PRIVACY AND PERSONAL INFORMATION PROTECTION POLICY
At UNature (formerly Université dans la Nature) we place great importance on protecting the personal information of our clients, employees, and representatives. In accordance with the law on the protection of personal information in the private sector, we are committed to maintaining the confidentiality of personal information collected as part of our activities. Our privacy policy aims to inform you about our practices regarding the collection, use, disclosure, retention, and protection of your personal information. By providing us with your personal information, you agree to the terms of this policy and authorize us to process your information in accordance with it.
1. Consent
1.1 Commitment to Privacy
We are committed to protecting the privacy of our users. We collect and use personal information only with their explicit consent and in compliance with applicable laws.
1.2 Acceptance of the Terms of Our Policy
By accessing our website www.unature.org or providing us with personal information, you agree to the terms of our privacy policy. This includes your consent to the collection and use of your personal information in accordance with this policy.
1.3 Right to Withdraw Consent
You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. However, this is subject to certain legal or contractual restrictions. We will inform you of the possible consequences of this withdrawal, such as the inability to provide certain products or process certain requests. Your decision to withdraw consent will be recorded in our files.
1.4 Exceptions to the Need for Consent
In certain exceptional circumstances, we may collect, use, or disclose personal information without obtaining your prior consent. This may occur in situations where legal, medical, or security imperatives make obtaining your consent impossible or impractical. These situations include, but are not limited to, cases of suspected contract breach, fraud prevention or detection, or requirements related to law enforcement.
2. Collection of Personal Information
2.1 We collect personal information through various means, such as:
Emails and communications with our customer service team
Online application forms (including appointments)
Mobile application offered to our clients
Cookies and similar technologies on our website
2.2 We may also collect information through third parties, such as:
A technology service provider such as an order platform or newsletter service
A recruitment portal allowing candidates to submit their resumes and personal data
Professional social networks like LinkedIn for recruitment or marketing purposes
An online payment service provider to process financial transactions
A cloud computing company storing customer data
A digital marketing company analyzing user behavior on our website
An IT security service provider monitoring threats and protecting data
A customer relationship management (CRM) company organizing and analyzing interactions with customers
A logistics provider managing product deliveries and collecting recipient information
2.3 We may use advanced technologies to collect personal information, including to identify, locate, or profile our clients (e.g., to create consumer profiles). However, we are committed to protecting the privacy of our clients:
Responsible Use of Technology: We use these technologies only to improve our services and better understand our clients' needs.
Feature Activation: By default, these features are disabled to protect data privacy. Our clients always have the option to activate or deactivate these features according to their preferences.
We are committed to being transparent about the use of these technologies and respecting our clients' privacy choices.
3. Types of Personal Information Collected
3.1 We collect various types of data, including but not limited to:
Personal identifiers (name, mailing address, email, phone number)
Technical or digital information (IP address, online activities)
Financial information (payment details)
Demographic data (age, ethnicity, nationality, place of residence)
Biometric data (fingerprints, facial recognition)
3.2 Children’s Privacy
We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from children under the age of 14. By using our website, you declare that you are at least 14 years old. If you are under 14, please do not attempt to send us any personal information. If we discover that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a user under 14, we will attempt to immediately delete this information from our files and records. We also encourage minor users of the website aged 14 or older to seek permission from their parents or guardians before sending any information about themselves over the Internet.
If you believe a child under the age of 14 has provided us with personal information, please contact us using the contact details provided in the following section.
4. Use of Personal Information
4.1 We use your personal information for a range of essential activities:
Responding to inquiries: To effectively address your requests and questions.
Transaction management: Processing payments and issuing receipts for completed transactions.
Registrations and participation: Managing your registrations for events, training sessions, newsletters, website downloads, or participation in webinars.
Human resources management: For internal management and administration of human resources, recruitment, employment contracts, and service agreements.
Improving user experience: Operating, maintaining, and enhancing our website, personalizing your online experience, and providing requested services and information.
Marketing communication: Sending relevant information, special offers, and updates, with the option to unsubscribe at any time.
User account management: Managing your user account to access various features of our website.
These uses aim to enhance your experience with our services and facilitate efficient interaction with our organization.
4.2 We offer various options to help you control and limit the collection of your personal information. These options include:
Communication preferences: You can choose to receive our communications via different channels (phone, SMS, email) or opt out entirely.
Account settings: When creating an account on our site, you can opt out of certain services or loyalty programs.
Cookie management: Our site allows you to refuse or customize the use of cookies. Please note that blocking certain cookies may affect the accessibility and functionality of our site.
Granular consent: In most situations, when we collect information for specific purposes, you have the option to consent only to certain uses of your data.
It is important to note that some of these options may limit your access to all the features of our service. For example, refusing certain cookies may cause parts of our website to function improperly, or choosing not to create an account may limit access to some personalization features.
5. Sharing and Disclosure of Personal Information
5.1 The personal information collected by our organization is accessible to specific categories of our staff and certain partner organizations to deliver our products and services efficiently. For example:
Customer service: Accesses contact information to respond to inquiries.
IT department: Accesses technical data for support and maintenance.
Marketing department: Uses data for advertising campaigns and market research.
Delivery partners: Receive addresses for order delivery.
Payment service providers: Access financial information to process transactions.
Data security officers: Access information to ensure security and protection against unauthorized access or cyberattacks.
Legal consultants: Use data to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Cloud service providers: Host data on secure servers, enabling storage and retrieval of information.
Research and development partners: Access certain data to collaborate on new innovations or product/service improvements.
Collection agencies: In cases of payment defaults, some information may be shared with external collection agencies.
We ensure that this information is used solely for the stated purposes and with respect for confidentiality. Data transfers outside Quebec occur within the framework of international collaborations, while ensuring adequate protection of the information in compliance with applicable laws.
6. Links to Other Websites
6.1 Our website may contain links to third-party websites.
When you follow these links, you leave our website. The information exchanged at that time is no longer subject to our privacy policy. We recommend that you review the privacy statements of any other websites you visit before providing any information.
7. Security of Personal Information
7.1 Security Measures for the Protection of Personal Information
To ensure the security and confidentiality of personal information, the University in Nature (Unature) implements stringent security measures, including both physical and technological aspects. Here are some concrete examples:
Physical Security: Use of electronic locking systems and security locks for access to offices, cabinets, and file drawers, installation of surveillance cameras, and restricting access to areas where personal data is stored.
Access Controls: Limiting access to personal data to authorized employees only.
Staff Training: Regular training of staff on best data security practices.
Data Encryption: Protection of sensitive data using advanced encryption techniques.
Intrusion Monitoring and Detection: Implementation of systems to monitor suspicious activity and detect potential intrusions.
Disaster Recovery Plans: Development of plans to quickly restore data in case of an incident, such as a system failure or cyberattack.
These measures aim to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure, and to maximize its integrity and confidentiality. While we do everything possible to protect your personal data, it is important to remember that no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
7.2 Commitment of Staff and Board Members
Every employee, director, volunteer, independent contractor, or ad hoc advisor working within the committees of our board of directors commits to respecting the personal information we collect. Additionally, these individuals pledge to maintain the confidentiality of information related to our activities and not to disclose or use it for personal purposes or for the benefit of others. This commitment begins when the employee, director, volunteer, contractor, or ad hoc advisor assumes their role and continues indefinitely.
8. Retention and Destruction of Personal Information
We will retain your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this privacy policy. We will keep and use it as long as necessary to fulfill our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our legal policies.
We will also retain usage data for internal analysis purposes. These data are typically kept for a shorter period, unless they are used to enhance security or improve the functionality of our website, or if we are legally required to retain them for a longer period.
9. Your Rights
9.1 Acknowledgment and Respect of Your Rights
As part of our privacy policy, we acknowledge and respect the fundamental rights of individuals concerning the personal information we hold. These rights include:
Right of Access: Individuals have the right to consult the personal information we hold about them. For example, a customer may request to see the data collected during their registration for our service.
Right of Rectification: If any information is inaccurate or incomplete, individuals can request an update. For instance, an employee may ask for a correction of their incorrect postal address in our records.
Right to De-Indexing: Individuals can request that their personal information be removed from publication or that any hyperlink associated with their name be de-indexed, if such dissemination causes harm or violates the law or a court order. This right to erasure or to be forgotten allows individuals to control the availability of their personal information on the internet.
Right to File a Complaint: If individuals have concerns about the processing of their data, they can file a complaint in accordance with our established process.
Subject to applicable laws, upon receiving a written request from an individual and after verifying their identity, we will inform the person if we hold any personal information about them and provide them with that information.
We may deny access to an individual’s information in accordance with the applicable laws, in which case we will provide the reasons for the refusal.
To facilitate these rights, the contact details of our privacy officer are clearly provided for any questions or concerns. These measures ensure that individuals can exercise their rights with confidence and transparency.
10. Changes to the Policy
This policy may be updated to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The updates will be posted on our website. We encourage you to regularly review this privacy policy to stay informed about any changes.
11. Contact
Any request or question regarding this privacy policy can be directed to the person responsible for protecting personal information at the following address:
By email: info@unature.org
By postal mail: # 1. 514.825.6955
Effective date of the policy: September 14, 2023
Last updated: November 28, 2024