1. About this Policy

Canada Market Research recognizes the importance of privacy and is committed to maintaining the accuracy, confidentiality, and security of your personal information.  This privacy policy describes the personal information we collect, how we use that information and the circumstances under which we may disclose that information.  It also explains how you can verify the accuracy of the personal information we may have about you, how you may correct any inaccuracies in that information, and how you may withdraw your consent to our use of your personal information at any time.

As this policy is subject to change from time to time, we encourage you to periodically check our website or email us at info@canadamarketresearch.com for updates to this policy.

 

2. Regulatory Compliance

We comply with all applicable Canadian, U.S. and E.U. privacy laws and regulations.  In Canada, we comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”) and regulations and, where applicable, its substantially similar provincial laws and regulations.   In the U.S., we comply with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and regulations, where applicable.  We also comply with the European Economic Community’s General Data Protection Regulation with respect to any personal data we may control or process with respect to EU residents (see the “For EU Residents” section below for details).

We comply with all applicable requirements of Canada’s Anti-Spam Law (“CASL”) and regulations, and any similar laws that may apply with respect to commercial electronic messages.

 

3. What is Personal Information?

This privacy policy describes our practices with respect to your personal information.  “Personal information” is any information about an individual who is identifiable by our use of that information or other information available to us.  In some jurisdictions, personal information is described as “personally identifiable information” or as “personal data”.  In this policy, all such information is identified as “personal information”.

Personal information includes information such as the age, ethnic origin, opinions, evaluations, comments and medical history of identifiable individuals.

Applicable privacy laws and regulations exclude certain information from the scope of personal information.  Any such excluded information is excluded from the term “personal information” under this privacy policy, but only as provided by applicable law for purposes of the applicable jurisdiction.  For example, under PIPEDA, an individual’s business contact information may be excluded in certain circumstances, and certain publicly available information, such as telephone directory listings, may also not considered to be personal information.

 

4. What Personal Information does Canada Market Research collect?

a) Survey, Panel and Enrollment Information

We collect personal information directly from individuals who participate in our surveys, panels and the related enrollment procedures.  This information may include, without limitation, the individuals’ contact information, such as their name, address, telephone number and e-mail address.  It may also include their preferences for participation in our research activities.

In our research surveys and panels and related enrollment activities, we may collect demographic and business information about participants, including without limitation their age, gender, sexual orientation, occupation, employment status, income, racial or ethnic origin, family composition and language preferences.

We may also collect sensitive personal information directly from research survey and panel participants and applicants, such as their financial information, health history and conditions and treatment information.  We protect this information with safeguards and practices that are suitable given the sensitivity of the personal information.  We only collect sensitive personal information with the express consent of the individual.

Where it is practical to do so, we collect personal information directly from the individual it is about.  We may receive personal information from our clients for purposes of conducting surveys and research panels for them.  Where this is the case, we ensure the client confirms that it has received the consent of all affected individuals to use their personal information for the purposes for which our client has retained us.

 b) Other Personal Information Collected Through Our Websites

Our websites may automatically record some general information about your visit which we use to help make sure our sites are more useful to visitors.   This might include: information on your Internet service provider, IP address of the computer accessing the website, the type of browser you are using, the type of operating system you are using, the date and time of your visit, the pages that you visit on our site and the address of the previous website you were visiting if you linked to us from another website.

Our websites use “cookies” that identify you as a return visitor and which can help us tailor information provided during your use of our websites to suit your individual preferences. A cookie is a piece of data that a website can send to your browser, which may then store the cookie on your hard drive. The goal is to save you time and provide you with a more meaningful visit and to measure website activity. Cookies do not contain any personally identifying information. Many browsers, however, allow you to disable cookie collection if you wish, or inform you when a cookie is being stored on your hard drive.

We do not participate in online third-party behavioral tracking.

 

5. How does Canada Market Research Use Your Personal Information?

Canada Marketing Research uses the personal information we collect about individuals for the following purposes:

  • to determine the individuals’ suitability for market and social research opportunities and related incentives and promotions;
  • to help ensure the demographic profiles of individuals who participate in our surveys and panels accurately reflect the target population that we are trying to approximate;
  • to contact the individuals regarding market and social research opportunities, as well as to send them incentive rewards and prizes;
  • to offer, conduct and manage survey and panel research with them;
  • to offer, conduct and manage incentives programs and promotions with them;
  • to send them information regarding their participation in our surveys, panels, incentive programs and promotions;
  • as required by law;
  • to update and to ensure the accuracy of their personal information and other information that is in our possession or control;
  • to provide them information about us and our products and services;
  • as they may otherwise specifically agree.

 

6. To Whom Do We Disclose Your Personal Information?

We may share your personal information only with:

  • employees who require such information to establish, manage and maintain our relationship with you;
  • third party service providers whom we engage to provide support services to us. These third-party providers only have access to personal information that is needed to perform their services and may not use it for any other purpose. They are bound by agreements that obligate them to protect your personal information;
  • our clients to determine your suitability for participation in a survey, panel or promotion and, in some cases, for them to contact you for these purposes;
  • the public, where you are the winner of a prize through one of our promotions and the prize winners are announced publicly, in accordance with the promotions’ terms and conditions accepted by you;
  • to purchasers or potential purchasers of all or substantially all of our business, in compliance with applicable law; and
  • where required by law or by order or requirement of a court, administrative agency or other governmental tribunal, or where otherwise permitted by law.

 

7. Consent

We only use your personal information for the purposes for which it was collected and with your consent.  If your personal information will be used or disclosed in any manner other than as outlined in this Privacy Policy, we will advise you of these new purposes and obtain your consent before such use or disclosure.

Where it is practical to do so, we obtain your consent to our collection, use and disclosure of your personal information directly from you.  We may also collect your consent to contact you for survey, research or promotions purposes from our clients who retain us to contact you for this purpose.

When we collect your express consent, it may be provided in writing or orally.  For example, you may provide your express written consent by signing a form or by checking a box on our websites.

We contact individuals to participate in our surveys, research and promotions only where they have expressly consented to being contacted for this purpose.  Such consents may be provided by the individuals directly to us or to our client.

Where suitable and permitted by law, your provision of personal information to us means that you agree and consent that we may collect, use and disclose that personal information in accordance with this privacy policy.  If you do not agree with these terms, please do not provide your personal information to us.  Failure to provide your personal information to us may prevent us from offering you the services you have requested.

 

8. Withdrawing Your Consent

You may withdraw your consent to our collection, use or disclosure of your personal information at any time.

If you do not wish us to collect, use or disclose your personal information in any manner, or if you do not want to receive any marketing or survey materials or telephone calls from us, you can contact us at info@canadamarketresearch.com, or at Canada Market Research, 84 Castlewood Road, Toronto, Ontario, M5N 2L4.

To opt-out of receiving promotional electronic messages from us, you may click on the “unsubscribe” button we provide in all such communications.

You may also opt-out from receiving promotional or survey-related telephone communications from us by registering your telephone number with the federal Do Not Call Registry in the U.S. or the Canadian Radio-television and Television Commission’s National Do Not Call List (National DNCL) in Canada. You can register for the federal Do Not Call Registry by visiting www.donotcall.gov. You can register for the National Do Not Call List by visiting www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/index-eng.

 

9. Safeguarding Personal Information

We take reasonable measures to ensure the personal information we collect is kept safe from loss or theft, unauthorized access, use, copying, disclosure or modification.  These safeguards include physical, administrative and technical measures that are suitable to the sensitivity of the personal information being protected.  Only our employees and service providers who need access to your personal information in order to perform their duties are authorized to have access to your personal information.  We strive to prevent electronic intrusion by using firewall technology and, where we consider it necessary, encryption.

 

10. Accuracy of Personal Information

We take reasonable steps to ensure the personal information we collect is accurate, complete and current as required for the purposes for which the information is collected.  You have the right to view and update your personal information or ask us to delete it at any time.  Simply send your detailed request to us at info@canadamarketresearch.com

 

11. Retention of Personal Information

We retain personal information only as long as it is required for the reasons it was collected for. The length of time we retain information varies, depending on the purpose and the nature of the information. When your personal information is no longer required for these purposes, the information is either physically destroyed or deleted.

 

12. Minors

We do not knowingly collect personal information about individuals under the age of 16 without the consent of their parent or guardian.  If we become aware that we have collected personal information from such an individual without the consent of his or her parent or guardian, we will use all reasonable efforts to promptly delete such information from our database.

 

13. International Data Transfers

We handle all personal information collected by us in Canada.  However, in working with our service providers and clients, your personal information may be accessible in, or transferred to, a foreign jurisdiction. Such information may be provided to law enforcement or national security authorities of that jurisdiction in order to comply with foreign laws.

 

14. For Residents of the European Economic Area (“EEA”)

Without limitation to the other provisions of this Privacy Policy, if you are a resident of the EEA you have the following rights under applicable law in relation to our processing of your personal information:

  • The right to access and inspect your personal information or to be provided with a permanent copy of the information being held about you;
  • The right to request the correction of any inaccuracies in your personal information or where the accuracy of information is disputed, to add additional information to give notice that you dispute the accuracy of the information content;
  • The right to request the erasure of your personal information, particularly where the continued processing of the information is no longer necessary;
  • The right to object to the processing of your personal information, particularly where there are no longer sufficient legitimate grounds for us to continue processing the information;
  • The right to restrict processing, data portability and the right to appeal any automated decision making or profiling; and
  • The right to complain to a Data Protection Regulator about our processing of your personal information;

It is important to note that the rights set out above are not unconditional and the specific circumstances of the processing being undertaken by us will determine if these rights may be exercised.  Further information concerning these rights and their application can be obtained by contacting us at the address provided below.

If you are a resident of the EEA, our legal basis for collecting and using the personal information described in this privacy policy will depend on the personal information concerned and the specific context in which we collect it.

However, we will normally collect personal information from you where the processing is in our legitimate commercial interests which are not overridden by your protection interests or fundamental rights and freedoms.  Typically, our legitimate interests include: improving, providing and enhancing our technology and services, facilitating our security safeguards, conducting marketing activity and defending legal claims.

If you sign up for our services on your own behalf, we may need your personal information to perform a contract with you.  In some limited cases, we may be under a legal obligation to collect, use or disclose your personal information, such as disclosure required by court order.

Where we rely specifically on express consent to collect and process your personal information, you are not obliged to provide your consent and you may subsequently withdraw your consent once it has been provided.  It should be noted however that this may limit your experience with our resources and services.

If you have any questions about or need further information concerning the legal basis on which we collect and use your personal information, please contact us at the address provided below.

 

15. Inquiries and Requests for Access

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or our privacy practices, or if you would like to access your personal information, please contact us.  Please note that as we cannot guarantee the security of Internet mail, we encourage you to send all formal requests to access personal information to us by mail or courier at:

Canada Market Research, 84 Castlewood Road,

Toronto, Ontario, M5N 2L4.

However if you choose, you may contact us by email at:

info@canadamarketresearch.com.

Please note that a fee may apply in processing access requests depending on the type and volume of information requested.

Privacy Policy as of September 12, 2018

© Canada Marketing Research 2018.  All rights reserved.