PRIVACY POLICY

Effective Date and Last Revision: September 8, 2025

1. Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Welcome to https://www.standagainstscams.ca/ (the “Website”), operated by The Canadian Bankers’ Association Inc. (the “CBA”) acting as steward on behalf of the Canadian Anti-Scam Coalition on an interim basis (“we,” “us,” or “our”). This Privacy Policy outlines our commitment to the privacy and protection of our visitors (“you”). Our foundational principle is one of data minimization; we have designed this Website to function without the need to actively collect, process, or store your personal information.

This document explains what information, if any, is processed during your visit, the limited and specific purposes for which it is used, and the measures we take to protect the integrity of our Website and the privacy of our visitors. By accessing and using this Website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the practices described in this policy.

2. Scope of This Policy

This Privacy Policy applies solely to the information processed in connection with your use of this Website. It does not apply to:

  • Any information collected offline or through any other means.
  • The practices of third-party websites, services, or applications that may be linked-to from our Website. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

3. Information We Do Not Collect

For the avoidance of doubt, this Website does not include features designed to collect your personal information. We do not:

  • Provide user registration, accounts, or profiles.
  • Use any forms for contact, newsletters, or subscriptions.
  • Host comment sections, forums, or other interactive features where you can post content.
  • Request or store your name, email address, mailing address, or phone number.
  • Process any financial or transactional data.
  • Use tracking cookies or other persistent identifiers for the purpose of building a profile of your online activities, other than tracking cookies and analytic cookies used for Google Analytics.

4. Limited and Automatic Data Processing

While we do not actively collect personal information, our web server, like virtually all web servers, automatically and passively processes certain technical information to ensure the Website's proper functioning, security, and performance.

A: Server Log Data: When you visit our Website, our server may automatically create logs that temporarily store the following types of non-personal, technical data:

  • Your Internet Protocol (IP) address.
  • The type of browser and operating system you are using (User-Agent string).
  • The date and time of your visit.
  • The specific pages you accessed on our Website.
  • The referring website address, if you followed a link to our site.

B: Purpose of Processing Server Log Data: This technical data is essential for our legitimate interests in operating a secure and reliable website. We use this information exclusively for:

  • Website Security: Identifying and blocking malicious traffic, preventing unauthorized access, and protecting against cyber threats like denial-of-service attacks.
  • System Administration: Diagnosing technical problems, optimizing server performance, and ensuring the Website is accessible and functional for all users.
  • Anonymous Traffic Analysis: Analyzing aggregated, anonymous data to understand general user trends, such as which pages are most popular or the peak traffic times. This helps us improve the Website's content and structure.

Crucially, we do not use server log data to identify you personally, nor do we attempt to combine it with any other data to do so.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies Policy

A "cookie" is a small text file that a website can place on your device. Our policy on cookies is straightforward:

  • No Tracking or Advertising Cookies: Other than tracking cookies and analytic cookies used for Google Analytics, this Website does not use tracking cookies, analytics cookies or any cookies from advertising networks.
  • Essential Cookies: The Website may use strictly necessary (or "essential") cookies that are required for its basic technical operation. For example, a cookie might be used to manage a secure session or ensure proper content delivery. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information and are often deleted when you close your browser.

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Please note that if you choose to block all cookies, some essential functions of the Website may be impaired.

6. Information Sharing and Disclosure

As we do not collect your personal information, we have no personal information to sell, rent, or share. The limited technical data from server logs is handled as follows:

  • Third-Party Service Providers: We use a professional web hosting provider to operate our Website. This provider may have access to the server logs for the purpose of providing and maintaining the hosting service, but they are bound by strict confidentiality and security obligations.
  • Legal Requirements: We may disclose server log data if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) comply with a legal obligation, court order, or subpoena; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of the CBA; or (c) act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of the Website or the public.
  • Aggregated Data: We may share anonymous, aggregated statistical information about our Website's traffic (e.g., "Our website received 10,000 visitors last month") with partners or for public reporting. This data cannot be used to identify any individual.

7. Data Security

We take the security of our Website and its data seriously. We have implemented appropriate technical, administrative, and physical safeguards designed to protect our systems from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. These measures include the use of encryption (HTTPS/SSL), firewalls, and secure server configurations. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect our systems, we cannot guarantee their absolute security.

8. Data Retention

We retain the technical data in our server logs only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in Section 4 of this policy. This retention period is typically limited and does not exceed 12 months, after which the logs are securely deleted or anonymized.

9. Children's Privacy

This is a general audience website and is not directed to or intended for use by children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect any information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and you believe that your child has provided any information to us, please contact us immediately so we can take appropriate action.

10. Your Rights and Choices

Residents of certain jurisdictions (such as Canada and the EU) have specific rights regarding their personal information, including the right to access, correct, or delete their data. Because this Website does not collect your personal information, these rights are generally not applicable in the context of your visit. If you have any questions or concerns about your privacy, you are always welcome to contact our Privacy Officer.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. Any changes will be posted on this page, and the "Effective Date and Last Revision" at the top of this policy will be updated. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting privacy.

12. Contact Information

Should you have any questions, comments, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please do not hesitate to contact our Privacy Officer:

THE CANADIAN BANKERS ASSOCIATION
Attn: Privacy Officer
Our Privacy Officer can be reached by:
Email at inform@cba.ca
Mail P.O. Box 348, Commerce Court Postal Station, Toronto, Ontario, M5L 1G2