Privacy Policy for SMS Communications
Vanguard Resources, Inc. (“Vanguard,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) operates an internal SMS service used by authorized employees, leadership, and a limited number of approved business contacts to submit and coordinate meeting agenda items. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, store, and protect information transmitted through that service.
This policy applies only to SMS communications conducted with our designated agenda-management telephone number. It does not govern the broader operations of Vanguard Resources or any other communication channel.
1. Who this policy covers
The SMS service is intended exclusively for individuals expressly authorized by Vanguard’s CEO. Authorized senders include Vanguard employees, members of the Senior Leadership Team, the company’s owner, and a small number of approved external contacts (such as the CEO’s professional executive coach). Members of the general public are not the intended audience and will not receive marketing communications from this service.
2. Information we collect
When an authorized sender uses the SMS service, we receive and store:
- The mobile telephone number from which the message was sent
- The full text content of the message
- The date and time the message was received
- A unique message identifier assigned by our SMS carrier
- Routing metadata necessary to deliver replies (carrier identifier, delivery status)
When a prospective user submits the public opt-in form at https://sms-program.vanguardresources.com/, we additionally receive and store the submitter’s full name, mobile telephone number, email address, the reason (if provided), the exact text of the consent disclosure the user agreed to, the timestamp of consent, and the source IP address and browser user-agent string of the submission. This information is used to evaluate the enrollment request and, if approved, to add the user to the authorized sender roster.
If a message is sent from a number we do not recognize, the message content and originating number may be reviewed briefly to determine whether it appears to be a legitimate business communication, after which it is either forwarded to the CEO for evaluation or discarded.
3. How we use this information
Information collected through the SMS service is used solely to:
- Evaluate opt-in form submissions and, upon CEO approval, add authorized senders to the service
- Add each submitted item to the appropriate Vanguard meeting agenda
- Confirm receipt to the sender
- Notify the sender of system commands, list views, and agenda generation status
- Generate, format, and distribute meeting agenda documents to authorized participants
- Maintain an internal audit log of submitted items for accountability and rollover tracking between meetings
- Detect and discard unsolicited or fraudulent messages
4. How we store and protect information
All information is stored within Vanguard’s controlled cloud infrastructure on Google Cloud Platform, in databases protected by industry-standard encryption at rest and in transit. Access is restricted to authorized Vanguard personnel and the limited automated systems required to operate the agenda service. Backups follow Vanguard’s standard internal retention practices.
5. Sharing with third parties
We do not sell, rent, lease, or otherwise transfer phone numbers or message content to third parties for any marketing purpose. Mobile information is never shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Information is shared only with the following service providers, and only to the extent necessary for them to deliver the SMS service on our behalf:
- Twilio, Inc. — provides SMS message delivery between sender phones and Vanguard’s system
- Google Cloud Platform (Google LLC) — hosts the application, database, and static web pages that make up this service
- Anthropic PBC — provides the language model used to classify and format submitted items into structured agenda documents
- Microsoft Corporation (Microsoft Graph API) — delivers generated agenda documents by email from Vanguard’s Microsoft 365 tenant to authorized participants
Each of these providers operates under its own privacy and data-handling commitments and processes data only as required to perform its specific function. No third party receives information for marketing purposes. We may also disclose information if required to do so by law, valid legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Vanguard, our employees, or others.
6. Retention
Submitted agenda items are retained as long as needed to support meeting operations, agenda rollover, and Vanguard’s internal record-keeping. Senders may request deletion of their submitted items at any time by contacting the address below. Audit logs of inbound messages and opt-in form submissions are retained for a reasonable period for security and accountability and are then aged out.
7. Opt-in, message frequency, and opt-out
How users opt in
Enrollment in the SMS service is initiated by the prospective user through the public opt-in form at https://sms-program.vanguardresources.com/. The form collects the user’s full name, mobile telephone number, email address, and an optional reason for the request. Immediately adjacent to the submit button, the form presents a required consent disclosure that identifies:
- The types of messages the user will receive (confirmations of submitted agenda items, command responses, and agenda generation notifications)
- The approximate message frequency (a few messages per week, varying with user activity)
- That standard message and data rates from the user’s mobile carrier may apply
- That the user may text STOP at any time to opt out, and HELP at any time for a command list
- That Vanguard will not share the user’s phone number with third parties
- Links to this Privacy Policy and the Terms and Conditions
The user affirmatively opts in by checking the consent checkbox and submitting the form. The consent checkbox is unchecked by default; active user action is required. Consent to receive SMS messages is entirely voluntary and is not a condition of any purchase, service, employment, contract, transaction, or business relationship with Vanguard Resources. Users who do not wish to receive SMS messages simply do not submit the form.
Submitting the form creates a pending enrollment request that is emailed to Vanguard’s CEO for individual review. No SMS message of any kind is sent to the submitted mobile number until the CEO has personally reviewed and approved the request and manually added the user to the authorized sender roster. Once approved, the user receives a single confirmation SMS from the service number restating opt-out instructions.
Message frequency
Message frequency varies based on each user’s activity. Most authorized users receive between zero and ten messages per week. The service responds only to messages initiated by the user (such as agenda item submissions, command queries, or routing prompts) and to scheduled notifications related to agenda generation.
Opting out and getting help
Authorized senders may opt out of all further messages at any time by replying STOP to any message from the service. Opting out removes the user’s number from the authorized sender roster immediately, and no further messages will be sent. To resume use, an authorized sender may contact Vanguard directly. Replying HELP returns a summary of available commands and contact information. Standard message and data rates from your wireless carrier may apply.
8. Your choices and rights
You may at any time:
- Opt out of further SMS messages by replying STOP
- Request a copy of agenda items you have submitted
- Request deletion of agenda items you have submitted
- Request deletion of an opt-in form submission you made
- Ask questions about how your information is being handled
Send any such request to the contact address below.
9. Children’s information
The SMS service is not directed at, and is not intended for use by, anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect information from minors.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected in the “Last updated” date above. The current version of this policy is always available at the URL where you are reading it.
11. Contact
For questions about this policy or to exercise any of the rights described above,
please contact:
Vanguard Resources, Inc.
Attention: Privacy Officer
San Antonio, Texas, USA
Email: privacy@vanguardresources.com