Privacy Policy - TrustNous.ca

TrustNous.ca ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application and website (collectively, the "Service"). We have reviewed our Privacy Policy against Quebec Bill 25 - "Loi sur la Protection des renseignements personnels dans le Secteur Privé" and against Bill 96- "Loi sur la langue officielle et commune du Québec, le français" to make sure our practices are in line. This document and the TrustNous application are available in French.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Personal Information You Provide

We collect information that you voluntarily provide when using our Service:

• Account Information: Name, email address, password
• Profile Information: Location (city/province), preferences
• User-Generated Content: Service provider recommendations, reviews, ratings, comments, photos of completed work
• Communication Data: Messages sent through our platform, customer support inquiries
• Payment Information: Payments will be processed by Apple. TrustNous doesn't have access to your payment information.

1.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you use our Service, we automatically collect certain information:

• Device Information: Device type, operating system, unique device identifiers, mobile network information
• Usage Data: Pages viewed, features used, time spent on the app, search queries, clicks, interaction data
• Location Data: Approximate location based on IP address; precise location if you grant permission (used to show nearby service providers)
• Log Data: IP address, browser type, access times, crash reports, error logs

1.3 Information from Third Parties

• Social Media (Future Development): If you connect your account via social media (e.g., Facebook, Google), we receive basic profile information
• Analytics Providers: We use third-party analytics services on our website (Google Analytics, Firebase Analytics) that may collect usage data

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

Purpose	Legal Basis
Provide and maintain the Service	Performance of contract
Create and manage your account	Performance of contract
Enable you to share recommendations and reviews	Performance of contract
Send notifications about your account and platform activity	Legitimate interest
Improve and personalize user experience	Legitimate interest
Analyze usage patterns and trends	Legitimate interest
Prevent fraud, abuse, and security issues	Legitimate interest / Legal obligation
Comply with legal obligations	Legal obligation
Send marketing communications (with consent)	Consent

3. How We Share Your Information

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

3.1 Public Information

The following information is publicly visible to other users:

• Your display name
• Your reviews, ratings, and recommendations
• Photos you upload of service provider work
• Your approximate location (region/province only, not precise address)
• Your display name will be seen as "added by you" on provider you recommended
• Your display name will be seen on Network Tree when people click on a member name and you were part of the invitation stream.
• Your display name, provider name and comments will be only seen by requester when you reply to their outstanding request.
• Important: Your email address is used for the initial invitation and is completely hidden from anyone using TrustNous afterward.

3.2 Service Providers and Business Partners

We share only required information with third-party service providers who assist us:

• Cloud Hosting: Amazon Web Services, Apple Cloud Platform
• Analytics: Apple Analytics
• Push Notifications: Apple Push Notification Service (APNS), iCloud Messaging
• Payment Processing: Payments are processed by Apple (if applicable)

3.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to:

• Court orders, subpoenas, or legal processes
• Government or regulatory requests
• Protection of our rights, property, or safety
• Investigation of fraud, security issues, or Terms of Service violations

3.4 Business Transfers

If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred. We will notify you of any such change.

3.5 With Your Consent

We may share your information for any other purpose with your explicit consent.

4. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide the Service and fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy:

• Active Accounts: We retain your data while your account is active
• Deleted Accounts: You may delete your account within the Profile menu option. Your name will be replaced with "Member left" throughout the application to keep the platform integrity of the application.
• Legal Obligations: We may retain certain data longer if required by law (e.g., financial records for 7 years)
• Public Content: Reviews and recommendations you've posted may remain visible (anonymized) even after account deletion to maintain platform integrity

5. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

5.1 All Users

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Deletion: You will see a self-serve option under your Profile. Your name will be replaced by "Member Left" throughout the application.
• Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from marketing emails (link provided in all marketing emails)
• Data Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format

5.2 California Residents (CCPA)

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act:

• Right to know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold
• Right to delete personal information (subject to certain exceptions)
• Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do NOT sell your data)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising CCPA rights

5.3 European Users (GDPR)

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

• Right to object to processing
• Right to restriction of processing
• Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority
• Right to withdraw consent at any time

5.4 Canadian Residents (PIPEDA)

Canadian residents can file complaints with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if they believe their privacy rights have been violated.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 13.

6. Children's Privacy

Our Service is NOT intended for children under the age of 13 (or 16 in the European Economic Area). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under these ages.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately. We will take steps to delete such information from our systems.

7. Security of Your Information

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your information:

• Encryption of data in transit (TLS/SSL)
• Encryption of sensitive data at rest
• Access controls and authentication requirements
• Employee training on data protection
• Incident response procedures

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Third-Party Links and Services

Our Service may contain links to third-party websites, apps, or services that are not operated by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you access through our platform.

11. Push Notifications

With your consent, we may send push notifications to your mobile device regarding:

• New recommendations from friends
• Responses to your reviews
• Account activity
• Platform updates and features

You can disable push notifications at any time through your device settings.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make changes:

• We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• For material changes, we will notify you via email or in-app notification
• Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

13. Contact Us