Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

• Contact information, such as your name and email address, when you contact us or submit feedback.
• Newsletter information, such as your email address and subscription preferences, when you choose to subscribe.
• Correction or accessibility reports, including the page URL, issue description, and optional contact information you submit.
• AI and planner inputs, including questions, preferences, itinerary selections, or feedback you choose to enter into AI-powered features.
• Other information you voluntarily provide through forms or interactive features.

Information Collected Automatically

When you use the Services, our systems and service providers may automatically process technical information needed to operate, secure, improve, and measure the site, including:

• IP address and approximate network location.
• Browser type, device type, operating system, and language settings.
• Pages viewed, referring pages, timestamps, and interactions with site features.
• Diagnostic, security, error, and performance logs.
• Cookie or similar technology identifiers where those technologies are used.

Location Information

Some features may use location information to show nearby events, places, transportation, or itinerary suggestions. We may infer a general area from technical information, or process more precise device location only if a feature requests it and you grant browser or device permission. You can deny or revoke location permission through your browser or device settings.

2. How We Use Information

We may use information to:

• Provide, operate, maintain, and improve the Services.
• Respond to questions, correction reports, accessibility feedback, and support requests.
• Deliver newsletters or updates that you request.
• Power AI-assisted search, city-guide responses, itinerary planning, and recommendations.
• Personalize content within a session or based on preferences you choose to provide.
• Measure site performance, feature usage, and general audience engagement.
• Protect the Services against fraud, abuse, attacks, spam, and unauthorized access.
• Maintain data quality, troubleshoot errors, and improve source integrations.
• Comply with applicable law and enforce our Terms of Use.

3. AI-Powered Features

When you use the Quinte AI Guide, Smart Day Planner, or another AI-powered feature, the information you submit may be processed by our systems and by service providers that help deliver the AI functionality. We may also process contextual information such as the page you are viewing, selected neighborhood, event, or other site data needed to answer your request.

Do not submit passwords, payment card numbers, Social Security numbers, government account credentials, or other highly sensitive information into AI features. We aim to limit AI data collection to what is reasonably necessary for the feature, service quality, abuse prevention, and improvement.

Where practical, we may retain limited logs or feedback about AI usage to identify failed answers, improve data coverage, and protect against abuse. Retention may vary based on operational and legal needs.

4. Cookies and Similar Technologies

We may use cookies, local storage, session storage, and similar technologies to keep the site functioning, remember preferences, support security, measure performance, and enable optional features. Our Cookies Policy provides additional detail.

If we use non-essential analytics or advertising technologies that require consent, we will provide appropriate choices where required by law.

5. Analytics

Bay of Quinte Region may use privacy-conscious analytics to understand aggregate site usage, popular pages, event clicks, searches, AI feature usage, planner usage, referral sources, device categories, and similar performance information.

The specific analytics providers and technologies may change over time. We will seek to configure analytics in a manner consistent with this Policy and applicable consent requirements.

6. Information from External Data Sources

Bay of Quinte Region ingests public and licensed information from government open-data systems, transportation feeds, weather providers, event services, business/place services, and other sources. This information generally concerns city conditions, events, places, or public resources rather than personal information about Bay of Quinte Region users.

If a public dataset contains personal information, we do not intentionally use that information to create user profiles or expose sensitive personal data through Bay of Quinte Region. We may filter, suppress, or avoid importing fields that are not necessary for the public-information purpose of the site.

7. How We Disclose Information

We may disclose information in the following circumstances:

• Service providers. We may use hosting, database, security, email, analytics, mapping, AI, and infrastructure providers that process information on our behalf.
• Legal and safety reasons. We may disclose information when reasonably necessary to comply with law, lawful process, enforce our agreements, protect rights or safety, investigate abuse, or secure the Services.
• Business changes. Information may be transferred as part of a merger, acquisition, financing, restructuring, sale of assets, or similar business transaction, subject to applicable law.
• With your direction or consent. We may disclose information when you ask us to do so or otherwise authorize the disclosure.

We do not sell personal information for money. If Bay of Quinte Region later uses targeted advertising or another activity that is treated as a "sale" or "sharing" of personal information under an applicable privacy law, we will provide any required notices and opt-out controls before or when that activity begins.

8. External Websites and Official Government Links

Bay of Quinte Region frequently links to municipal websites, public agencies, transportation operators, event providers, venues, restaurants, maps, and other third-party websites. When you follow an external link, the third party's privacy policy and terms apply. Bay of Quinte Region does not control those websites or their data practices.

9. Advertising and Sponsored Content

Advertising is not necessarily active on Bay of Quinte Region at all times. The platform is designed to support advertising or sponsorships in the future. If advertising technologies are enabled, this Policy and the Cookies Policy will be updated as appropriate, and we will provide legally required notices and controls.

10. Data Retention

We retain information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Policy, including to provide the Services, maintain records, prevent abuse, resolve disputes, comply with legal obligations, and improve the platform.

Retention periods vary by data type. For example, newsletter information may be retained until you unsubscribe, while technical security logs may be retained for a shorter operational period or longer when needed to investigate an incident.

11. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures designed to protect information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, encryption in transit, secure credential management, logging, rate limiting, and restricted administrative systems.

No online service or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

12. International Data Processing

Bay of Quinte Region and its service providers may process information in the United States, Canada, or other countries. Privacy laws and government-access rules may differ from those in your location. Where required, we use appropriate legal mechanisms or contractual protections for international transfers.

13. Your Privacy Choices and Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights concerning your personal information, which may include the right to:

• Request access to personal information we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate personal information.
• Request deletion of certain personal information.
• Object to or restrict certain processing.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
• Receive certain information in a portable format where applicable.
• Opt out of certain targeted advertising, sale, or sharing practices if they are introduced and the law provides that right.
• Appeal certain privacy-request decisions where applicable.

You can unsubscribe from marketing emails using the unsubscribe link in the message. You can also control browser permissions, cookies, and location access through your browser or device settings.

To submit a privacy request, use our contact page and clearly identify the request as a privacy request. We may need to verify your identity before completing certain requests.

14. Children's Privacy

Bay of Quinte Region is a general-audience city information platform and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 in a manner that would require parental consent under applicable law. If you believe a child has provided personal information improperly, contact us so we can review the situation.

15. Global Privacy Control and Browser Signals

Where legally required and technically supported, we will respond to recognized browser-based opt-out signals such as Global Privacy Control for activities to which those signals apply. Because targeted advertising or similar "sale" or "sharing" activity may not be enabled at launch, such signals may not change the operation of the site until a covered activity is introduced.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as the Services, providers, laws, or data practices change. We will revise the "Last Updated" date and provide additional notice when required by law or appropriate for material changes.

17. Contact Us

Questions, requests, or concerns about privacy may be submitted through the Bay of Quinte Region contact page.