Privacy Policy

🛡️ Bottom line: We don't sell your data. We're committed to protecting your privacy under Canadian and international law.

Legal Compliance

This policy complies with:

• PIPEDA - Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (Canada)
• CASL - Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation
• GDPR - General Data Protection Regulation (EU/EEA users)
• CCPA - California Consumer Privacy Act (where applicable)

Introduction

Central Alberta Markets ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our farmers market app and website located at centralalbertamarkets.com.

This website is operated from Alberta, Canada. By using our services, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your information in accordance with this policy.

Information We Collect

Account Information

• Email address and name when you register
• Password (encrypted with bcrypt, never stored in plain text)
• Username (visible to other users)
• Subscription status for premium features
• Vendor application details (if you apply)

Location Data

• Used to show nearby farmers markets
• Optional - you can disable location in your device settings
• We never share your precise location with third parties

Usage Information

• App opens and feature usage (for improving the app)
• Error logs (to fix bugs and issues)
• Preferences and settings you choose

Chat Messages

• Messages you send through our live chat feature
• Your display name and message content
• Messages are stored to enable community interaction

Payment Processing - Stripe

We use Stripe for all payment processing. When you subscribe to our premium service:

• We never store your credit card details on our servers
• All payment information is handled directly by Stripe
• Stripe is PCI-DSS compliant (industry standard for payment security)
• We only receive confirmation that payment was successful
• Your payment history is stored by Stripe, not by us

Your payment data is 100% handled by Stripe. We never see your card details.

How We Use Your Information

• Provide and maintain our app services
• Send you market alerts and updates (only if you opt in, per CASL)
• Process subscription payments
• Improve our app based on usage patterns
• Respond to your support requests
• Enforce our Terms of Use and Community Guidelines

Data Sharing - We Don't Sell Data

We never sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties.

We may share information only in these limited cases:

• Service providers: Stripe (payments), hosting providers (infrastructure), email services
• Legal requirements: If required by law, court order, or to protect our rights
• Business transfer: If we're acquired, your data may transfer to the new owner (with notice)
• With your consent: Any other sharing will require your explicit permission

Data Security

• All data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS/TLS 1.2+) on all pages
• Passwords are hashed with bcrypt (cost factor 12), never stored in plain text
• Access to user data is restricted to authorized personnel only
• Regular security updates and monitoring
• Secure session management with token-based authentication
• Rate limiting to prevent brute force attacks

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to provide our services:

• Account data: Retained until account deletion, plus 90 days for legal compliance
• Chat messages: Retained for 12 months, then automatically deleted
• Subscription records: Retained for 7 years per financial regulations
• Server logs: Retained for 90 days for security monitoring

Your Rights Under PIPEDA (Canada)

Under Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal information
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate information
• Withdraw Consent: Opt out of marketing emails at any time (CASL)
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and data
• Export: Request a copy of your data in a portable format (JSON)
• Challenge: Challenge our compliance with PIPEDA

To exercise any of these rights, email us at centralalbertaafterdarkads@gmail.com

GDPR Rights (EU/EEA Users)

If you are located in the European Union or European Economic Area, you have additional rights under GDPR:

• Right to be informed: This privacy policy explains how we use your data
• Right of access: Request your personal data in a portable format
• Right to rectification: Correct inaccurate personal data
• Right to erasure: Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to restrict processing: Limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability: Receive your data in a structured format
• Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Rights related to automated decision-making: Not subject to automated decision-making

For GDPR requests, contact centralalbertaafterdarkads@gmail.com. We respond to all requests within 30 days.

Data Controller: Central Alberta Markets, Alberta, Canada

Cookies

Our website uses minimal cookies for:

• Keeping you logged in (essential)
• Remembering your preferences (essential)
• Essential site functionality (essential)

We use a cookie consent banner to obtain your preferences. You can change your cookie preferences at any time through your browser settings or by contacting us.

For full details, see our Cookie Policy.

Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will:

• Notify you within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach
• Describe the nature of the breach and what data was affected
• Explain what we are doing to address the breach
• Provide recommendations to protect yourself
• Report to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) as required
• For EU users: Report to relevant supervisory authority within 72 hours

Breach Notification Contact: centralalbertaafterdarkads@gmail.com

Children's Privacy

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

Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including our partner site CentralAlbertaAfterDark.com. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. For significant changes, we will provide additional notice via email or through the website.

Contact Us

Questions about this privacy policy or wish to exercise your rights? We're here to help!

centralalbertaafterdarkads@gmail.com

We respond to privacy inquiries within 30 days.

Privacy Officer: Central Alberta Markets, Alberta, Canada

For PIPEDA complaints, you may also contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada:
www.priv.gc.ca/ops