Short answer
When an AI answers your phone in BC, privacy law applies the same way it does to a person: BC's PIPA for most private businesses, and the federal PIPEDA when information crosses borders. Tell callers the call is recorded or transcribed, ask consent before sensitive intake, collect only what you need, and keep it locked down.The AI hears everything
An applicant mentions their immigration status. A tenant describes the inside of their home. A client explains a family dispute. That's all personal information, and privacy law applies whether a person or an AI takes the call.
This guide covers the basics for AI phone answering in BC. It's general information, not legal advice. For your own situation, check with a lawyer or the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC.
PIPA and PIPEDA in plain words
Two laws matter most for a private business here:
- PIPA. BC's Personal Information Protection Act covers how private organizations in BC collect, use and disclose personal information.
- PIPEDA. The federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act can apply to commercial activity that crosses provincial or national borders.
The core ideas are the same in both. Have a clear reason for what you collect. Tell people about it. Get consent. Keep it safe, and don't keep it forever.
Tell callers, and ask first
Start simple: tell callers the call is recorded or transcribed, and why. One sentence at the start does it. "This call is recorded and transcribed so our team can follow up on your request." With Javelin, the transcript notice and, when recording is on, the recording notice are part of every greeting. Clients can't remove them.
Some calls are more sensitive than others. For immigration consultants and law firms, Javelin asks for consent before intake questions start: "Is it OK if I take some notes for the team?" If the caller says no, it offers a callback or an email address instead. Honestly, most of phone privacy is good manners.
Collect less than you think
The safest information is the information you never collect. Your phone intake should get just enough to book the right meeting, and nothing more:
- No SIN, card numbers or bank details by phone.
- No full case history on the first call. The basics and a booked consult are enough.
- No questions you don't actually use.
Then think about who can see what. Recordings and transcripts should sit behind access controls, so only the people who need them can open them. And decide how long you keep them, instead of keeping everything forever by default.
Questions to ask any vendor
Before you put any AI on your phones, ask:
- Are calls encrypted in transit?
- Who can access recordings and transcripts?
- Is my data used to train public AI models?
- Can I control retention and where data is stored?
- Will you sign a confidentiality agreement?
Our answers: calls are encrypted in transit, recordings and transcripts are in access-controlled storage, and we never sell client data or train public models on it. We sign confidentiality agreements and support PIPEDA-aligned handling. Custom plans can add data-residency and retention controls.
Where to go next
If you're new to the idea, start with what an AI receptionist is. If you're a law firm, our after-hours intake checklist covers consent and conflict checks in more detail. And if you have a privacy question we didn't cover, ask us on a call. We'd rather answer it before setup than after.
Quick questions
Do I have to tell callers an AI is answering?
You should tell callers the call is recorded or transcribed and why. Javelin also tells the truth whenever a caller asks if they're talking to an AI.
Does Javelin use my calls to train AI models?
No. We never sell client data or train public models on it.
Is this legal advice?
No. It's general information, so check with a lawyer or the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC about your situation.