Legal

Privacy Policy

Effective September 12, 2026 · Version 2.0

This Privacy Policy explains how SinewsLink Inc. (“SinewsLink”, “we”, “us” or “our”) collects, uses, discloses and protects personal information when you use the SinewsLink Local Economy platform (“SLLE” or the “Service”), including the SLLE mobile app for iOS and Android, the website at slle.ca, and related services.

We have written this policy to be read. If anything is unclear, contact our Privacy Officer at privacy@slle.ca.

1. Who we are and what this policy covers

SinewsLink Inc. is a Canadian corporation and the organization responsible for personal information collected through SLLE. We have designated a Privacy Officer who is accountable for our compliance with this policy and with applicable privacy law.

This policy applies to the SLLE consumer platform only. Other SinewsLink Inc. products and business lines are governed by their own terms and privacy notices. It also does not cover the practices of businesses, mentors or other users you interact with through SLLE, or of third-party websites and services linked from the Service.

2. Information we collect

Information you provide

Account details: name, email address, phone number and profile photo, plus the identifier from the sign-in method you choose (phone number, Google or Apple).
Profile and preferences: display name, bio, stated interests and community affiliations.
Business information if you register a business: business name, address, category, hours, contact details, and the information needed to receive payouts.
Content you create: posts, comments, reviews, marketplace, barter and garage-sale listings, mentorship and tour offerings, internship postings and applications, direct and group messages, and any photos or media you upload with them.
Communications with us: support requests, reports about content or users, and survey responses.

Payment information

When you pay through SLLE, your card details are collected directly by our payment processor and are never stored on our systems. We receive and keep transaction records: the amount, currency and date, the booking, listing or subscription the payment relates to, refund status, and the processor’s reference identifiers.

Location

With your permission, we collect your device’s precise or approximate location while the App is in use so we can show you businesses, listings, events and community content near you. We do not collect location in the background. You can turn location off at any time in your device settings; location-based features will then be limited or unavailable.

Information collected automatically

Device and app information: device model, operating-system version, app version, language and time zone.
IP address and an approximate location derived from it, used for security, rate limiting and abuse prevention.
Usage data: screens viewed, features used, searches, session length and how you interact with content.
Diagnostics and crash reports.
Push-notification tokens issued by your device platform, if you enable notifications.

Information from others

Businesses and users you interact with (for example, a booking confirmation, an application decision, or a report about your content).
Sign-in providers, which share basic profile details according to your settings with them.

3. How we use information

We use personal information to:

Provide, operate, maintain and improve the Service.
Create and secure your account, verify your identity and authenticate you.
Process bookings, applications, subscriptions, payments and refunds, and keep the records required to do so.
Show you businesses, opportunities and community content that are relevant to your location and stated interests.
Send service messages such as booking confirmations, reminders, application updates, receipts and security alerts.
Send marketing or promotional messages only where you have consented, and always with a way to unsubscribe.
Detect, prevent and respond to fraud, spam, abuse, security incidents and violations of our Terms of Service.
Understand how the Service is used, diagnose problems and decide what to build next.
Comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests.

We may create aggregated or de-identified information that can no longer reasonably be linked to you (for example, which categories of local businesses are most searched in a neighbourhood) and use it for any lawful purpose, including to help businesses and communities understand local demand.

We collect, use and disclose personal information with your consent. You give consent when you create an account, use a feature, enable a device permission, or otherwise provide information to us. Where the law requires it, we ask for your express consent for a specific purpose, for example before accessing your location or sending marketing messages.

You may withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice, by changing your device or in-app settings or by contacting us. Withdrawing consent may limit or prevent your use of some features. In limited cases we may process information without consent where the law permits or requires it, such as to investigate fraud, respond to an emergency, or comply with a legal obligation.

We do not sell personal information, and we do not share it with third parties for their own advertising. We share it only:

With other users, as you direct. Your profile and anything you post publicly (posts, reviews, listings, offerings) are visible to other users. Messages are visible to their recipients.
With businesses you interact with. When you book a session or tour, or apply for an internship, we share your name, contact details and the information in your booking or application with that business.
With service providers that help us operate the Service (see section 6).
For legal reasons when we believe in good faith that disclosure is required by law or legal process, or is necessary to protect the rights, property or safety of SinewsLink, our users or the public, or to enforce our Terms.
In a business transaction such as a merger, acquisition, financing or sale of assets, subject to this policy or protections that are at least as strong.
With your consent or at your direction.

6. Service providers

We rely on a small number of carefully selected third-party providers to run SLLE. They provide cloud hosting, database and file storage; authentication and app-security services; payment processing and subscription billing; email and push-notification delivery; analytics and crash reporting; and customer-support tools.

Providers may access personal information only to perform services for us. They are bound by contract to protect it and are not permitted to use it for their own purposes. Payment processing is handled by a PCI DSS–compliant provider; we never see your full card number. When you download or use the App through an app store, the store operator may also collect information under its own privacy policy.

7. Where information is stored

SinewsLink Inc. is based in Canada. We and our service providers store and process personal information in Canada and the United States, and may do so in other countries where our providers operate. While information is outside Canada, it is subject to the laws of that country and may be accessible to its courts, law-enforcement and national-security authorities. We use contractual and technical safeguards to protect information wherever it is processed.

If you use SLLE from outside Canada, your information will be transferred to and processed in Canada and the United States, where privacy laws may differ from those of your country. By using the Service you acknowledge these transfers.

8. How long we keep information

Active accounts: for as long as your account is open.
After you delete your account: we remove your profile and personal identifiers within 30 days. Content you posted publicly may remain in de-identified form.
Transaction records: kept for up to seven years to meet tax, accounting and financial-reporting obligations.
Backups and logs: may persist in encrypted backups and security logs for up to 90 days before being overwritten.
Longer where necessary to resolve disputes, enforce our agreements, or comply with legal obligations.

9. Your choices

Location: allow or revoke access in your device settings at any time.
Notifications: manage push notifications in your device settings and in the App.
Marketing: unsubscribe using the link in any marketing email or in your settings. Service messages about your account and transactions will still be sent.
Your content: edit or delete your posts, listings and profile details in the App.
Your account: delete it at any time from Settings in the App, or by emailing privacy@slle.ca.
Website cookies: slle.ca uses only the cookies and similar technologies needed to operate the site and measure aggregate traffic. We do not use advertising cookies.

10. Your rights

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:

Access the personal information we hold about you and learn how it has been used and disclosed.
Correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete.
Delete your account and personal information, subject to the retention periods above.
Withdraw consent to a particular use or disclosure.
Receive a copy of the information you provided to us in a structured, commonly used format.
Object to or restrict certain processing where the law of your jurisdiction provides that right.

To exercise a right, email privacy@slle.ca. We may need to verify your identity first. We respond within 30 days, or sooner where the law requires. Residents of certain provinces, states or countries may have additional rights under local law; we honour those rights as required.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or the privacy regulator where you live.

11. Age requirements

SLLE is not directed to, and may not be used by, anyone under 16 years of age. You must be at least 16 to create an account and use SLLE as a consumer, and at least 18 to register or manage a business, offer mentorship, receive payments, or apply for a paid internship through the Service.

If you are at least 16 but under the age of majority where you live, you should use SLLE only with the involvement of a parent or legal guardian. A parent or guardian who believes their child has given us personal information can contact us at the address below to review or delete it.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If you believe we have, contact privacy@slle.ca and we will delete it promptly.

12. Security

We protect personal information with safeguards appropriate to its sensitivity, including encryption in transit and at rest, access controls and least-privilege permissions, device and app attestation, rate limiting and automated abuse detection, and regular review of our security practices. No system is perfectly secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

If a security breach creates a real risk of significant harm to you, we will notify you and the appropriate regulators as required by law. To report a vulnerability, email privacy@slle.ca.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will post the new version here with a new effective date and version number. If a change is material, we will give you reasonable advance notice in the App or by email. Continued use of the Service after a change takes effect means you accept the updated policy. Previous versions are available on request.

14. Contact

Privacy Officer, SinewsLink Inc.
Email: privacy@slle.ca
General support: support@slle.ca · slle.ca/support
Mailing address available on request.