Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

MaplePass ("we," "us," or "our") operates the website getmaplepass.com and provides a document preparation service for Canadian citizenship applications under Bill C-3. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or use our services.

By using MaplePass, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access the site or use our services.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information that you provide directly to us, as well as information collected automatically when you use our service.

2.1 Personal Information You Provide

• Identity information: Full legal name, date of birth, place of birth, gender, and current address.
• Contact information: Email address and phone number.
• Ancestry and family data: Names, birth dates, birthplaces, and citizenship status of your parents, grandparents, and other ancestors relevant to establishing your Canadian citizenship by descent.
• Documents: Scanned or photographed copies of birth certificates, marriage certificates, passports, citizenship certificates, and other vital records you upload for verification and application preparation.
• Payment information: Payment details are collected and processed by our payment processor, Stripe. We do not store your full credit card number, CVV, or other sensitive payment data on our servers.
• Signatures: Electronic signatures provided during the application process for inclusion on your CIT 0001 form.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Device and browser data: IP address, browser type, operating system, device type, and screen resolution.
• Usage data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, click patterns, referral URLs, and interactions with site features.
• Cookies and similar technologies: See Section 6 below for details on our cookie usage.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Application preparation: To populate and generate your CIT 0001 application form and supporting documentation package for submission to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
• Document verification: To verify that your uploaded documents meet IRCC requirements using our AI-powered verification system, including checking document format, name consistency, and completeness.
• Eligibility assessment: To determine whether your family history qualifies you for Canadian citizenship by descent under Bill C-3.
• Communication: To respond to your inquiries, send service-related notifications (such as application status updates), and provide customer support.
• Service improvement: To analyze usage patterns, diagnose technical issues, and improve the functionality and user experience of our platform.
• Legal compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes.

4. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party service providers to operate MaplePass. Each provider has its own privacy policy governing how they handle data:

4.1 Stripe (Payment Processing)

We use Stripe to process payments securely. When you make a payment, your credit card information is transmitted directly to Stripe and is never stored on our servers. Stripe is PCI DSS Level 1 certified. See Stripe's Privacy Policy.

4.2 Supabase (Data Storage & Authentication)

We use Supabase for secure data storage, user authentication, and file storage. Your personal information, application data, and uploaded documents are stored in Supabase's SOC 2-compliant infrastructure with encryption at rest and in transit. See Supabase's Privacy Policy.

4.3 AI Services (Document Verification & Application Assistance)

We use AI language models (including Claude by Anthropic) to power our document verification and application guidance features. When you use these features, relevant portions of your application data and document content may be processed by the AI service to provide verification results and guidance. We do not use your data to train AI models. See Anthropic's Privacy Policy.

4.4 Analytics

We may use analytics services to understand how visitors interact with our website. These services may collect information such as your IP address, browser type, pages visited, and time on site. This data is used solely to improve our service and is not used to personally identify you.

5. Data Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Service providers: With the third-party providers described in Section 4 above, solely to the extent necessary to provide our services.
• Legal requirements: If required by law, subpoena, court order, or other legal process, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.
• Business transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email or prominent notice on our site before your data is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
• With your consent: We may share your information for any other purpose with your explicit consent.

6. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience on our site:

• Essential cookies: Required for the website to function (e.g., authentication tokens, session management). These cannot be disabled.
• Functional cookies: Remember your preferences and settings (e.g., eligibility checker progress).
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our site so we can improve it.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may prevent you from using certain features of the site.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information and application data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide our services. Specifically:

• Application data: Retained for up to 3 years after your application is completed or your last login, whichever is later. This allows you to return and access your application if needed.
• Uploaded documents: Retained for up to 1 year after your application is completed. You may request earlier deletion at any time.
• Payment records: Retained for 7 years as required for tax and accounting compliance.
• Usage analytics: Aggregated, anonymized data may be retained indefinitely.

8. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right of access: You may request a copy of all personal data we hold about you.
• Right to correction: You may request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Right to deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information and uploaded documents. We will comply within 30 days, subject to any legal retention requirements.
• Right to data portability: You may request a machine-readable copy of your data.
• Right to object: You may object to certain types of data processing, such as direct marketing.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@getmaplepass.com. We will respond to all requests within 30 days.

9. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to know: You may request the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources, the business purpose for collecting it, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it.
• Right to delete: You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.
• Right to opt-out: We do not sell personal information. If this changes, we will provide a "Do Not Sell My Personal Information" link.
• Right to non-discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights.

To exercise your CCPA rights, email us at support@getmaplepass.com with the subject line "CCPA Request."

10. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information, including:

• TLS/SSL encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our servers.
• AES-256 encryption at rest for stored personal data and uploaded documents.
• Role-based access controls limiting employee access to personal data.
• Regular security audits and monitoring of our infrastructure.

While we strive to protect your information, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we are committed to maintaining the highest practical standard.

11. Children's Privacy

MaplePass is not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at support@getmaplepass.com, and we will promptly delete such information.

Note: While a minor may be the subject of a citizenship application (e.g., a parent applying on behalf of a child), the application must be submitted by a parent or legal guardian who is at least 18 years of age.

12. International Data Transfers

Our servers and service providers are located in the United States and Canada. If you are accessing MaplePass from outside these countries, your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States or Canada, where data protection laws may differ from those of your jurisdiction. By using our service, you consent to such transfers.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date at the top. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of MaplePass after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Contact Us

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