Website Privacy Policy

Effective date: June 24, 2024

Acuity Partners Inc. (“Acuity”) and its affiliates (collectively, “us”, “we”, or “our”) are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) explains how we collect, use, disclose and protect the Personal Information (as defined below) of our customers and users. It applies to all Personal Information collected by us on any website or mobile application that links to this Policy (collectively, the “Acuity Sites”).

By using the Acuity Sites, you agree to the collection, use, and disclosure of Personal Information in accordance with this Policy. 

1. Definitions

“Cookies” are small web files that a site or its provider transfers to your device’s hard drive through your web browser that enables the site’s or provider’s system to recognize your browser and remember certain information.

“Personal Information” means information about an identified or identifiable individual.

“User” is the individual using the Acuity Sites. 

“You” refers to the person or entity browsing, accessing, or otherwise using the Acuity Sites.

2. Collection of Personal Information

When you use the Acuity Sites, we may collect or receive Personal Information to enable better performance of the Acuity Sites. The types of Personal Information that we may collect about you are:

a) Information You Provide to Us Directly

You may provide your Personal Information to us when you use the Acuity Sites, including when you use the Acuity Sites, contact us with inquiries, or otherwise access the Acuity Sites. This information may include your contact information, such as your first and last name, location, phone number, and email address. 

b) Information Received From You as Part of Your Communications

When you use the Acuity Sites, complete electronic forms, communicate with us or contact us by email, we may automatically collect and store certain information about you and the activity you engaged in, for example: your name and contact information; information that you voluntarily provide to us; the nature of your communication; the purpose of the interaction, and the action we took in response to your inquiry or request.

c) Information Collected Automatically

We may receive and store certain information about you and your device(s) automatically when you access or use the Acuity Sites. This information may include:

• Technical Information – We collect technical information associated with your activity on the Acuity Sites and may include information related to your browser and operating system, IP address (the internet address of your computer) unique device identifiers, and other information such as your device type. We use such information for diagnostic and statistical purposes and to administer the Acuity Sites. 
• Site Usage Information – We collect information to better understand customer traffic patterns and Acuity Sites usage. This may include the webpage that you were visiting before accessing the Acuity Site or mobile application, the pages or features of the Acuity Site you browsed to inform us which part of the Acuity Sites you visit and how much time you spend there. This information is used to analyze and improve the Acuity Sites and to provide our customers with a better user experience.
• Site Preferences – We collect information about your preferences to make your use of the Acuity Sites more productive through the use of Cookies.

3. Use of Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies 

We use Cookies and similar technologies to collect information and personalize your experience with the Acuity Sites. 

a) Cookies

How We Use Cookies – We use first-party and third-party Cookies for the following purposes:

1. to recognize you when you return to the Acuity Sites and to remember information you have already provided and your preferences;
2. to collect information about your activities over time and across third party websites or other online services in order to deliver content and advertising tailored to your interests; and
3. to provide a secure browsing experience during your use of the Acuity Sites.

How to Manage Cookies – You may disable the use of Cookies by modifying your browser settings. If you choose to disable Cookies you may not be able to fully experience the interactive features of the Acuity Sites. 

b) Online Analytics 

We use Google Analytics to collect information about the use of the Acuity Sites. Google Analytics collects information from users such as IP address, age, gender, interests, demographics, how often they visit our website, what pages they visit, and what other websites they have used before coming to our website. We use the information we get from Google Analytics to analyze traffic, and to improve our website. Although Google Analytics plants a permanent cookie on your web browser to identify you as a unique user the next time you visit our website, the cookie cannot be used by anyone but Google. Google also uses specific identifiers to help collect information about the use of our website. For more information on how Google collects and processes your data, visit https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/

You can prevent Google Analytics from using your information by opting out at this link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

4. Use of Your Personal Information

We may use the information we collect or receive about you for various purposes.

a) For Account and Network Security Purposes

We care about keeping you secure and safe while using the Acuity Sites. Keeping you safe requires us to process your Personal Information, such as your device information, activity information and other relevant information. We use such information to combat spam, malware, malicious activities or security risks; improve and enforce our security measures; and to monitor and verify your identity so that unauthorized users do not gain access to your information. 

b) To Maintain Legal and Regulatory Compliance

The Acuity Sites are subject to certain laws and regulations which may require us to process your Personal Information. For example, we process your information to fulfill our business obligations, or as necessary to manage risk as required under applicable law.

c) To Protect You, Others, and Our Business

We use your information to protect you, others, and our business, including, without limitation, using information for fraud prevention, for enforcement of our Terms of Use, to comply with the law, and to protect against security risks.

d) For Our Business Purposes

We may use your information for any other purpose disclosed to you at the time we collect or receive the information, or otherwise with your consent.

5. Sharing of Personal Information with Third Parties

Your Personal Information is not shared with third parties without your permission, except as described below.

a) Service Providers

We may share your information with our third-party service providers for certain business purposes. This information is provided in order for them to provide us services such as web analytics, data processing, IT services, and other services. These third-party service providers have access to your Personal Information solely for the purpose of performing services on our behalf and are expressly obligated not to disclose or use your Personal Information for any other purpose.

b) When Required by Law

We may be required to disclose your information to third parties including law enforcement agencies when required to protect and defend our legal rights, protect the security of users of the Acuity Sites, prevent fraud, comply with the law, respond to legal process, or a request for cooperation by a government entity. 

c) Corporate Transactions

In the event of a sale, transfer, amalgamation, merger, reorganization, dissolution, or similar event we may transfer your information to one or more third parties as part of that transaction.

d) With Your Consent

We also may share or disclose your information with your consent or at your direction.

6. Security of Personal Information

We have implemented organizational, technological, and physical security controls that are designed to safeguard Personal Information. However, no online activity is ever fully secure or error-free. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee that your Personal Information is absolutely secure. Please keep this in mind when disclosing any information to us.

Please recognize that protecting your Personal Information is also your responsibility. We urge you to take every precaution to protect your information when you are on the Internet, or when you communicate with us and with others through the Internet. 

7. Retention

We will retain and use your Personal Information to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if we are required to retain your data to comply with applicable laws), resolve disputes, and enforce our legal agreements and policies.

We will also retain platform traffic Usage Data for internal analysis purposes. Usage Data is generally retained for a shorter period of time, except when this data is used to strengthen the security or to improve the functionality of the Acuity Sites, or we are legally obligated to retain this data for longer time periods.

8. Your Rights

Acuity aims to take reasonable steps to allow you to correct, amend, delete, or limit the use of your Personal Information. To make a request to correct, amend, delete or further limit the use of your Personal Data, please contact our Privacy Officer at privacy@acuitypartners.ca.  

You also have the right to data portability, which includes the right to request that computerized personal information be communicated in written, intelligible transcript request that collected personal information be communicated to you in a structured, commonly used format. 

a) Your Rights

Depending on where you reside and legal limitations, applicable laws in your jurisdiction may grant you the right to make certain privacy requests. Even if you do not live in one of these jurisdictions, we allow you to make the same requests, and we will take reasonable steps to fulfill them.

To the extent we have collected your Personal Information, you may make a request by contacting us to:

• Know. You may request a copy of the personal information we have collected about you.
• Delete. You may request that we delete the personal information we have collected about you.
• Correct. You may request to have inaccurate information about you corrected.

Your right to know and right to deletion are not absolute and are subject to certain exceptions. For example, we cannot disclose specific pieces of Personal Information if the disclosure would create a substantial, articulable, and unreasonable risk to the security of the Personal Information.

9. Transfer of Personal Information

Acuity is based in Canada and, regardless of where you use the Acuity Sites, the information collected as part of that use will be transferred to and maintained on servers located in Canada, the United States and other countries which means we may transfer your personal information to or store or access it in jurisdictions that may not provide levels of data protection that are equivalent to those of your home jurisdiction. 

Any information we obtain about you will be stored in accordance with applicable privacy laws, regulations, and standards, which may not be equivalent to the laws in your country of residence. By using the Acuity Sites, you consent to this collection, transfer, storage, and processing of information in Canada, the United States and other countries. 

Acuity will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable law, such as by obtaining your consent, setting up contractual obligations with our service providers and third parties.

10. Third-Party Sites

Some of the functionality may be provided by third parties and the Acuity Sites may link to other third-party websites that are not controlled by Acuity. These third parties are not under our control and Acuity is not responsible for their privacy policies or practices. If you provide any Personal Information to any third party or through any such third-party website, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the privacy policies and practices of that third party. 

11. “Do Not Track” Signals

We do not support Do Not Track (“DNT”). DNT is a preference you can set in your web browser to inform websites that you do not want to be tracked.

You can enable or disable DNT by visiting the Preferences or Settings page of your web browser.

12. Changes To This Privacy Policy

We may update our Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Policy on this page.

We will let you know via email and/or a prominent notice on the Acuity Sites, prior to the change becoming effective and update the “effective date” at the top of this Policy.

You are advised to review this Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns relating to this Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us.