|
Privacy on the Internet
This privacy statement is applicable to all Startcom web-sites. The
Startcom respects the privacy of its Internet users and will
protect that privacy as vigorously as possible.
Startcom does not collect information that personally
identifies individuals except when individuals provide such
specific information on a voluntary basis. There may be
occasions where specific personal information is requested
before an individual can enter certain sections of a Startcom
site. For example, registration is needed to participate in
any Startcom online forum. Information requested in order to
personalize the Startcom.net homepage or any other Startcom
site section would be a similar example.
In all such cases, Startcom will collect only information that
is voluntarily provided by the user and undertakes that such
information will be kept strictly confidential. Individual
information provided to the Startcom to gain access to any
feature of a Startcom site will not be sold or made available
to a third party.
Startcom does reserve the right, however, to perform
statistical analyses of user behaviour and characteristics, in
order to measure interest in and use of the various sections
of its sites so as to improve design and navigation and to
gather marketing information. Only aggregated data from these
analyses, not individual data, will be used for this purpose. |
|
Privacy Protection in Canada
This privacy policy has been
developed to meet the compliance standards established by
Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic
Documents Act, the CSA Model for the Protection of Personal
Privacy and OECD's Guidelines on the Protection of Privacy and
Transborder Flows of Personal Data.
Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents
Act, formerly referred to as Bill C-6 is essentially about
balance. On one hand, it respects an individual's right to
privacy while on the other, it recognizes the need for
industry and organizations to collect, use and disclose
personal information. This law as its name suggests,
encompasses two primary objectives. The first objective is to
establish rules that govern the collection, use and disclosure
of personal information by private sector organizations. The
second objective is to acknowledge the validity and legality
of electronic documents. This federal law will significantly impact the way private
businesses, corporations, federal agencies, not-for-profit
organizations and associations handle the personal information
with which they have been entrusted. At the same time, it will
clearly establish a code of privacy practices that will
provide Canadians from coast to coast with a mechanism to
ensure their personal information is handled respectfully. The heart of this Act is based on the Ten Principles
established by the Canadian Standards Association's Model Code
for the Protection of Personal Information. These principles
were recognized as a Canadian standard in 1996 and address the
ways in which organizations should collect, use and disclose
personal information. They also address an individual's right
to access his/her personal information in addition to his/her
right to have it amended where appropriate.
In order to govern the commercial information-handling
practices within provincial jurisdictions, each province has
been encouraged to enact legislation that is substantially
similar to the federal law. Quebec enacted comparable
legislation in 1994 called an Act Respecting the Protection of
Personal Information in the Private Sector. As other provinces
enact similar legislation, organizations conducting commercial
activity within a province will be subject to the provisions
of their provincial laws rather than the federal Act. However,
the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents
Act will continue to regulate cross-border, inter-provincial
and international trade and commerce. The implementation of this federal law relating to privacy
will occur in three stages. The first phase, which is
effective as of January 1, 2001 will affect
federally-regulated private organizations including Canadian
banks and airlines as well as to organizations that collect,
use or disclose personal information for profit on an
inter-provincial or international basis. On January 1, 2002,
this law will be extended to cover personal health
information. Two years later on January 1, 2004, most
organizations regardless of their size, which collect, use or
disclose personal information in the course of commercial
activity, will become subject to the provisions of this Act. |
|
Cookies
As well, users should be aware
that certain non-personal information and data may be
automatically collected by the Startcom through the operation
of what are called "cookies". "Cookies" are small text files
that identify an individual computer's browser entering a web
site. They allow the site to track that browser's movement
through the site over several sessions. Through cookies, a web
site can recognize repeat users, facilitate the user's access
to and use of the site and allow a site to track usage
behaviour that will allow content improvements. How do we use this information?
The basic user information collected is used to help us
analyze web traffic and to improve the content of our web
site. Cookies may be used to facilitate your customer
interaction with us. For example, we may use a cookie on the
landing page of products sold online which record the customer
information that is required on the order form, and then
forward this information to our internal sales tracking
database. We will only ask that you provide personal information if it
is required to provide you with the service you have
requested. This type of information is collected only with
your consent and it is not used for any purpose other than
what was originally disclosed to you. The Startcom uses
cookies only for the above-mentioned purposes and will not use
them to identify users or to track non-Startcom usage. While you are a Startcom customer, we manage information with
regard to your account status, choice of services, and
customer logs. In addition, we may store customers' electronic
mail and other communications as a necessary incident to the
transmission and delivery of those communications. If you do not want a cookie placed on your computer by the
Startcom, you may disable cookies altogether by modifying the
Preferences section of your Netscape or Internet Explorer
browser (under Edit/Preferences/Advanced). Note that it is
possible that some aspects of Startcom sites may be
unavailable to you if you choose this option.
If you have no problem accepting cookies, but wish to be
informed of their appearance, you may turn on a warning prompt
by modifying the cookie warning section in
Edit/Preferences/Advanced. If you would like to learn more
about how to set your cookie options, please refer to your
browser's documentation or online help for instructions.
Please note, however, that Startcom reserves the right to send
bulletins and other important information regarding our
services at our discretion. |
