Privacy Policy

Introduction

CanadaGPT ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website and services at https://canadagpt.ca. By using CanadaGPT, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

Information We Collect

1.1 Account Information

When you create an account using OAuth authentication providers (Google, GitHub, Facebook, LinkedIn), we collect:

• Your name (as provided by the OAuth provider)
• Your email address
• Profile photo (optional)
• Authentication provider ID

1.2 User-Generated Content

• Forum posts and topics you create
• Comments and replies to forum discussions
• Upvotes and downvotes on forum content

1.3 Usage Data

• Pages you visit and features you use
• Search queries and filters applied
• Browser type and device information
• IP address and approximate geographic location

How We Use Your Information

• Authenticate your identity and manage your account
• Enable you to participate in forum discussions
• Personalize your experience and remember your preferences
• Analyze usage patterns to improve our services
• Send important updates about service changes or new features
• Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents

Public Parliamentary Data

CanadaGPT displays publicly available Canadian government data from official sources. This data is NOT collected by us and remains the property of the Government of Canada. Sources include:

• Parliament of Canada (openparliament.ca) - Hansard debates and speeches
• LEGISinfo - Bill tracking and legislative information
• Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying - Lobbying registry and communications
• CanLII - Case law and legal documents (optional, user-initiated)

Data Storage and Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information:

Infrastructure

• Authentication: Supabase (managed PostgreSQL with encryption at rest)
• Hosting: Google Cloud Platform (GCP) with HTTPS/TLS encryption
• Database: Neo4j graph database for parliamentary data (separate from user data)
• All data transfers use TLS 1.2+ encryption

Security Measures

• HTTPS-only access (enforced at CDN and application levels)
• OAuth 2.0 authentication (no passwords stored by CanadaGPT)
• User data isolated from public parliamentary data
• Regular security monitoring and logging

Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may collect information used to identify you:

• Supabase – Authentication and database hosting (Privacy Policy)
• Google Cloud Platform – Cloud hosting and infrastructure (Privacy Policy)
• OAuth Providers – Google, GitHub, Facebook, and LinkedIn for authentication

Your Privacy Rights

• Access – View your account information and forum posts
• Correction – Update your profile information
• Deletion – Request account deletion (forum posts may be anonymized but retained for historical context)
• Data Export – Request a copy of your personal data
• Opt-Out – Withdraw consent for non-essential data processing

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@canadagpt.ca

Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to:

• Essential Cookies – Required for authentication and basic site functionality
• Preferences – Remember your language preference and UI settings
• Analytics – Understand how visitors use our site (anonymized data only)

Data Retention

• Account Data – Retained until you request deletion
• Forum Posts – Retained indefinitely for historical record; may be anonymized upon account deletion
• Server Logs – Retained for 90 days for security and debugging purposes

Data Deletion Requests

You have the right to request deletion of your personal data at any time. We are committed to honoring your data deletion rights under PIPEDA, GDPR, and CCPA.

How to Request Deletion

To request deletion of your account and personal data, email us at privacy@canadagpt.ca with the subject line \"Data Deletion Request\" and include:

• The email address associated with your account
• Confirmation that you want to permanently delete your account
• Optional: Reason for deletion (helps us improve our service)

Deletion Timeline

• We will acknowledge your request within 48 hours
• Account deletion will be completed within 30 days of verification
• You will receive email confirmation once deletion is complete

What Gets Deleted

• Your account credentials and authentication tokens
• Profile information (name, email, photo)
• Saved preferences and settings
• Your usage data and analytics records
• Session cookies and authentication data

What Gets Anonymized (Not Deleted)

To preserve the integrity of public discussions and historical context, the following content is anonymized rather than deleted:

• Forum posts and topics you created (username replaced with \"Deleted User\")
• Comments and replies in forum discussions
• Votes on forum content (disassociated from your identity)

Anonymized content cannot be traced back to you and does not contain any personal identifiable information.

Legal Retention Exceptions

We may retain certain data if required by law or for legitimate business purposes:

• Data subject to legal holds, investigations, or litigation
• Records necessary for fraud prevention and security
• Data in encrypted backups (automatically deleted after 90 days)

Children's Privacy

CanadaGPT is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

International Users

Our services are hosted in Canada and the United States (Google Cloud Platform). By using CanadaGPT, you consent to the transfer of your information to Canada and the United States. We comply with applicable Canadian privacy laws (PIPEDA) and provide protections equivalent to GDPR and CCPA standards.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

Legal Compliance

CanadaGPT complies with:

• Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) - Canada
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - European Union
• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) - United States