Privacy Policy
Last updated: 22 August 2026
This policy describes how Balaton Shipping SA ("we", "us") handles personal data in connection with this website, our chartering business correspondence, and our in-house application Laycan AI, including communication over WhatsApp Business.
1. Who we are
Balaton Shipping SA is an independent dry cargo shipbroking house based in Greece. For any privacy-related question or request, contact us at chartering@balaton-inc.com.
2. Data we process
- Business contact details — names, email addresses, phone numbers, company names and roles of our counterparties (shipowners, operators, charterers, brokers and agents).
- Chartering correspondence — the content of emails and WhatsApp messages exchanged with our desk: vessel positions, cargo orders, offers and related negotiations.
This website itself does not use cookies, analytics or tracking, and does not collect any data from visitors.
3. Why we process it
- To conduct our shipbroking business: matching cargoes with vessels, preparing and negotiating offers, and maintaining a record of fixtures.
- To keep an internal directory of counterparties so that correspondence reaches the right company and person.
Our legal basis is our legitimate interest in operating a brokerage business and, where applicable, the performance of contracts with our counterparties.
4. How Laycan AI is involved
Laycan AI is our internal assistant software. It reads incoming business correspondence (email and WhatsApp) addressed to our desk, extracts commercial details such as vessel positions and cargo orders, and presents them to our brokers. Messages are processed on infrastructure under our control; the content of your correspondence is not sold, shared with third parties for marketing, or used to train third-party AI models. Any outgoing offer or reply is reviewed and sent by a person.
5. WhatsApp communication
If you contact us on WhatsApp, we process your phone number, profile name and message content through the WhatsApp Business Platform (a service of Meta Platforms) in order to receive and answer your messages. WhatsApp's own terms and privacy policy also apply to your use of WhatsApp.
6. Retention
We retain business correspondence for as long as it remains commercially relevant to our brokerage activity and as required for legal and accounting purposes.
7. Your rights
You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data, or object to its processing, by writing to chartering@balaton-inc.com. We will answer within a reasonable time and in accordance with applicable law.
8. Changes
We may update this policy from time to time; the current version is always available at this address.