Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

The United Provinces of Western Canada ("UP Analytics", "TheUP.ca", "we", "us") is committed to protecting your privacy while facilitating democratic participation. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information.

This is a civic participation platform, not a government or commercial entity. We do not sell or share your personal data for commercial purposes.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account Information

When you create an account via Clerk authentication, we collect:

• Email address
• Name (optional)
• Profile picture (if provided via OAuth)
• Clerk User ID (for account management)

2.2 Demographic Information

When you complete your profile, we collect anonymous demographic data including:

• Province/Territory of residence
• Urban/Rural/Remote location type
• Postal code prefix (optional)
• Age range
• Gender identity
• Citizenship/Residency status
• Education level
• Employment sector
• Housing situation
• Years in current province
• Voter status and political affiliation
• Indigenous identity (optional)

2.3 Poll Responses

We collect your responses to polls, including answer choices, willingness to change opinion, and optional comments (maximum 500 characters).

3. How We Use Your Information

3.1 Data Separation

Your poll responses are stored separately from your identifying information. We take technical precautions to ensure your data cannot be used to trace your identity to your votes.

3.2 Demographic Analysis

Anonymous demographic data is used to:

• Aggregate poll results by demographic categories
• Generate statistical insights about Western Canadian perspectives
• Inform policy research and public discourse
• Create visual representations of regional sentiment

3.3 Platform Improvement

We use aggregated, non-identifying data to improve platform functionality, user experience, and content relevance.

4. Data Storage & Security

4.1 Storage

Your data is stored in MongoDB databases with industry-standard encryption. Authentication is managed through Clerk, a third-party authentication provider with SOC 2 Type II compliance.

4.2 Security Measures

We implement:

• Encryption for data in transit and at rest
• Secure authentication protocols
• Regular security monitoring
• Access controls and audit logging

4.3 Security Limitations

Important: No system is completely immune to attack, especially when facing:

• Targeted surveillance
• Government overreach
• Coordinated cyber attacks

We cannot guarantee against unauthorized breaches or the use of force by hostile actors. By using this platform, you acknowledge and accept these inherent risks.

5. Data Sharing & Disclosure

5.1 What We Don't Do

We will NEVER:

• Sell your personal data
• Share identifying information for commercial purposes
• Publicly disclose your individual responses linked to your identity

5.2 Anonymous Data Publication

We may publish:

• Aggregated poll results by demographic categories
• Statistical analyses of regional sentiment
• Anonymized comments (with personal information removed)

5.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our platform, users, or the public.

6. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Update or correct your demographic information
• Delete your account and associated data
• Withdraw consent for data collection (by deleting your account)
• Opt out of optional data fields

7. Cookies & Tracking

We use minimal cookies for:

• Session management (keeping you logged in)
• Authentication via Clerk
• Basic analytics (page views, navigation patterns)

We do not use third-party advertising trackers or sell cookie data.

8. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

• Clerk: Authentication and user management (see Clerk's Privacy Policy)
• Vercel: Hosting and deployment infrastructure
• MongoDB Atlas: Database storage

Each of these services has their own privacy policies. We recommend reviewing them.

9. Children's Privacy

This platform is intended for individuals who are at least 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. Voting features require users to be at least 18 years old.

10. Data Retention

We retain your account and demographic data for as long as your account is active. Poll responses are retained indefinitely for historical analysis. If you delete your account, your identifying information is removed, but anonymous poll data may be retained for statistical purposes.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Significant changes will be communicated via the platform. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Information

There is currently no contact mechanism available. The United Provinces of Western Canada will be available for contact in early 2026.

Updates to contact information will be posted on this page when available.

13. Commitment to Democratic Values

UP Analytics is a constitutional movement, not a corporate product. We exist to give the public a voice, not to profit from your data.

If our platform is ever attacked or undermined by political forces, we will expose such actions publicly, defend your rights to the best of our legal and technical ability, and treat any attack on our users as an attack on Canadian democracy.