Personal Information Protection Policy of PovNet

Updated January 2020

This policy statement concerns PovNet's collection, use, disclosure and retention of personal information about our members, our users, and members of the general public. This policy has been established pursuant to the Personal Information Protection Act of BC.

What Is PovNet?

PovNet is an online resource for the anti-poverty community. Its purpose is:

  • To create and maintain electronic communication networks among poverty law advocates and community workers which are useful, useable, confidential and cost efficient and which improve their ability to assist clients with administrative law problems.

  • To assist advocates and community groups to effectively represent marginalized people by means of online technology and resources.

Please see our About section for more information.

What Is "Personal Information" and Why Does PovNet Need It?

“Personal information" is information about an identifiable individual, except for work contact information (your office address and phone number, for example). Your personal information includes your name, home address and phone, and any other information stored in such a way that your identity could be determined.

PovNet's website (www.povnet.org) is hosted by Squarespace. When people access the website, Squarespace automatically generates certain system information in anonymous, aggregated or pseudonymized form which does not focus on you individually - logs of IP addresses, etc. - which is needed to maintain its network or to comply with the law. This data is not personal information, since it isn't linked to an identified user or member.

Squarespace has its own privacy policy, which can be viewed on its website: https://www.squarespace.com/privacy

PovNet does not collect, store, or disclose any personal information about the users of its website.

What Personal Information Does PovNet Collect?

PovNet's policy is only to collect, use and disclose personal information which is reasonably necessary to provide our services or to maintain our records as required by law.

In carrying on our work, PovNet may receive unsolicited personal information. For example, if there is a complaint involving a PovNet service, we will keep a record of the complainant's name and other contact information in our files, along with a copy of the complaint and how it was addressed.

Your Consent

We will only collect, use or disclose your personal information if we have your consent to do so. Consent may be written, oral, electronic, or implied, depending on the circumstances.

If you provide personal information to PovNet, you are deemed to consent to such use and disclosure of that information as may be reasonably necessary in order to maintain PovNet's funding and legal status, to provide the services you have requested from us, or to address your request or complaint.

You can withdraw your consent to the collection, use or disclosure of your personal information at any time by telling us in writing that you wish to do so.

Disclosing, Storing and Correcting Personal Information

PovNet will only disclose your personal information upon your request, when it is reasonably necessary for us to do so, or when required by law.

PovNet will take reasonable steps to prevent the loss or theft of your personal information, and we will securely destroy that information when we no longer have a reasonable need for it.

PovNet will take reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information which we hold is accurate and complete, and to correct any errors or omissions which you bring to our attention. Correcting certain information may not be feasible, however, if it is held in a permanent format such as backup copies on permanent CDs or on the backups which Squarespace may make of the information on its servers.

Google Analytics, Privacy and Cookies

Our website uses Google Analytics to help us understand how visitors use the site and to improve our web services. The tool uses cookies to collect standard information (including your IP address) about visitors’ behavior in an anonymous form and stores this information on Google’s servers. Cookies are small text files sent to your computer when your browser visits a website.

PovNet will not (and will not allow any third party to) use Google Analytics to collect personally identifiable information of visitors to our site. Google will use the anonymous information collected for the purpose of tracking your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and Internet usage. For further information, you can refer to the Google Analytics Data Security and Privacy information.

By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above. However, you can also choose to decline cookies from Google Analytics by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser.

COmmunity Box, Privacy and Cookies

Our website uses Community Box to create our Find an Advocate directory. The tool uses cookies to collect standard information (including your IP address) about visitors’ behavior in an anonymous form.

PovNet will not (and will not allow any third party to) use Community Box to collect personally identifiable information of visitors to our site. Community Box is committed to your privacy and do not share data with any 3rd parties, except in the case of requests from law enforcement and other authorised government agencies. For further information, you can refer to the Privacy Policy of Community Box.

By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Community Box in the manner and for the purposes set out above. However, you can also choose to decline cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser.

UserWay Privacy

PovNet uses the UserWay accessibility widget to make our website more accessible. UserWay does not collect any personally identifiable information about end-users (users visiting websites that host the UserWay accessibility widget), such information is invisible to UserWay and therefore cannot be provided to any third parties, even under duress. For further information, you can refer to the UserWay Privacy Policy.

UserWay collects limited anonymous info as follows: metrics on the number of times the widget or its individual features were activated on a website.

CanadaHelps privacy

Our website uses CanadaHelps to securely receive online donations. CanadaHelps collects and processes the donor’s personal and financial information submitted through the Website. For further information, you can refer to the Privacy Policy of CanadaHelps.

Links to Other Websites

This website may include links to third-party websites, plug-ins, and applications. Clicking on those links or enabling those connections may allow third parties to collect or share personal information about you. We do not control these third-party websites and are not responsible for their privacy statements. When you leave our website, we encourage you to read the Privacy Policy of every website you visit.

Questions, Requests and Complaints

PovNet will take reasonable steps to respond to your questions about the personal information that we have about you. Pursuant to the provisions of the privacy legislation, we will:

  1. advise you whether we have such personal information;

  2. advise you whether we have used or disclosed the personal information;

  3. provide you with access to your personal information; and

  4. change any inaccurate and incomplete personal information, where feasible.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding privacy, please send us a detailed message to: [email protected]. We will make every effort to resolve your concerns.

You may also contact us at #300-1140 W Pender Street, Vancouver, BC, V6E 4G1.