Gvota Personal Information Protection Policy

1. Consent

Your knowledge and consent is required for the collection, use or disclosure of personal information, except where inappropriate. (For example, legal, medical, or security reasons may make it impossible or impractical to seek consent.)

VTD will not, as a condition of the supply of a product or service, require a User to consent to the collection, use, or disclosure of information beyond that required to fulfil the specified purposes.

Individuals can give consent in many ways. For example, an online application form may be used to seek consent, collect information and inform the User of the use that will be made of the information. By completing and sending the form, the User is giving consent to the collection, use and communication of its personal information for the specified purposes.

A User may withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions, as the case may be, and reasonable notice. VTD will inform the User of the implications of such withdrawal.

2. Collection

What personal information does VTD collect from Users?

When registering on the Platform, publishing requests for proposals, subscribing to a newsletter, filling out a form or entering information via the Platform, as appropriate, you may be asked to enter your name, email address, mailing address, phone number or other details to help you with your experience.

The collection of personal information will be limited to that which is necessary for the specified purposes. By providing personal information to VTD, the User understands and agrees that:

• the purpose of its Customer account and the personal information which it contains is to allow the Customer to obtain products and services from selectedSuppliers, to facilitate the delivery of products and services by the selectedSuppliers and to help VTD and Suppliers improve their products and services by allowing them to analyze certain personal information, such as the location of the Customers;
• the categories of persons who will have access to personal information within VTD shall be restricted to those who necessarily require them for the specified purposes;
• the place where User accounts will be kept is a server controlled by VTD; and
• the User may access its User account and the personal information contained in it and correct such personal information, as required.

Does VTD use 'cookies'?

Yes. Cookies are small files that a site or its service provider transfers to your computer's hard drive through your Web browser (if you allow) that enables the site's or service provider's systems to recognize your browser and capture and remember certain information. For instance, VTD uses cookies to help us remember and process the items in your shopping cart. They are also used to help us understand your preferences based on previous or current site activity, which enables us to provide you with improved services. VTD also uses cookies to help us compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interaction so that VTD can offer better site experiences and tools in the future.

VTD uses cookies to:

• identify logged-in users to implement website functionality;
• understand and save User's preferences for future visits;
• keep track of advertisements;
• compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interactions in order to offer better site experiences and tools in the future. VTD may also use trusted third party services that track this information on VTD behalf.

You can choose to have your computer warn you each time a cookie is being sent, or you can choose to turn off all cookies. You do this through your browser (like Internet Explorer) settings. Each browser is a little different, so look at your browser's Help menu to learn the correct way to modify your cookies.

3. Use, communication and retention

How does VTD use your information?

VTD may use the information it collects from you when you register, publish request for proposals, sign up for VTD newsletter, respond to a survey or marketing communication, or use certain other features of the Platform in order to:

• personalize User's experience and to allow VTD to deliver the type of content and product offerings in which you are most interested;
• improve VTD Platform in order to better serve you;
• allow VTD to better serve you in responding to your customer service requests;
• publish and process requests for proposals and proposals and send information, notifications and updates pertaining to such requests for proposals and proposals;
• send periodic emails regarding requests for proposals, proposals or other products and services;
• send information, respond to inquiries, and/or other requests or questions; and
• market to VTD mailing list or continue to send emails to VTD clients after the original transaction has occurred.

Personal information will not be used or disclosed for purposes other than for the specified purposes, except with the consent of the User or as required by law.

Retention, use and non-communication of information

• VTD will take the security measures necessary to ensure the protection of the personal information collected, used, communicated, kept or destroyed and that are reasonable given the sensitivity of the information, the purposes for which it is to be used, the quantity and distribution of the information and the medium on which it is stored.
• VTD will not communicate to a third party the personal information contained in any User account, or use it for purposes not relevant to the specified purposes, unless the User consents thereto or such communication or use is provided for by law.
• VTD, if it communicates personal information outside Québec or entrusts a person outside Québec with the task of holding, using or communicating personal information on his behalf will first take all reasonable steps to ensure that the information will not be used for purposes not relevant to the specified purpose or the User account or communicated to third parties without the consent of the User, unless otherwise permitted by law.
• VTD complies with Canada’s anti-spam legislation, and, in respect of commercial electronic message sent by email, will:
  • not use false, or misleading subjects or email addresses;
  • identify the message as a commercial electronic message in some reasonable way;
  • monitor third party email marketing services for compliance, if one is used;
  • honor opt-out/unsubscribe requests quickly; and
  • allow Users to unsubscribe by using the link at the bottom of each commercial electronic message.

Communication to third parties

• Each User consents to the communication of his personal information to any of VTD’s affiliates and to any Suppliers that submitted proposals accepted by such User further to a request of proposals that he published, so that the Supplier may then communicate with the Customer.
• VTD’s authorized employees, mandataries or agents or any party to a contract for work or services may have access to personal information without the consent of the User if the information is needed for the performance of their duties or the carrying out of their mandates or contracts.
• VTD may, without the consent of the concerned Users, use, for its own commercial or philanthropic prospection purposes, a nominative list of its clients or employees, in which case VTD shall grant the concerned Users a valid opportunity to refuse that the information concerning them be used for such purposes.
• If VTD, on the basis of a nominative list, engages in commercial or philanthropic prospection, it will identify itself and inform the User to whom it is addressing itself of the latter's right to have the personal information concerning him deleted from the list that it holds. For that purpose, VTD will provide the User with a geographical or technological address, depending on the means of communication used, where a request to have personal information deleted from the nominative list may be sent.
• A User who wishes to have any of his personal information deleted from a nominative list may do so at any time by making a request to VTD.

Advertising

1. Google
   • Google's advertising requirements can be summed up by Google's Advertising Principles. They are put in place to provide a positive experience for users. See Google Ads policies
   • VTD uses Google AdSense Advertising on our website.
   • Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on our site. Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to our users based on their visit to our site and other sites on the Internet. Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy.
   • VTD has implemented the following:
     • Remarketing with Google AdSense
     • Google Display Network Impression Reporting
     • Demographics and Interests Reporting
     • DoubleClick Platform Integration
   • VTD along with third-party vendors, such as Google use first-party cookies (such as the Google Analytics cookies) and third-party cookies (such as the DoubleClick cookie) or other third-party identifiers together to compile data regarding user interactions with ad impressions, and other ad service functions as they relate to our website.
   • Opting out:
     • Users can set preferences for how Google advertises to you using the Google Ad Settings page. Alternatively, you can opt out by visiting the Network Advertising initiative opt out page or permanently using the Google Analytics Opt Out Browser add on.

4. Access

Any User who has a User account may access the personal information which VTD has retained regarding him by consulting the control panel of his User account.

Upon request, any User will be informed of the existence, use, and disclosure of his or her personal information and will be given access to that information. All Users will be able to challenge the accuracy and completeness of their personal information and have it amended as appropriate.

General provisions

• VTD will, at the request of a User who has a User account, confirm the existence of the account and communicate to the User any personal information concerning him.
• No request for access or rectification may be considered unless it is made in writing by a User who proves that he is the User concerned or the representative, heir or successor of that User, the liquidator of the succession, or the person having parental authority if the User is a minor. This section does not limit the communication of personal information to a User or the rectification of that information as a result of a service to be provided to the User.
• VTD, when dealing with a User account that is the subject of a request for access or rectification by a User, will respond to that request with diligence after receipt of the request.

Restrictions on access

• Upon request, VTD will inform a User whether or not VTD holds personal information about the User and may indicate the source of this information. VTD will allow the User access to this information. In addition, VTD will provide an account of the use that has been made or is being made of this information and an account of the third parties to which it has been disclosed.
• A User may be required to provide sufficient information to permit VTD to provide an account of the existence, use, and disclosure of personal information. The information provided will only be used for this purpose

How does VTD protect your Personal Information?

Your personal information is contained behind secured networks and is only accessible by a limited number of persons who have special access rights to such systems, and are required to keep the information confidential. In addition, all sensitive information you supply is encrypted via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology.

VTD implements a variety of security measures when a User publishes a request for proposals, submits or accesses their information to maintain the safety of your personal information.

All transactions are processed through a gateway provider and are not stored or processed on VTD servers.

References to Third Parties

VTD includes or offers references to third party products or services on the Platform. These third party sites have separate and independent privacy policies. VTD therefore have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these linked sites. Nonetheless, VTD seek to protect the integrity of our site and welcome any feedback about these sites.

5. Challenging compliance

Any User may address a complaint concerning compliance with this Policy to the designated individual or individuals accountable for VTD’s compliance.

VTD has put procedures in place to receive and respond to complaints or inquiries about their policies and practices relating to the handling of personal information.

VTD will investigate all complaints. If a complaint is found to be justified, VTD will take appropriate measures, including, if necessary, amending its policies and practices.

All complaints or request regarding the protection of personal information shall be sent by e-mail to support@gvota.com.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Policy, VTD’s sole duty towards any User whose personal information is retained by VTD in the event of any present or future non-compliance of VTD with this Policy is limited to providing access to, correcting or deleting the concerned personal information.