Effective Date: 17-Sep-24
Last Updated: 17-Sep-24

This Privacy Policy describes how Fobbiz Inc. (“we,” “our,” or “us”) collects, uses, and shares personal information through our online business directory and event listing website https://fobbiz.ca. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data responsibly in compliance with Canadian privacy laws, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

1. Information We Collect

We collect personal information that you provide directly to us, as well as automatically collected data when you interact with our platform.

1.1 Information You Provide:

• Account Information: When you create an account or fill out a form, we collect your name, email address, and other necessary details.
• Comments and Reviews: When leaving comments, reviews, or business listings, we collect the data you input, along with your IP address and browser user agent to assist with spam detection.
• Uploaded Media: If you upload images or media, ensure it does not contain embedded location data (EXIF GPS). Visitors to the site can extract such location data from the images.

1.2 Automatically Collected Information:

• Cookies and Tracking: We use cookies to enhance your experience. Cookies store login details, preferences, and other session-based information. For more details, see our Cookies Policy.
• Log Data: We collect information such as your IP address, browser type, and access times when you interact with our site. This helps us improve performance and security.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal data to operate, improve, and maintain our platform, ensuring you receive a smooth and personalized experience.

• Account Management: To create and maintain your user account, facilitate logins, and enhance functionality such as remembering your preferences.
• Content Display and Interaction: Your content (e.g., reviews, comments, profile photo) may be displayed to other users. We may modify or remove content to ensure compliance with our guidelines.
• Analytics and Improvements: We use the data we collect to understand user behavior, improve services, and optimize site performance.
• Legal Compliance: We may use your information to comply with applicable laws and regulations.

3. Sharing Your Information

We only share personal data under specific circumstances and in compliance with legal obligations.

• Service Providers: We may share your information with third-party service providers who assist us in running the website (e.g., hosting services, analytics).
• Legal Requirements: We will disclose your data if required by law, such as to comply with a subpoena or court order, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our users or the public.
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

4.1 Cookies:
We use cookies to remember your preferences and login information. You can choose to disable cookies in your browser settings, but this may limit your ability to use certain features of the site.

• Login Cookies: When you log in, we set cookies to save your login status for up to two days. If you choose “Remember Me,” the login will persist for two weeks.
• Comments Cookies: When leaving a comment, you can opt to save your details in cookies to avoid re-entering them for future comments. These cookies last for one year.

4.2 Tracking Technologies:
We may use third-party analytics tools to track user behavior. These tools use cookies to help us understand how visitors interact with our site and improve their experience.

5. Your Data Rights

Under Canadian law, you have certain rights regarding the personal information we collect.

• Access and Correction: You can request to access, update, or correct your personal information. Registered users can log in to their accounts to manage their information.
• Data Portability: You can request an exported file of the personal data we hold about you.
• Deletion of Data: You may request that we erase your personal data, subject to certain legal obligations, such as data retained for security, legal, or administrative purposes.
• Withdraw Consent: If you’ve given consent for data collection, you can withdraw it at any time. This may affect your ability to use certain features of the website.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal data for as long as it is necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy or comply with legal obligations. If you leave a comment, we retain the comment and its metadata indefinitely for moderation purposes. For registered users, personal data provided during registration is retained until the account is deleted.

7. Embedded Content from Other Websites

Our website may feature embedded content (e.g., videos, images, articles) from third-party websites. Interactions with these embedded elements behave as though you visited the external site directly. These third-party sites may collect data about you, including using cookies and tracking technologies.

8. Data Security

We use commercially reasonable safeguards to protect the personal information we collect from loss, theft, unauthorized access, and disclosure. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your data.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify users of any significant updates by posting the revised policy on our website.

10. Contact Information

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us.