may collect the following types of information:

• Messages: The text content of messages you send us on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram.
• Platform identifiers: Your WhatsApp phone number, and your Facebook or Instagram user ID as provided by Meta.
• Profile name: The profile name associated with your account, if shared by the platform.
• Customer-provided details: Any information you choose to give us, such as your name, phone number, order or booking details, or delivery address.
• Website usage data: Basic analytics and cookie data when you visit our website, if applicable.

3. How We Use Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Reply to your messages and answer questions about our products and services.
• Process orders or bookings and communicate with you about their status.
• Hand the conversation to a human team member when you request it.
• Improve our service and customer experience.

We do not send promotional messages without your consent, and we do not sell your personal data.

4. Automated Replies and AI

When you send us a message on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or Instagram, your message is processed by an automated assistant powered by an AI service provider (OpenAI) to generate a reply. This means the text of your message is sent to OpenAI for processing so that our assistant can generate a relevant response. A human team member can take over the conversation at any time if you request it or if the matter requires human attention.

5. Service Providers We Share Data With

To operate our automated messaging service, we share certain data with the following service providers. Each provider processes data only as needed to provide the service:

• Meta Platforms (WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram): Provides the messaging infrastructure. Meta processes your messages and platform identifiers according to its own privacy policy and terms. We do not control how Meta processes data on its own platforms.
• OpenAI: Processes the text content of your messages to generate automated replies on our behalf.
• n8n (automation platform): Our workflow automation platform, hosted on servers in the European Union (Contabo). n8n routes messages between Meta, OpenAI, and our team.

6. Data Retention

Conversation data is kept only as long as needed to handle your request and for a maximum of 90 days, unless a longer retention period is required by law or to fulfill an active order. After this period, your conversation data and associated identifiers are deleted from our systems.

7. Data Security

We take reasonable technical measures to protect your information. Our website uses HTTPS encryption. Access to customer data is limited to authorized staff members who need it to respond to inquiries and process orders.

8. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: You can ask what data we hold about you.
• Correction: You can ask us to correct inaccurate information.
• Deletion: You can ask us to delete your data.
• Objection: You can object to certain processing of your data.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 12 below.

9. Data Deletion

If you would like us to delete your conversation data and identifiers from our systems, please see our Data Deletion Instructions page for step-by-step instructions.

10. Children

Our services are not directed to children under 13, or the minimum age required in your country of residence. We do not knowingly collect information from children. If you believe a child has shared information with us, please contact us and we will delete it.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last revised. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, please contact us: