> How Forethought Solve handles personal data under the GDPR: chat content processing, cookies, US hosting on AWS, consent and DPIA duties in Europe. > > Canonical: https://www.flowconsent.com/en/services/customer-support/forethought-solve Customer support # Forethought Solve Preferences · [Official website](https://forethought.ai/platform/solve/) Forethought Solve is an AI customer support platform that deploys a generative chat widget on the website, automating tier 1 responses and triaging tickets using natural language understanding. [Block Forethought Solve until consent](https://app.flowconsent.com/auth/sign-up?utm_source=flowconsent.com\&utm_medium=referral\&utm_campaign=customer_support) · [Scan my site](https://www.flowconsent.com/en/scan) At a glance - Category [Customer support](https://www.flowconsent.com/en/services/customer-support) - Consent Preferences - Prior consent Required - Documented cookies 4 - Third-party domains 4 - Servers United States (AWS us-east-1, us-west-2) Overview ## What does Forethought Solve do? Forethought Solve is a generative AI customer support product from Forethought, a US software company. It deploys a chat widget on a website, app or help centre, automatically answering questions, triaging tickets, and handing over to human agents when needed. Solve is part of the broader Forethought suite that also includes Triage, Assist and Discover, and integrates with Zendesk, Salesforce, Freshdesk, Kustomer, and similar help desks. ## **What Forethought Solve does** The Solve widget is a JavaScript snippet that injects a chat interface into the page. It opens a WebSocket back to Forethought's backend on AWS, classifies the user intent, looks up an answer from a knowledge base or a large language model, and renders structured responses. When deflection fails, it creates a ticket in your help desk and passes the full conversation transcript to a human agent. ## **Cookies and data collected** Forethought sets first party identifiers in localStorage and may set cookies on the page domain or on solvecx.com to persist the chat session. It collects the user agent, IP address, referrer, page URL, the full text of every message, attachments, and any context you pass programmatically (account email, plan, customer ID). All this is processed in the United States. ## **GDPR and ePrivacy implications** Chat content can contain personal data, sometimes including special categories such as health or financial information when users describe their issue. Forethought acts as a processor under your Data Processing Agreement. The widget loads non strictly necessary scripts and storage, so under Article 5(3) ePrivacy you generally need consent before deploying it, except for cases where the chat is strictly the only way to deliver the requested service. ## **Data transfers to the United States** Forethought is hosted on AWS in the United States. Transfers can rely on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework if Forethought is certified, otherwise on Standard Contractual Clauses combined with a Transfer Impact Assessment. Document the legal mechanism in your record of processing activities and your privacy notice, and confirm that Forethought's subprocessors, including the LLM providers it uses, remain compatible with your DPF or SCC framework. ## **How to deploy it compliantly** Sign a DPA with Forethought and obtain its current subprocessor list. Configure the widget so it only loads after the visitor accepts the customer support category. Set a clear retention period for transcripts, disable model training on your data unless the user explicitly opts in, and instruct users not to share special category data unless strictly necessary. Provide a manual contact channel for users who refuse the AI chat. Compliance ## Forethought Solve and the GDPR Forethought Solve is classified as “Preferences”. On a site that targets European visitors, it must only load after the visitor consents, and it must be listed in your cookie policy. - Legal basis Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) for analytics and personalisation, contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) for the support conversation itself - Risk level high - Applicable regulations GDPR, ePrivacy Directive, EU-US Data Privacy Framework, CCPA ### Impact assessment (DPIA) A DPIA is recommended. Forethought Solve combines large language model processing of customer messages, profiling of intent, US data hosting on AWS, and potential reuse of conversation data for model improvement. Document the LLM provider chain, retention, opt out for training data use, and the DPF or SCC mechanism. ### Sample text for your banner > We use Forethought Solve to power our AI chat assistant. Your messages, technical identifiers, and conversation transcripts are processed by Forethought in the United States. We only load the widget after you accept the customer support category in our cookie banner. Cookies and trackers ## What Forethought Solve sets and contacts - Tracking method JavaScript widget with first party cookies and WebSocket session, conversation transcripts processed by AI backend - Server location United States (AWS us-east-1, us-west-2) - Data transferred outside the EU Forethought is a US company hosted on AWS in the United States. Personal data, including chat content and identifiers, is transferred to the United States. Transfers rely on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (Forethought self certified) and SCCs for non DPF transfers, plus a Transfer Impact Assessment. ### Cookies set (4) | Name | Type | Duration | Purpose | | --------------- | ------------ | ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | ft\_session\_id | localStorage | Persistent until cleared | Forethought session identifier used to associate a visitor with their chat history. | | ft\_user\_id | localStorage | Persistent until cleared | Stable visitor identifier used to recognise the same user across sessions on the same browser. | | ft\_anon\_id | http\_cookie | 1 year | Anonymous visitor identifier set by the Forethought widget to attribute analytics events. | | ft\_context | localStorage | Session | Stores the context variables (page, plan, customer ID) passed to the widget for personalisation. | ### Third-party domains contacted (4) - `solvecx.com` - `widget.solvecx.com` - `api.forethought.ai` - `cdn.solvecx.com` Questions ## Frequently asked questions about Forethought Solve Can't find your question? Write to us, we answer fast. [Write to us](https://www.flowconsent.com/en/demo) ### What data does Forethought Solve collect? Solve stores a session ID in localStorage and may set first party cookies. It collects the IP, user agent, referrer, page URL, the full text and attachments of every chat message, and any context variables you provide (email, plan, customer ID). All data is processed in the United States on AWS. ### Does Forethought Solve require GDPR consent? Yes for the widget loading, unless the chat is strictly necessary to deliver the service the user just requested. Even then, the storage of identifiers used for session continuity and analytics requires consent under Article 5(3) ePrivacy. Default to opt in via your CMP. ### What is the legal basis for processing? Two stacked bases. Contract performance under Article 6(1)(b) GDPR for handling the support request itself, and consent under Article 6(1)(a) for non strictly necessary tracking, analytics, and any model improvement use. ### Are data transferred outside the EU? Yes. Forethought is hosted in the United States on AWS. Transfers can be covered by the EU-US Data Privacy Framework if Forethought is certified, otherwise by Standard Contractual Clauses with a Transfer Impact Assessment. ### Do I need a DPIA? A DPIA is recommended. Solve performs automated decision making in the form of intent classification, can process special category data when users describe their issue, and transfers data to the US. These factors trigger several criteria in the EDPB DPIA guidelines. ### How do I implement Forethought Solve compliantly? Sign the DPA, request the subprocessor list, and check whether your data can be used for model training. Block the widget by default in your CMP. Provide a privacy notice at the start of the chat. Offer a manual fallback channel (email, phone) for users who refuse the AI chat. ### Are there alternatives to Forethought Solve? Alternatives with EU hosting include Aivo, Intercom Fin (EU residency option), Ultimate.ai, parloa, and Cognigy. For strict EU only deployments, consider self hosted open source LLM pipelines combined with a European cloud provider. ### How do I update my cookie policy for Forethought Solve? Add Forethought Solve as a third party service in your cookie policy with the cookies it sets, their lifetimes, and their purpose. Mention the chat content processing, the US transfer mechanism, the retention period, and the user rights, including the right to object and to withdraw consent. 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