Artisan Dough Academy ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of our students, website visitors, and customers. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you visit our website, enroll in our courses, or otherwise interact with our services. This policy is designed to comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable Canadian provincial privacy legislation.
By using our website and services, you consent to the collection and use of your personal information as described in this policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this policy, please do not access the site or use our services.
1. Information We Collect
1.1 Personal Information You Provide
We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:
- Create an account: full name, email address, and password.
- Purchase a course: billing address, payment card details (processed securely through our third-party payment processor — we do not store full credit card numbers), and transaction history.
- Contact us: name, email address, subject of inquiry, and the content of your message.
- Subscribe to newsletters: email address and communication preferences.
- Participate in community features: comments, forum posts, and course reviews.
1.2 Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our website, certain information is collected automatically through cookies and similar tracking technologies, including:
- IP address and approximate geographic location
- Browser type, version, and operating system
- Pages visited, time spent on pages, and navigation patterns
- Referring website or source that directed you to our site
- Device type (desktop, tablet, mobile) and screen resolution
1.3 Information from Third Parties
We may receive information about you from third-party payment processors (confirmation of successful transactions) and analytics providers (aggregated usage data). We do not purchase personal data from data brokers.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the personal information we collect for the following purposes:
- To provide our services: processing enrollments, granting course access, delivering content, and issuing certificates of completion.
- To communicate with you: responding to inquiries, sending enrollment confirmations, course updates, and important account notifications.
- To process payments: facilitating secure transactions through our payment processor.
- To improve our platform: analyzing usage patterns to enhance course content, website functionality, and user experience.
- To send marketing communications: with your explicit consent, sending newsletters, promotional offers, and course recommendations. You may opt out at any time.
- To ensure security: detecting and preventing fraud, unauthorized access, and other security threats.
- To comply with legal obligations: fulfilling tax reporting, regulatory, and legal requirements under Canadian law.
3. Legal Basis for Processing (PIPEDA Principles)
Under PIPEDA, we process your personal information based on one or more of the following principles:
- Consent: We obtain your meaningful consent before collecting, using, or disclosing your personal information. You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions.
- Contractual necessity: Processing necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations to you (e.g., providing access to purchased courses).
- Legitimate purposes: We only collect personal information for purposes that a reasonable person would consider appropriate in the circumstances.
4. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:
- Payment processors: We share necessary transaction information with our payment processor to complete purchases securely.
- Service providers: We may engage trusted third-party service providers (email delivery, hosting, analytics) who process data on our behalf under strict confidentiality agreements.
- Legal requirements: We may disclose your information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request.
- Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction, with prior notification.
5. Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Specifically:
- Account information: retained for the duration of your account and for 2 years after account deletion.
- Transaction records: retained for 7 years to comply with Canadian tax reporting requirements.
- Communication records: retained for 2 years after the last interaction.
- Analytics data: retained in aggregated, anonymized form indefinitely.
6. Your Rights Under PIPEDA
As a Canadian resident, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:
- Right of access: You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Right to correction: You may request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
- Right to withdraw consent: You may withdraw your consent for certain processing activities at any time.
- Right to complain: You have the right to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@artisandoughacademy.ca. We will respond to your request within 30 days.
7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience. For detailed information about the types of cookies we use and how to manage them, please refer to our Cookie Policy.
8. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:
- SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our servers
- Encrypted storage of sensitive data at rest
- Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
- Access controls limiting employee access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
- Secure payment processing through PCI DSS-compliant third-party providers
While we strive to protect your personal information, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.
9. Children's Privacy
Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 16, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.
10. International Data Transfers
Your personal information is stored and processed in Canada. If we transfer data to service providers located outside of Canada, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with PIPEDA requirements.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will post the updated policy on this page with a revised "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Material changes will be communicated via email to registered users.
12. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact our Privacy Officer:
Artisan Dough Academy — Privacy Officer
Email: privacy@artisandoughacademy.ca
Phone: +1 (416) 555-0192
Address: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
You may also contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at 1-800-282-1376 or visit their website for more information about your privacy rights under PIPEDA.