Wondering if Calendly is Safe? Here's What You Need to Know

Doğa Kaplan
October 28, 2024
5
 min read
Contents

Many professionals ask "is Calendly safe to use?" before giving it a try for their business. As scheduling tools become a must for modern businesses to run more effectively, it's crucial to understand the security implications of using Calendly - especially when handling sensitive meeting information and customer data. 

In this article, we will take a detailed look at Calendly's security measures, potential risks, and also introduce you to Zeeg, which is a safe scheduling alternative designed specifically for privacy-conscious businesses.

Understanding Calendly's Security Setup

When evaluating if Calendly is secure, we should first take a look at their security infrastructure and practices. Calendly operates on Google Cloud Services (GCS), with data centers holding multiple security certifications including ISO 27001 and SOC 2. The platform encrypts all connections using TLS SHA-256 with RSA Encryption, and data is encrypted when stored on their servers.

Data handling and privacy

Here’s a quick look at Calendly's approach to data security:

  • Limited data collection principles
  • OAuth authentication for calendar access
  • Encrypted storage of user passwords with salted hashes
  • No storage of complete calendar details

Payment security

For businesses using paid scheduling, Calendly processes payments through Stripe and PayPal, which basically means they keep credit card information away from their own servers. This setup maintains Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard while protecting sensitive financial data. 

Common security questions about Calendly

Is Calendly a scam?

No, Calendly isn't a scam - it's a legit scheduling service with established security practices. All employees have to go under strict security training, and access to internal systems requires multi-factor authentication.

Is Calendly secure?

Calendly maintains standard security measures for a cloud-based service. They use OAuth for authentication and encrypt data both in transit and at rest. But users should understand that any cloud service comes with security considerations of its own, especially when it comes to data storage and processing locations.

How Calendly handles your calendar data

Now, calendar integration is one of the most used aspects of Calendly - but is it secure? Their approach on this is pretty simple: they only peek at what they absolutely need to make scheduling work.

For Google Calendar and Office 365 users, this means Calendly just checks if you're free or busy and how long your meetings are. They don't dig through your meeting details or attendee lists. Only a handful of special features might need to see your meeting titles, but that's about it.

The Outlook plug-in works a bit differently. It needs to be installed on your device, which might raise eyebrows for certain security-conscious users. But there's good news: all the data moving between Outlook and Calendly is encrypted, including your appointment times and attendee information. They even encrypt their backups, just to be safe.

Here's an interesting update: Calendly is phasing out iCloud Calendar connections. If you're already using it, you're fine, but new users won't have this option after August 2024. This move actually makes sense from a security standpoint - iCloud's all-or-nothing approach to data access wasn't ideal for a scheduling tool. 

And the best part about their calendar security? You're never locked in. If you ever have second thoughts, you can disconnect your calendar through your account settings with just a few clicks.

If you're looking to switch calendar apps, check out our guide to the best free calendar apps in 2024 for secure alternatives.

GDPR considerations and international use

Looking for more details about GDPR-compliant scheduling options? Zeeg, a fully GDPR-compliant scheduling solution from Germany, offers a reliable alternative to U.S.-based tools. Learn more in our complete guide on GDPR compliant Calendly alternative from Germany.

While Calendly claims GDPR compliance and has updated its policies accordingly, there are important points to consider. The company processes data in U.S.-based servers, which can create some complexity for European businesses under current data protection regulations. 

To summarize Calendly’s GDPR compliance policies:

  • Updated terms of use and privacy policies
  • A data processing addendum
  • Special handling of EU citizen data in integrations

What Calendly's GDPR Compliance Really Means

For European businesses, the location of data processing raises some important questions. While Calendly acknowledged this problem and made some efforts to align with GDPR requirements. But given they’re U.S.-based, when your data crosses the Atlantic; things get complicated.

Here's what Calendly has done right: They've built in cookie management tools, added data deletion processes, and included Terms of Use opt-ins. They've also thought about how they handle EU user data, and marked European invitees as "transactional contacts" to limit how their information gets used. Unless someone specifically agrees to marketing communications, their data stays locked down to just the essentials.

They've even wrapped a Data Processing Addendum into their Terms of Use. This means when you start using Calendly, you're automatically covered by their data protection agreement. Recently, they updated this agreement to handle post-Brexit UK requirements to keep up with changing regulations across the EU.

But some European businesses still have questions. When your scheduling data is kept on American servers, questions about access and storage naturally come up. Even with Standard Contractual Clauses in place, the distance between where your data sits and where your business runs can feel understandably uncomfortable.

For businesses that need absolute clarity about their data's location, especially those handling sensitive information, this uncertainty might be a deal-breaker. 

Note: All information regarding Calendly’s security measures were sourced from Calendly’s Help Center on 25 October 2024. 

The Data Processing Agreement Situation

As we already mentioned, Calendly includes a Data Processing Addendum (DPA) in their Terms of Use, which covers users in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the UK. This means you don't need to sign additional paperwork - accepting their Terms of Use automatically puts the DPA in place. In September 2022, they updated their DPA to include the UK Addendum to the Standard Contractual Clauses.

Protection Against Harmful Links

We all use links one way or another, especially in business - and Calendly acknowledges this as well. They actively scan links shared through their platform. This is especially important if you're asking "is Calendly safe?" for your team or clients.

How Link Protection Works

Basically, when someone clicks a link in Calendly, the system quickly checks it against a database of known threats. You won't notice this happening with safe links - you'll just go straight to your destination. But if something looks fishy, Calendly steps in.

For questionable links, you'll see a warning page first. You can still proceed if you're confident about the link, but at least you're aware of potential risks. For links flagged as dangerous, Calendly adds an extra step - you'll need to manually copy and paste the URL if you really want to visit it.

Zeeg: A Secure Alternative for Privacy-Conscious Businesses

If these security considerations make you hesitate, Zeeg could be your perfect alternative with its solid privacy features.

European Data Protection Standards: Zeeg stores all data exclusively on European servers, with full GDPR compliance built into the core platform. Every piece of scheduling data is protected by end-to-end encryption, making sure your business communications are secured to the max. 

Advanced Security Features: Zeeg puts you in control of your privacy with detailed calendar visibility settings. When handling paid appointments, secure payment processing comes standard. Your business maintains complete data sovereignty throughout the scheduling process.

Trust Through Transparency: Unlike U.S.-based alternatives, Zeeg provides clear data processing agreements backed by ISO27001 certified data centers

Why Zeeg?

We created Zeeg because we saw how tricky data protection can get in today's connected world. Sure, our European privacy standards are a big draw for EU companies, but here's the thing: strict data protection matters whether you're scheduling meetings in New York, Munich, or Singapore.

Your scheduling data includes customer information, meeting details, and team availability. Wouldn't you want that handled with the highest security standards possible? That's what you get with Zeeg. Our European infrastructure isn't just about GDPR compliance - it's about giving every business, everywhere, peace of mind about their data.

That's the Zeeg difference. Rock-solid security with zero compromise on features, no matter where you are in the world.

Making Your Decision

Feature Zeeg Calendly
Data Storage European servers only
Complete data sovereignty
U.S.-based servers
Google Cloud Platform
GDPR Compliance Built-in from day one
Native EU compliance
Adapted for compliance
Uses Standard Contracts
Data Protection End-to-end encryption
ISO27001 certified
TLS SHA-256 encryption
Multiple certifications
Data Control Full control
European support
Limited control
U.S.-based support

In the end, picking a scheduling tool isn't just about features - it's about trust. Think about where your customer information ends up and whether that aligns with your business needs. If you're working with European clients or handling sensitive data, the location of your scheduling data matters more than you might think.

That's why we built Zeeg differently. We keep your data in Europe, protected by strict privacy laws, while giving you all the scheduling features you need. No compromises between security and usability.

Want to see what secure scheduling looks like? Head over to Zeeg - we'd love to show you around.

Sources

All information regarding Calendly’s security measures were sourced from the following links on 28 October 2024.

https://help.calendly.com/hc/en-us/articles/223146967-Your-privacy-and-security#2

https://help.calendly.com/hc/en-us/articles/360009867334-Calendly-Platform-Security-and-Compliance#3

https://help.calendly.com/hc/en-us/articles/360007032633-GDPR-FAQs#1

https://help.calendly.com/hc/en-us/articles/24238873959831-Link-scanning-and-safety