Privacy & Disclosures

Analytics & Tracking

Refdesk.ca uses multiple analytics services to understand how visitors use our site and to improve our content:

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to analyze website traffic and user behavior. Google Analytics uses cookies and similar technologies to collect information such as:

• Pages you visit and time spent on each page
• How you arrived at our site (referral source)
• Your approximate geographic location (city/region level)
• Your device type, browser, and screen resolution
• Anonymized IP address

Google Analytics data is subject to Google's Privacy Policy. You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Google AdSense

We use Google AdSense to display advertisements on our site. AdSense uses cookies and web beacons to:

• Show you relevant advertisements based on your interests
• Measure ad performance and engagement
• Prevent the same ads from appearing too frequently
• Track conversions and ad effectiveness

Google and its advertising partners use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to Refdesk.ca and other websites. You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings or by visiting www.aboutads.info.

Affiliate & Referral Links

Some links on Refdesk.ca are affiliate or referral links. When you click these links and make a purchase or sign up for a service, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

This helps support the operation of Refdesk.ca and enables us to continue providing free, curated Canadian resources. We prioritize recommending Canadian businesses and creators whenever possible.

Our editorial integrity is never compromised by affiliate relationships. We only recommend tools, services, and resources we believe are valuable to Canadians. We clearly mark partner links throughout the site.

If you prefer not to use affiliate links, you can visit the partner websites directly by typing their URLs into your browser.

Browser Storage & Location

To enhance your experience, Refdesk.ca uses browser localStorage (not cookies) to save your preferences directly on your device. This data never leaves your browser and is never sent to our servers.

We may store:

• Your customized quick links
• Cached dashboard data (to reduce loading times)

Geolocation (Optional): If you enable the weather widget, we request your browser location (with your explicit permission) to show local weather conditions. Your location is never stored or transmitted to our servers - it's only used to fetch weather data from a third-party weather API.

You can clear this data anytime using your browser's settings or by customizing your quick links and search preferences.

Data Collection

We log anonymized click data for internal reporting purposes when you use partner links via our /go/ redirect system. This includes:

• Partner clicked
• Topic page you were on (if applicable)
• Timestamp of the click
• Referrer URL (the page you came from)
• Hashed and salted representations of IP addresses and user agents (irreversible and cannot be used to identify individuals)

We do not collect:

• Names, email addresses, or contact information
• Passwords or authentication credentials
• Credit card or payment information
• Raw IP addresses or user agent strings

All data is stored securely and used solely for aggregate reporting to understand which resources are most helpful to Canadians.

Your Privacy Rights

As a Canadian resident, you have rights under PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act) regarding your personal information.

Since we do not collect personally identifiable information, there is no personal data to access, correct, or delete. However, if you have questions about our privacy practices, please contact us.

Cookies

Refdesk.ca uses cookies for analytics and advertising purposes. When you visit our site, the following types of cookies may be set:

• Analytics Cookies: Google Analytics cookies (_ga, _gid, _gat) to understand how visitors use our site
• Advertising Cookies: Google AdSense cookies for serving personalized advertisements
• Functional Cookies: Essential cookies required for the website to function properly (e.g., consent preferences)

You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences or by using our cookie consent banner that appears on your first visit. You can change your cookie preferences at any time by clicking the "Cookie Preferences" link in the footer.

Note: Blocking certain cookies may impact site functionality and your user experience.

Third-Party Services

When you click on partner links, you will be directed to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

Partners include but are not limited to: Ownr, Wave, Shopify, Wealthsimple, and Amazon.ca.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy & Disclosures page from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will note the date of the last update at the top of this page.

Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy & Disclosures policy, please use the form below to reach out to our support team.