Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Rate My RCIC, operated at ratemyrcic.ca, is a platform dedicated to providing transparency in the Canadian immigration consulting industry. We are committed to protecting the privacy of our users while maintaining a helpful community resource.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information to provide and improve our services. This includes:

• Account Information: Your email address and chosen display name when you register.
• Reviews: The content of your reviews, ratings, and timestamps of your posts.
• Technical Data: IP addresses, browser types, and pages visited for security and analytics purposes.
• Cookies: We use session cookies to keep you logged in and manage your authentication.

3. How We Use Information

Your information is used to:

• Operate and maintain the review platform.
• Send our newsletter, but only if you have given explicit consent.
• Improve platform functionality and user experience.
• Detect and prevent fraud, spam, or abuse of the system.

4. Information Sharing

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We may share information with:

• Service Providers: Trusted partners who help us with hosting and email delivery.
• Legal Requirements: Law enforcement or regulatory bodies if we are legally required to do so.

5. CASL Compliance

In accordance with the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL):

• Newsletter emails are only sent to users who have explicitly opted in.
• Every commercial email we send includes a clear unsubscribe link.
• All commercial electronic messages are clearly identified as coming from Rate My RCIC.

6. Data Retention

Account data is retained as long as your account is active. If you choose to delete your account, your reviews will remain on the platform to maintain the integrity of the database, but they will be attributed to a "Deleted User" and all personal identifiers will be removed. You may request a full data export or complete deletion of your personal information at any time.

7. Your Rights (PIPEDA)

Under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), you have the:

• Right to access the personal information we hold about you.
• Right to request the correction of inaccurate information.
• Right to withdraw consent for marketing communications.
• Right to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you feel your rights have been violated.

8. Security

We use industry-standard security measures to protect your data, including HTTPS encryption for all connections, hashed passwords, and secure database configurations.

9. Children

Rate My RCIC is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect information from children.

10. International Users

Our data is processed in Canada and is subject to Canadian privacy laws, which may differ from the laws in your country of residence.

11. Cookies

We use session cookies for authentication purposes. We do not currently use third-party tracking cookies for advertising.

12. Changes and Contact

We will notify you by email of any material changes to this policy. If you have questions regarding your privacy, please contact us at [email protected].