Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Account and authentication information

When you create an account or sign in, we collect:

1. Name and email address (via email sign-in or Google Sign-In)
2. Profile image (provided by Google if you use Google Sign-In, or set by you)
3. A unique user identifier and session token maintained by our authentication system

Information you provide voluntarily

We may collect information you submit through forms on the Platform, including:

1. Name, email address, and phone number (contact, partnership, and booking forms)
2. Organization name and message content (partnership and contact forms)
3. Event listings, venue descriptions, images, and other content you upload or submit

Automatically collected information

We and our third-party service providers automatically collect:

1. IP address, browser type and version, and device type
2. Pages visited, interactions with the Platform, and usage patterns (via analytics tools)
3. Error and performance data to diagnose and fix technical issues (via error monitoring)

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

1. Provide, maintain, and improve the Platform and its features
2. Authenticate your account and maintain your session
3. Send you occasional marketing emails (newsletters, offers, updates) where you have provided your email address through account creation. You are notified of this at sign-up and can manage your email preferences or opt out at any time through your account notification settings.
4. Respond to your inquiries submitted through contact or support forms
5. Process partnership and sponsorship requests submitted through the Platform
6. Analyse Platform usage to understand how users interact with features and to improve user experience
7. Detect and prevent spam, abuse, and fraudulent activity (via anti-spam verification)
8. Fulfil any billing or subscription obligations where applicable (via Stripe)

3. Third-Party Services and Integrations

We use the following third-party services to operate the Platform. Each service may collect or process data as described below. We encourage you to review each provider's privacy policy directly.

1. Google Sign-In (Google LLC) — If you choose to sign in with Google, Google shares your name, email address, and profile image with us. Your use of Google Sign-In is subject to Google's Privacy Policy.
2. Brevo (Sendinblue SAS) — We use Brevo to send transactional emails (such as sign-in links) and to manage our mailing list. When you create an account, your email address and name are stored in Brevo. You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link in any such email.
3. Google Tag Manager / Google Analytics (Google LLC) — We use Google Tag Manager to manage analytics tags. This may result in usage data being collected by Google. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking via Google's opt-out tools.
4. Vercel Analytics — We use Vercel's privacy-focused analytics to understand aggregate usage patterns. Vercel Analytics does not use cookies or collect personally identifiable information.
5. Sentry (Functional Software, Inc.) — We use Sentry for error monitoring and performance diagnostics. Sentry may collect technical information about errors, including browser environment details and, in some cases, partial request data.
6. Stripe (Stripe, Inc.) — We use Stripe to process payments and manage billing where applicable. Payment card information is collected directly by Stripe and is not stored on our servers.
7. Mapbox (Mapbox, Inc.) — We use Mapbox to render interactive maps on the Platform. Mapbox may collect IP address and usage data in accordance with its privacy policy.
8. Cloudflare Turnstile (Cloudflare, Inc.) — We use Cloudflare Turnstile on our contact and partnership forms to verify that submissions are not automated. This may involve the collection of limited browser and network signals by Cloudflare.
9. Crisp Chat (Crisp IM SARL) — We use Crisp to provide live chat support on the Platform. If you interact with our chat widget, your messages and any contact information you provide will be accessible to our support team and stored by Crisp.
10. Vercel Blob (Vercel, Inc.) — Images and files uploaded to the Platform are stored using Vercel Blob, a cloud storage service. Uploaded files may be publicly accessible by URL depending on the context of the upload.

Some of the above providers process or store personal information outside Canada, including in the United States and the European Union. By using the Platform, you consent to your personal information being transferred to and processed in these jurisdictions. We take reasonable steps to ensure our service providers protect personal information consistently with this policy and applicable Canadian privacy law. However, the laws governing data protection in those jurisdictions may differ from Canadian law, and personal information transferred abroad may be subject to access by foreign authorities.

4. Cookies and Session Storage

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

1. Maintain your authenticated session (session cookies set by our authentication system)
2. Store your preferences such as colour mode (light/dark)
3. Support analytics and usage tracking through third-party services (see Section 3)
4. Enable anti-spam verification on forms (Cloudflare Turnstile)

We do not use cookies to serve advertising or sell your data to advertisers. Most browsers allow you to control or delete cookies through your browser settings.

5. Sharing Your Information

YYC Buzz does not sell or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

1. Service providers: We share information with third-party service providers that operate under our instruction to deliver the Platform's functionality (as described in Section 3). These providers are bound by their own privacy policies and applicable law.
2. Venues and event organizers: If you explicitly follow, save, or subscribe to a venue or event on the Platform, we may share aggregated engagement data with that venue. We do not share your personal contact details with venues without your explicit consent.
3. Legal obligations: We may disclose personal information when required by law, court order, or governmental request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of YYC Buzz, its users, or the public.
4. Business transfers: If YYC Buzz is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will provide notice before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

6. Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alteration. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security and encourage you to use strong, unique passwords and to sign out of your account when using shared devices.

7. Third-Party Links

The Platform contains links to external websites, including venue websites, booking platforms, and social media pages. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those external sites. Please review the privacy policies of any third-party website before providing personal information.

8. Children's Privacy

YYC Buzz is not directed at children under the age of 13 and does not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data without appropriate consent, please contact us immediately at contact@yyc.buzz and we will take steps to remove the information.

9. Accessing and Updating Your Information

You may request access to, or correction of, your personal information by contacting us at contact@yyc.buzz. We will respond to reasonable requests within 45 business days, as required under Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). We may extend this period where permitted by law, in which case we will notify you of the extension and the reason for it. Note that some information may be retained for legal, security, or operational reasons even after an account is closed.

10. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as your account is active and for a reasonable period thereafter, and in any case no longer than necessary for the purposes described in this policy. When personal information is no longer required, we take reasonable steps to destroy or anonymize it. Some information may be retained for longer periods where required by law or for legitimate purposes such as fraud prevention, legal compliance, or dispute resolution. Specific retention periods for each category of personal information should be reviewed by legal counsel — see the counsel review note below.

11. Changes to Our Privacy Policy

YYC Buzz may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will indicate changes by updating the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of the Platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at: contact@yyc.buzz