Privacy Policy

Date of initial publication: July 12, 2026
Last modified: July 13, 2026

This privacy policy describes how The Boondocker collects, uses, retains, and protects the personal information of visitors to this website.

Data controller

The party responsible for processing the personal information collected on this site is:

Fred Giroux
The Boondocker
85 rue des Flandres
Waterloo, QC
Canada, J0E 2N0

You can send any questions about the protection of personal information to [email protected].

Personal information collected

Depending on how you interact with the site, we may collect the following categories of personal information.

When contacting us (email, form, or phone)

When you contact us, we may collect:

  • Your first and last name (if provided)
  • A username or alias
  • Your email address
  • Your phone number (if provided)
  • Your IP address
  • Information related to your activity on the site (pages viewed, interactions)
  • Approximate location data (e.g., country or region)

This information is used solely to respond to your request or to provide any necessary follow-up.

Comments and user account

When you leave a comment, we may collect and retain the following information:

  • Your display name (or alias)
  • Your email address (not displayed publicly)
  • The content of your comment
  • Your IP address and certain technical data (e.g., browser) in order to prevent spam and ensure site security

If you create an account on the site, we also retain the information associated with that account (e.g., display name, email address, and profile settings).

Signing in via Google

If you choose to sign in via Google, we receive from that provider the information needed for authentication and for creating or linking your account on our site, generally:

  • A unique identifier associated with your account with that provider
  • Your display name
  • Your email address
  • Your profile picture (if provided)

This information is used solely to let you sign in and to identify your comments. You may revoke access at any time from your Google account or request deletion of your account on our site.

Communications related to the AI assistant

When you sign up for the AI assistant, we ask whether you would like to receive updates about the service. If you consent, we collect and retain:

  • Your first name
  • Your last name
  • Your email address

This information is used solely to send you communications related to the AI assistant (for example, news or service improvements) and is retained along with your account information.

This consent is optional and is not a condition of using the AI assistant. You may withdraw it at any time by changing your preferences in the AI assistant’s settings, with no effect on your access to the service.

Directory (listings, claiming, reviews, and uploads)

When you use the Site’s directory—for example, to create an account, submit a listing, claim a listing, publish a review, or upload files—we may collect certain information to administer the directory, prevent abuse, and ensure content quality. Submitted content may be moderated before publication.

  • Account information
    Email address, display name or alias, and technical identifiers linked to the account. Passwords are managed in encrypted form.
  • Directory listing information
    Business or service name, description, contact details (phone, email), address, city or region, postal or ZIP code, service areas, links (website and social media), and any other information you choose to provide.
  • Uploads
    Images and files added to a listing, as well as technical metadata (file type, size, upload date). We recommend avoiding uploading files that contain sensitive information. In the case of images, certain metadata may be embedded in the file.
  • Claiming a listing
    Information provided in the claim form and information necessary to process the request. The status of the request (pending, approved, denied) and certain administrative tracking details may be retained.
  • Reviews and ratings
    Published content (text, rating, date), as well as technical information that may be used for spam prevention and security purposes, such as IP address and user agent.
  • Search and filters
    Criteria entered or selected when searching the directory (for example, a city, region, or postal/ZIP code), to provide relevant results and improve the service.
  • Visibility and restrictions
    Depending on the directory’s settings, certain listing information may be displayed publicly. Some fields or content may also be restricted to authorized users depending on the restrictions applied.

The Site does not collect payment information in connection with the directory, since creating listings is free of charge.

Use of information

We may use the personal information we collect to:

  • Respond to requests submitted through the site
  • Send you, with your consent, updates about the AI assistant
  • Improve content, performance, and user experience
  • Ensure the security and proper functioning of the site
  • Comply with applicable legal obligations
  • Administer the directory and process listing submissions, claim requests, moderation, spam prevention, and management of related accounts

The processing of personal information is based, depending on the case, on the following:

  • Your consent
  • Our legitimate interest in ensuring the security and improvement of the site
  • The performance of a service you have requested
  • Compliance with legal obligations

Cookies and similar technologies

The site uses only cookies that are strictly necessary for its operation and security. In accordance with Quebec’s Act to modernize legislative provisions as regards the protection of personal information (better known as Law 25), these cookies are exempt from prior consent, and the site does not place any audience-measurement, advertising, or tracking cookies. You may manage or delete cookies at any time through your browser settings.

For more details, please refer to our cookie policy: https://theboondocker.com/cookie-policy

Sharing of information

Information that is not personal or identifying in nature may be shared with third-party service providers necessary for the operation of the site, including:

  • Site hosting
  • Analytics and statistics tools
  • Communication services
  • Mapping services (OpenStreetMap)
  • Authentication services (sign-in via Google or another provider)
  • Security services

These providers process information only in accordance with our instructions and in compliance with applicable laws.

Subcontracting and cloud services

We use service providers to operate the site and offer certain features. For example, these providers may contribute to hosting (OVHcloud, Beauharnois, Quebec, Canada), content delivery and security (e.g., content delivery network), performance, traffic analysis, user authentication (sign-in via Google), or the technical management of the site.

These providers may have access to certain personal information only to the extent necessary to provide their service. They are required to protect this information through reasonable security measures and to limit its use to the intended purposes.

Transfers outside Quebec

The site’s primary hosting is located in Quebec. However, certain providers (for example, content delivery, security, or authentication services) may process or host personal information outside Quebec. In these cases, we assess the sensitivity of the information, the purposes for which we use it, and the protective measures we have in place.

We take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information remains protected, including when processing or hosting takes place outside Quebec.

Retention of information

Personal information is retained only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Rights of data subjects

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

  • Right of access
  • Right of rectification
  • Right to erasure
  • Right to restriction of processing
  • Right to object
  • Right to withdraw consent

To exercise your rights, you may contact us at [email protected].

Minors and vulnerable persons

The site is for the general public and not for children. We do not knowingly seek to collect personal information from minors.

If you believe a minor has provided us with personal information, please contact us. We will assess the situation and take appropriate measures, including deletion if necessary.

Security

Reasonable security measures are in place to protect personal information against unauthorized access, loss, or disclosure.

Logging and traceability

For security, stability, and diagnostic purposes, certain technical information may be recorded automatically. This may include IP address, date and time, server requests, and certain security-related events.

These logs are used, among other things, to prevent fraud, detect suspicious activity, protect the site, and investigate incidents. Access to these logs is limited to authorized personnel and, where necessary, to technical providers who must access them to deliver the service.

Privacy incidents

In the event of a privacy incident involving personal information, we follow a process aimed at limiting the impact, correcting the cause, and documenting the event.

Where required, we will notify affected individuals and the relevant authorities in accordance with applicable obligations.

To responsibly report a security vulnerability on the site, please refer to our “Responsible Disclosure of Security Incidents” page.

Automated decision-making and profiling

We do not use fully automated decision-making processes that produce legal effects or significantly affect you.

We may, however, use analytics tools and traffic statistics to better understand how you use the site and to improve its content. Where and if we introduce advertising or measurement features, we will configure them to respect your consent choices.

Changes to this policy

This policy may be updated to reflect changes made to the site or to legal requirements.

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