Privacy Policy

1. Controller

The data controller for this website and the services described herein is:

Auralis Associates Inc.
287 Elgin Street, Suite 204, Ottawa, ON K2P 1L9, Canada
Email: hello@auralisassociates.com
Phone: (613) 555-0147
Business Number: 741825693 | GST/HST: 741825693RT0001

2. Data Protection Contact

For all privacy-related inquiries, please contact our designated data protection contact:

Sarah Mitchell, Founder and Lead Investigative Journalist
Email: hello@auralisassociates.com
Address: 287 Elgin Street, Suite 204, Ottawa, ON K2P 1L9, Canada

3. Data We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal data:

• Contact form submissions: Name, email address, phone number (optional), service of interest, and message content.
• Client engagement data: Contact details, project-related communications, deliverables, invoices, and payment information.
• Website usage data: Consent preferences stored in your browser's localStorage (see Section 13). We do not currently deploy analytics tracking scripts or third-party cookies.
• Email correspondence: The content of emails exchanged with our team.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process personal data on the following legal bases:

• Consent: For contact form submissions and marketing communications (where applicable). You may withdraw consent at any time.
• Contractual necessity: For data required to perform services under a project agreement.
• Legal obligation: For tax and financial records we are required by Canadian law to retain.
• Legitimate interest: For security purposes and to improve our services, balanced against your rights and expectations.

For individuals located in the European Union or European Economic Area, processing complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in addition to PIPEDA.

5. Purposes of Processing

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• Responding to inquiries submitted through the contact form or by email
• Preparing and delivering project proposals and service agreements
• Performing the contracted services and delivering project work
• Invoicing and payment processing
• Complying with tax and legal obligations
• Improving our website and services
• Protecting the security of our systems and data

6. Recipients and Third Parties

We share personal data with the following categories of recipients only as necessary:

• FormSubmit: Contact form submissions are processed through FormSubmit, a third-party form handling service. FormSubmit processes the data to deliver the form submission to our email inbox. FormSubmit is a US-based service. By submitting the contact form, you acknowledge this transfer. FormSubmit's privacy practices are governed by their own privacy policy.
• Hosting provider: This website is hosted by WHC Inc., 201-1000 Chemin Lucerne, Ville Mont-Royal, QC H3R 2P8, Canada. The hosting provider processes data insofar as necessary to serve the website.
• Professional advisors: We may share data with our accountants, lawyers, or auditors to the extent necessary for professional advice, subject to their own confidentiality obligations.

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal data. We do not share personal data with third parties for their marketing purposes.

7. International Transfers

Your data may be transferred to servers located outside Canada in the following circumstances:

• Contact form submissions are processed by FormSubmit, which is based in the United States. By using the contact form, you consent to this transfer.

For EU/EEA residents, international transfers are conducted in compliance with GDPR, including the use of appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses or adequacy decisions where applicable.

8. Retention Periods

• Contact form inquiries: 12 months from the date of submission, then permanently deleted.
• Client project files: 36 months (3 years) from the date of final delivery, then permanently deleted.
• Tax and financial records: 7 years, as required by the Canada Revenue Agency and applicable tax legislation.
• Consent records: Retained for as long as the consent is valid, plus 12 months.

9. Your Rights

Under PIPEDA and, where applicable, the GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of access: You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification: You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to erasure: You may request deletion of your data, subject to legal retention obligations.
• Right to data portability: You may request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Right to restrict processing: You may request that we limit how we use your data.
• Right to object: You may object to processing based on legitimate interest.
• Right to withdraw consent: You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before withdrawal.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@auralisassociates.com. We will respond within 30 calendar days.

10. Right to Object

You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interest as the legal basis. Upon receiving your objection, we will cease processing unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests, rights, and freedoms, or the processing is necessary for legal claims.

11. Automated Decision-Making

We do not use automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects on individuals.

12. Children

Our services are not directed at children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal data from individuals under 18. All interview subjects in our investigative and media work must be at least 18 years old. If we learn that we have collected personal data from an individual under 18, we will delete it promptly.

13. Cookies and Local Storage

This website uses browser localStorage to store your cookie consent preferences. We do not currently use traditional HTTP cookies, third-party tracking scripts, or analytics services. For details, see our Cookie Policy.

14. Security Measures

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS), access controls, regular security reviews, and secure file storage. While we take reasonable precautions, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure.

15. Complaints

If you are dissatisfied with how we handle your personal data, you may file a complaint with:

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC)
30 Victoria Street, Gatineau, QC K1A 1H3
Website: https://www.priv.gc.ca

If you are located in the EU/EEA, you may also file a complaint with your local data protection authority.

16. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated policy will be posted on this page with a revised effective date. Material changes will be communicated to affected individuals by email where feasible. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

For questions about this policy, contact us at hello@auralisassociates.com. See also our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy.