{
  "slug": "help-scout",
  "category": "customer-support",
  "name": "Help Scout",
  "description": "Customer support platform with a shared email inbox, live chat widget, knowledge base and customer profiles, run by Help Scout PBC in the United States.",
  "website": "https://www.helpscout.com",
  "license": null,
  "platforms": [
    "android",
    "ios",
    "web"
  ],
  "jurisdiction": {
    "code": "US",
    "name": "United States",
    "eyes": "Five Eyes",
    "eu": false,
    "gdpr": false,
    "cloud_act": "provider"
  },
  "pick": false,
  "pick_reason": null,
  "disclosure": null,
  "grade": "F",
  "score": 19,
  "coverage": 100,
  "summary": "Help Scout scores 19 out of 100 (grade F) on the customer support and live chat criteria. It meets 1 of 8 criteria: TLS configuration. It partly meets independent audit. It does not meet open source, no trackers or telemetry, no ads or data sales, transparency report, tells users about requests and security headers. It is based in the United States: Five Eyes member; subject to the US CLOUD Act. Automated tests: SSL Labs grade A+ and Mozilla HTTP Observatory grade C-.",
  "url": "https://privacyratings.com/customer-support/help-scout/",
  "markdown": "https://privacyratings.com/customer-support/help-scout/index.md",
  "answers": {
    "open_source": {
      "title": "Open source",
      "weight": 3,
      "answer": "no",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Closed source."
    },
    "no_trackers": {
      "title": "No trackers or telemetry",
      "weight": 3,
      "answer": "no",
      "evidence": "https://www.helpscout.com/company/legal/privacy/",
      "note": "The privacy policy describes cookies from third-party analytics and advertising partners used for interest-based ads."
    },
    "no_ads": {
      "title": "No ads or data sales",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "no",
      "evidence": "https://www.helpscout.com/company/legal/privacy/",
      "note": "The privacy policy discloses that browsing data and hashed email addresses were sold or shared with advertising partners."
    },
    "independent_audit": {
      "title": "Independent audit",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "partial",
      "evidence": "https://www.helpscout.com/company/legal/security/",
      "note": "SOC 2 Type 2 reports and independent penetration test results are only available on request."
    },
    "transparency_report": {
      "title": "Transparency report",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "no",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "No transparency report or government request policy is published."
    },
    "user_notice": {
      "title": "Tells users about requests",
      "weight": 1,
      "answer": "no",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "No published policy on notifying users about data requests."
    },
    "tls": {
      "title": "TLS configuration",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "yes",
      "evidence": "https://www.ssllabs.com/ssltest/analyze.html?d=www.helpscout.com&hideResults=on",
      "note": "Grade A+"
    },
    "security_headers": {
      "title": "Security headers",
      "weight": 1,
      "answer": "no",
      "evidence": "https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/observatory/analyze?host=www.helpscout.com",
      "note": "Grade C- (45/100+)"
    },
    "web_standards": {
      "title": "Modern web standards",
      "weight": 1,
      "answer": "pending",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Not tested yet."
    }
  },
  "tests": {
    "ssllabs": "A+",
    "observatory": "C-",
    "internetnl_web": null,
    "internetnl_mail": null,
    "trackers": [
      {
        "name": "Google Fonts",
        "host": "fonts.gstatic.com",
        "effect": "none"
      },
      {
        "name": "Google Tag Manager",
        "host": "www.googletagmanager.com",
        "effect": "no"
      }
    ],
    "tested_at": "2026-10-01T10:59:53.194Z"
  },
  "last_modified": "2026-10-01T11:14:42Z"
}