Privacy Policy

Our Commitment

Indigenous Opportunities Platform (IOPPS) is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information with care and respect. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our platform.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

When you create an account or use our services, you may provide:

• Account information (name, email address, password)
• Profile information (location, skills, experience, education)
• Employment information (job applications, resumes, work history)
• Business information (for employers and vendors)
• Indigenous affiliation information (optional and kept private)
• Communications with us or other users

1.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you use our platform, we automatically collect:

• Device information (browser type, operating system)
• Usage data (pages visited, features used, time spent)
• Log data (IP address, access times, error logs)
• Authentication data through Firebase Authentication

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve our services
• Create and manage your account
• Connect job seekers with employers
• Connect community members with Indigenous-owned businesses
• Process job applications and manage recruitment
• Send you notifications about your account and activities
• Respond to your questions and provide customer support
• Ensure platform security and prevent fraud
• Comply with legal obligations
• Analyze platform usage to improve user experience

3. Artificial Intelligence and Automated Processing

IOPPS uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies to enhance our services:

3.1 AI-Powered Features

• Job Description Generator: Employers can use AI to generate job descriptions based on job titles and requirements. This uses Google Gemini AI.
• Poster/Flyer Analysis: Our AI can extract event information from uploaded images of pow wow posters, conference flyers, and scholarship announcements.
• Content Recommendations: We may use automated systems to recommend relevant jobs, events, and opportunities based on your profile and activity.

3.2 How AI Processes Your Data

• AI features are processed through Google's Gemini API
• Uploaded images for poster analysis are sent to Google's servers for processing
• Job details provided for AI generation are processed by Google's AI models
• We do not use your personal profile data to train AI models
• AI-generated content is clearly identified and can be edited before use

3.3 Your AI Choices

Use of AI features is optional. You can always manually enter information instead of using AI-powered tools. If you have concerns about AI processing, contact us at nathan.arias@iopps.ca.

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

4.1 With Other Users

Certain information is shared with other users:

• Job seekers: Your profile information (name, location, skills, experience, resume) is visible to employers when you apply to jobs
• Employers: Your business profile and job postings are publicly visible
• Vendors: Your business profile and offerings are publicly visible in the Shop Indigenous marketplace
• Private information: Your Indigenous affiliation and internal notes are NEVER shared without your explicit consent

4.2 With Service Providers

We work with third-party service providers:

• Firebase (Google) for authentication, database, and file storage
• Hosting and infrastructure providers
• Analytics services to understand platform usage

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or government regulation, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect rights, property, or safety.

5. Payment Processing

IOPPS uses Stripe, a third-party payment processor, to handle all financial transactions:

5.1 What Stripe Collects

• Payment card information (card number, expiration, CVV)
• Billing name and address
• Transaction history and amounts
• Device and browser information for fraud prevention

5.2 How Payments Work

• Subscriptions: Employer subscription payments for job posting credits
• Conference Registration: Payments for conference tickets and registrations
• Training Programs: Purchases for professional development and training courses
• Vendor Products: Payments for products in the Shop Indigenous marketplace

5.3 Payment Security

IOPPS never stores your full credit card details. All payment information is processed securely by Stripe, which is PCI-DSS Level 1 certified. We only receive confirmation of successful payments and basic transaction details needed for our records.

For more information about how Stripe handles your data, please review Stripe's Privacy Policy.

6. Cookies and Local Storage

IOPPS uses cookies and similar technologies to provide and improve our services:

6.1 Essential Cookies

• Authentication: Firebase authentication tokens to keep you logged in
• Session management: Maintaining your session state across page visits
• Security: Protecting against cross-site request forgery and other attacks

6.2 Functional Cookies

• Preferences: Remembering your display and notification preferences
• Saved searches: Storing your job search filters and saved jobs
• Theme settings: Remembering your visual preferences

6.3 Analytics Cookies

• Firebase Analytics: Understanding how users interact with our platform
• Performance monitoring: Tracking page load times and errors

6.4 Third-Party Cookies

Some features embed third-party content that may set their own cookies:

• YouTube: Live stream embeds may set Google/YouTube cookies for video playback and analytics
• Stripe: Payment forms may set cookies for fraud prevention

6.5 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling essential cookies may prevent you from using certain features of our platform, such as logging in.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Secure authentication through Firebase Auth
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Access controls and user permissions
• Secure cloud storage through Firebase/Google Cloud

However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information.

8. Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your information:

• Access: You can view and access your personal information through your account settings
• Update: You can update your profile information at any time
• Delete: You can request deletion of your account and associated data by contacting us
• Opt-out: You can opt out of certain communications through your account settings
• Data portability: You can request a copy of your data in a portable format

9. Indigenous Data Sovereignty

We recognize and respect Indigenous data sovereignty principles:

• Indigenous affiliation information is collected only with explicit consent
• This information is kept strictly private and used only for internal matching purposes
• You maintain control over whether and how this information is shared
• We are committed to the OCAP® principles: Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession of Indigenous data
• We respect the right of Indigenous communities to govern the collection, use, and disclosure of their data

10. Children's Privacy

Our platform is not intended for users under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child under 16, we will take steps to delete it.

11. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as:

• Your account is active
• Needed to provide you services
• Required to comply with legal obligations
• Necessary to resolve disputes or enforce our agreements

When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

12. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have different data protection laws. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the platform after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Canadian Privacy Law (PIPEDA)

IOPPS is committed to compliance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy legislation:

14.1 Your PIPEDA Rights

As a Canadian user, you have the right to:

• Know why your personal information is being collected
• Know how your information will be used
• Expect your information to be used only for the stated purposes
• Access your personal information and challenge its accuracy
• File a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

14.2 Consent

We obtain your consent before collecting, using, or disclosing your personal information, except where permitted or required by law. By using our platform, you consent to our collection and use of your information as described in this policy. You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us or deleting your account.

14.3 Privacy Commissioner

If you have concerns about our privacy practices that we have not addressed to your satisfaction, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at www.priv.gc.ca.

15. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us: