Privacy Policy of Cross-Econ

1. Scope and Related Agreements

This Privacy Policy applies to all users of the Cross-Econ platform, including individuals, nonprofit organizations, businesses, public sector entities, and advertisers, who access, browse, register for, or interact with the services and content provided by Cross-Econ.

This Policy governs the handling of all personal information collected through our platform, including but not limited to personal data submitted during registration, participation in community features (e.g., quizzes, comments, posts), and use of data visualization and AI tools. It also extends to any third-party applications, embedded content, and services integrated within our platform.

The use of the Cross-Econ platform is also governed by the following documents, which should be read in conjunction with this Privacy Policy:

• Terms of Service – outlining acceptable use and conditions of platform access.
• Advertiser Agreement – applicable to parties submitting advertisements or sponsored content.
• Community Guidelines – defining expectations for content submissions and user behavior.

By using the Cross-Econ platform, you acknowledge and accept this Privacy Policy and agree to be bound by its terms and any other applicable agreements.

2. Information We Collect

We collect various types of information depending on how users interact with our platform. This includes information actively provided by users, automatically collected data, and information obtained from third-party integrations.

From All Users:

• Full name – required for account creation and profile identification.
• Email address – used for authentication, communication, and notifications.
• Community/location – helps localize content and support community-based services.
• Posts, comments, and messages – includes all user-generated content submitted to the platform.
• Uploaded photos and content – including profile images and other multimedia content.
• Quiz responses and submissions – recorded for participation tracking, analytics, and engagement purposes.
• Subscription preferences – used to manage user opt-ins to newsletters and communications.
• Cookie and usage data – includes device identifiers, browser type, IP address, access times, and pages viewed.

From Organizations:

• Organization name and contact info – used to verify identity and create organizational profiles.
• Uploaded organizational data and reports – including articles, dashboards, statistics, and reports shared on the platform.
• Profile customization inputs – such as branding elements, color schemes, and embedded media.
• Role-based access data – information on staff with designated roles (e.g., admins, editors) and their permissions.
• Payment and donation information – includes transaction data when accepting payments or donations via Cross-Econ.

From Advertisers:

• Business contact and billing information – including names, addresses, and invoicing details.
• Submitted ad content – including textual and visual elements provided for advertising purposes.
• Ad performance metrics – such as impressions, click-through rates, and engagement tracking.
• Communication history – records of communication between advertisers and Cross-Econ.
• Business verification documents – to confirm advertiser legitimacy and compliance with applicable standards.

We may also collect anonymized or aggregated data for research, analytics, and operational improvement.

3. Legal Basis for Processing

We collect, use, and process your personal information in accordance with the following legal bases under Canadian privacy law:

• Consent: We obtain your consent before collecting, using, or disclosing your personal information, except where permitted or required by law. You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice.
• Contractual Necessity: When you register for an account, purchase a membership, submit data, or engage our services, we need to process certain personal data to fulfill our contractual obligations to you.
• Compliance with Legal Obligations: We may process your personal information when required by applicable laws and regulations, including obligations related to financial transactions, tax reporting, or responding to lawful requests by public authorities.
• Legitimate Interests: We may process your data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, including:
  • Improving and securing our services
  • Preventing fraud and misuse of our platform
  • Analyzing user interactions to enhance user experience
  • Ensuring appropriate data governance and accountability

We conduct balancing tests where necessary to ensure our legitimate interests do not override your fundamental rights and freedoms.

4. Purpose of Collection and Use

We collect and use personal information to deliver high-quality, customized services to our diverse user base. The purposes for which we collect and use information include:

• Account setup and administration – to register users, create profiles, and manage account preferences.
• Platform functionality – to enable interactive features such as posting, commenting, messaging, participating in quizzes, and sharing community content.
• Membership and donation management – to facilitate individual payments for memberships, donations to organizations, and issuing digital badges or exclusive content access.
• Data visualization and analysis tools – to support users and organizations in building, embedding, and sharing dashboards and insights using uploaded or publicly available datasets.
• Artificial intelligence services – to power our AI agents that assist users in customizing their content, processing their data, and generating meaningful reports and articles.
• Advertising services – to manage advertisement submissions, performance analytics, targeting, and compliance with platform policies.
• Communication – to send users important updates, notifications, service announcements, and promotional content (where consent is given).
• User support and service improvements – to respond to inquiries, troubleshoot issues, and monitor usage patterns for ongoing platform enhancements.
• Legal and regulatory compliance – to ensure conformity with Canadian privacy laws, anti-spam legislation (CASL), tax obligations, and industry standards.
• Security and fraud prevention – to maintain the integrity of our platform and protect against unauthorized access, misuse, or illegal activity.
• Research and innovation – to conduct anonymized data analysis and improve our products, services, and user experience, including training of machine learning models with appropriate consent and safeguards.

We limit the use of personal information to the purposes identified above unless we obtain further consent or are otherwise permitted or required by law.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Cross-Econ uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance user experience, monitor performance, and support the functionality of our platform. These technologies allow us to better understand how users interact with the platform, improve our services, and tailor content.

Cookies are small data files stored on your device when you visit our website. They serve a variety of purposes, including:

• Authentication and Security – To recognize returning users, maintain session integrity, and prevent unauthorized access.
• Preferences and Personalization – To remember user settings such as language preferences, location, and display settings.
• Performance and Analytics – To collect information about how users navigate our platform, which helps us identify areas for improvement and optimize system performance.
• Advertising and Marketing – To deliver targeted advertisements, measure campaign effectiveness, and limit the number of times users see a specific ad (where applicable and with appropriate consent).

We may use both session cookies (which expire after you close your browser) and persistent cookies (which remain on your device until deleted or expired). Third-party analytics providers, such as Google Analytics, may also place cookies on your device to help us measure and analyze site traffic and usage patterns.

You have the option to manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may impact the functionality and performance of certain features of the Cross-Econ platform.

By continuing to use our platform without changing your cookie settings, you consent to our use of cookies in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

6. Sharing and Disclosure of Information

Cross-Econ takes privacy seriously and only shares personal information under specific circumstances, in compliance with Canadian privacy laws. We do not sell or rent personal data to third parties. We may disclose your information as follows:

• With Service Providers and Partners – We may share information with third-party vendors, contractors, and service providers who support our operations. These entities are contractually bound to protect your personal data and only use it to provide the services requested by Cross-Econ (e.g., hosting, analytics, payment processing, email delivery).
• With Other Users – Public content you submit to the platform (such as comments, posts, quiz questions, and profile data) may be visible to other users, depending on your privacy settings. If you participate in public discussions or share information through your profile, it may be indexed by search engines.
• With Advertisers – We may share aggregated, anonymized, or de-identified information with advertisers to help measure campaign effectiveness and user engagement. Personally identifiable information is only shared with advertiser partners if you provide explicit consent.
• With Affiliated Organizations – If you are associated with an organization on Cross-Econ (e.g., a nonprofit or business), certain information may be accessible to the organization's administrators or team members for managing the organizational profile and interactions.
• With Authorities and Legal Bodies – We may disclose personal data if required to comply with legal obligations, enforce our Terms of Service, respond to lawful requests from regulatory authorities, or protect our rights, users, or the public.
• In Business Transfers – In the event of a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, your personal information may be transferred to the acquiring entity, subject to the safeguards in this Policy.

We take steps to ensure all data shared is limited to what is necessary, and where applicable, we enter into data processing agreements with third parties to uphold data protection standards.

7. User Content and Accuracy Disclaimers

Cross-Econ is a community-driven platform where users, including individuals and organizations, contribute content such as posts, comments, data visualizations, quiz questions, reports, and uploaded media. We strive to maintain a respectful and informative environment, but we do not independently verify the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of user-submitted or AI-assisted content.

By submitting content to the platform, you acknowledge and agree to the following:

• Accuracy Responsibility – You are solely responsible for ensuring the accuracy, authenticity, and legality of the content you upload or post.
• Content Use – Your submitted content may be displayed publicly and shared across the platform, unless you specify otherwise in your privacy settings or organizational controls.
• AI-Generated Content – Some features may rely on artificial intelligence to assist with generating posts, articles, or visualizations. AI-generated content may contain inaccuracies or reflect incomplete data. It should not be relied upon as professional advice.
• No Endorsement – The publication of content on the Cross-Econ platform does not constitute an endorsement or approval by Cross-Econ. We provide a platform for expression and data sharing, but we do not guarantee the truthfulness or validity of any specific content.
• Quiz and Data Visualizations – Trivia quiz content and uploaded datasets are user-generated or sourced from third parties. These may be illustrative and should not be interpreted as authoritative or fully validated.
• Third-Party Content – Any links or content from external websites or third-party sources are provided for informational purposes only. Cross-Econ is not responsible for their content, accuracy, or compliance with legal standards.

We reserve the right to moderate, flag, remove, or restrict content that violates our Terms of Service, Community Guidelines, or applicable laws.

8. User Rights and Choices

As a user of Cross-Econ, you have certain rights and choices regarding your personal information, in accordance with Canadian privacy legislation. We are committed to respecting and facilitating the exercise of these rights.

• Access and Correction – You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you and to request corrections to ensure it is accurate and up to date.
• Withdrawal of Consent – Where we rely on your consent for the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information, you may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions. Withdrawal of consent may affect your ability to use certain platform features.
• Account Deletion – You may request the deletion of your account and associated data. Upon receiving such a request, we will remove your information unless retention is required by law or for legitimate business purposes (e.g., accounting, fraud prevention).
• Opt-Out of Marketing Communications – You may opt out of receiving promotional emails or newsletters by using the unsubscribe link provided in such communications or by updating your preferences in your account settings.
• Objection and Restriction – In certain circumstances, you may object to our processing of your information or request that we restrict processing. We will review and comply with your request where required by law.
• Data Portability – Where applicable, you may request a copy of your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format for transfer to another service provider.

To exercise any of your rights, please contact us at community@cross-econ.ca. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request. We aim to respond to all requests within the timeframes required by applicable privacy laws.

9. Children's Privacy

Cross-Econ is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under this age without verifiable parental or guardian consent.

If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal data from a child under 13 without appropriate consent, we will take immediate steps to delete such information from our records.

Parents and legal guardians who believe their child has provided personal information to us without consent may contact us at community@cross-econ.ca to request the deletion of that information.

Where services or features are intended for users aged 13 to 18, we strongly encourage such users to involve their parents or guardians in their online activities and to review this Privacy Policy with them. In jurisdictions where additional protections or age thresholds apply, we will comply with those additional requirements.

Cross-Econ reserves the right to restrict access to certain features or sections of the platform to users above a certain age, in accordance with applicable laws.

10. Data Retention and Security

Cross-Econ retains personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data, the nature of our relationship with the user, legal obligations, and operational requirements.

For example:

• Data related to user accounts and transactions may be retained for accounting and tax purposes for a minimum of seven years.
• Communication logs, consent records, and platform usage data may be retained as long as necessary for operational integrity, security, or dispute resolution.
• Data used in AI training or analytics may be retained in anonymized or aggregated form without identifying the individual.

When personal information is no longer required, we securely dispose of or anonymize it in a manner that prevents unauthorized access, use, or disclosure.

We implement a range of physical, administrative, and technical safeguards to protect personal information against loss, theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification. These measures include but are not limited to:

• Data encryption in transit and at rest
• Access controls and multi-factor authentication for internal systems
• Regular audits, monitoring, and vulnerability testing
• Employee privacy training and access limitation based on roles

Despite our best efforts, no system can be completely secure. We encourage users to take steps to protect their own data by using strong passwords, logging out of sessions when finished, and reporting any suspected security incidents.

If a data breach occurs that creates a real risk of significant harm, we will notify affected individuals and the relevant regulatory authorities in accordance with applicable laws.

11. Cross-Provincial and International Transfers

Cross-Econ primarily stores and processes personal data within Canada. However, due to the nature of digital platforms and the use of cloud-based service providers, your personal information may be transferred to, stored in, or accessed from other jurisdictions, including outside of your province of residence and outside of Canada.

In such cases, we ensure that your personal information continues to be protected by contractual agreements or other legally binding instruments that uphold comparable standards of privacy protection as required under Canadian laws. These include:

• Data processing agreements incorporating standard contractual clauses where required
• Due diligence on third-party service providers to assess security and privacy practices
• Ongoing monitoring of compliance with applicable privacy obligations

Please note that in certain circumstances, foreign governments, courts, law enforcement, or regulatory agencies may be able to access your personal information under the laws of the applicable foreign jurisdiction.

By using our services, you consent to the transfer of your personal information to jurisdictions outside your province or Canada, where the level of privacy protection may differ.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may revise or update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or other factors. When changes are made, we will revise the "Effective Date" at the top of this page and take reasonable steps to notify users, such as by posting a prominent notice on our platform or sending a direct notification (e.g., email) if the changes are material.

Your continued use of the Cross-Econ platform following any update to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about our privacy practices and your rights.

If you do not agree to any changes made to this Policy, you must stop using our services and may request deletion of your data in accordance with Section 8 (User Rights and Choices).

13. Contact Information

For any privacy-related questions, requests, or complaints, contact:

Cross-Econ

330V - 341 Talbot Street, London, ON. N6A 2R5

community@cross-econ.ca

226-785-5280