Personal Information Protection Policy
the OZ, known as the oz., is a Marijuana Media Company based in the Okanagan Valley that sends out a newsletter covering cannabis. Our website address is okanaganz.com.
We are committed to providing our subscriberswith exceptional service. As providing this service involves the collection, use and disclosure of some personal information about our subscribers, protecting their personal information is one of our highest priorities.
While we have always respected our subscribers’privacy and safeguarded their personal information, we have strengthened our commitment to protecting personal information as a result of British Columbia’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). PIPA, which came into effect on January 1, 2004, sets out the ground rules for how B.C. businesses and not-for-profit organizations may collect, use and disclose personal information.
We will inform our subscribersof why and how we collect, use and disclose their personal information, obtain their consent where required, and only handle their personal information in a manner that a reasonable person would consider appropriate in the circumstances.
This Personal Information Protection Policy, in compliance with PIPA, outlines the principles and practices we will follow in protecting subscriberspersonal information. Our privacy commitment includes ensuring the accuracy, confidentiality, and security of oursubscriberspersonal information and allowing our subscribersto request access to, and correction of, their personal information.
Definitions
Personal Information –means information about an identifiableindividual. Personal information does not include contact information (described below).
Contact information – means information that would enable an individual to be contacted at a place of business and includes name, position name or title, business telephone number, business address, business email or business fax number. Contact information is not covered by this policy or PIPA.
Privacy Officer– means the individual designated responsibility for ensuring that the OZ.complies with this policy and PIPA.
Policy 1 – Collecting Personal Information
1.1 Unless the purposes for collecting personal information are obvious and the subscribersvoluntarily provides his or her personal information for those purposes, we will communicate the purposes for which personal information is being collected, either orally or in writing, before or at the time of collection.
1.2 We will only collect subscribersinformation that is necessary to fulfill the following purposes:
- To verify identity;
- To identify subscriberpreferences;
- To understand the information needs of our subscribers;
- To open and manage an account;
- To deliver requested products and services
- To process a subscription;
- To contact our subscribersfor fundraising;
- To ensure a high standard of service to our subscribers;
Policy 2 – Consent
2.1 We will obtain subscribersconsent to collect, use or disclose personal information (except where, as noted below, we are authorized to do so without consent).
2.2 Consent can be providedin writing and/or electronically or it can be implied where the purpose for collecting using or disclosing the personal information would be considered obvious and the subscribervoluntarily provides personal information for that purpose.
2.3 Consent may also be implied where a subscriberis given notice and a reasonable opportunity to opt-out of his or her personal information being used for mail-outs, the marketing of new services or products, fundraisingand the subscriber does not opt-out.
2.4 Subject to certain exceptions (e.g., the personal information is necessary to provide the service or product, or the withdrawal of consent would frustrate the performance of a legal obligation subscriberscan withhold or withdraw their consent for the OZto use their personal information in certain ways. A subscriber’sdecision to withhold or withdraw their consent to certain uses of personal information may restrict our ability to provide a particular service or product. If so, we will explain the situation to assist the subscriber in making the decision.
2.5 We may collect, use or disclose personal information without the subscriber’sknowledge or consent in the following limited circumstances:
- When the collection, use or disclosure of personal information is permitted or required by law;
- When the personal information is available from a public source (e.g., a telephone directory);
- When we require legal advice from a lawyer;
- To protect ourselves from fraud;
- To investigate an anticipated breach of an agreement or a contravention of law
Policy 3 – Using and Disclosing Personal Information
3.1 We will only use or disclose subscriberspersonal information where necessary to fulfill the purposes identified at the time of collection or for a purpose reasonably related to those purposes such as:
- To conduct client, customer, member surveys in order to enhance the provision of our services;
- To contact our subscribersdirectly about products and services that may be of interest;]
3.2 We will not use or disclose subscriberspersonal information for any additional purpose unless we obtain consent to do so.
3.3 We will not sell subscriberslists or personal information to other parties unless we have consent to do so.
Policy 4 – Retaining Personal Information
4.1 If we use subscriberspersonal information to make a decision that directly affects subscribers,we will retain that personal information for at least one year so that the subscriberhas a reasonable opportunity to request access to it.
4.2 Subject to policy 4.1, we will retain subscriberspersonal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the identified purposes or a legal or business purpose.
Policy 5 – Ensuring Accuracy of Personal Information
5.1 We will make reasonable efforts to ensure that subscribers’personal information is accurate and complete where it may be used to make a decision about the subscribersor disclosed to another organization.
5.2 Subscribersmay request correction to their personal information in order to ensure its accuracy and completeness. A request to correct personal information must be made in writing and provide sufficient detail to identify the personal information and the correction being sought.
5.3 If the personal information is demonstrated to be inaccurate or incomplete, we will correct the information as required and send the corrected information to any organization to which we disclosed the personal information in the previous year. If the correction is not made, we will note the subscribers’correction request in the file.
Policy 6 – Securing Personal Information
6.1 We are committed to ensuring the security of subscribers’personal information in order to protect it from unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification or disposal or similar risks.
6.2 The following security measures will be followed to ensure that subscribers’personal information is appropriately protected:
- the use of user IDs, passwords, encryption, firewalls;
- restricting employee access to personal information as appropriate.
6.3 We will use appropriate security measures when destroying subscribers’personal information such asdeleting electronically stored information].
6.4 We will continually review and update our security policies and controls as technology changes to ensure ongoing personal information security.
Policy 7 – Providing Subscribers’Access to Personal Information
7.1 Subscribershave a right to access their personal information, subject to limited exceptions.
7.2 A request to access personal information must be made in writing and provide sufficient detail to identify the personal information being sought.
7.3 Upon request, we will also tell subscribershow we use their personal information and to whom it has been disclosed if applicable.
7.4 We will make the requested information available within 30 business days, or provide written notice of an extension where additional time is required to fulfill the request.
7.5 A minimal fee may be charged for providing access to personal information. Where a fee may apply, we will inform the subscriberof the cost and request further direction from the subscriberon whether or not we should proceed with the request.
7.6 If a request is refused in full or in part, we will notify the subscriberin writing, providing the reasons for refusal and the recourse available to the subscriber.
Policy 8 – Questions and Complaints: The Role of the Privacy Officer or designated individual
8.1 The publisher is responsible for ensuring the OZ’scompliance with this policy and the Personal Information Protection Act.
8.2 Subscribersshould direct any complaints, concerns or questions regarding the OZ’scompliance in writing to the Privacy Officer. If the Privacy Officer is unable to resolve the concern, the subscribermay also write to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia.
Contact information for the OZ’s publisher is: