Privacy Policy

Last Revised: July 6, 2022

PROOF respects your privacy and, as part of the University of Toronto, we comply with Canadian Federal and Provincial privacy laws and regulations including Ontario’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). This policy informs you about how we handle personal information collected through our website, proof.utoronto.ca. We may update this policy from time to time and will notify you by changing the Last Revised date at the top of this page.

PROOF provides links from our site to other websites; note that this Privacy Policy applies only to proof.utoronto.ca and not to websites of other companies or organizations to which our site may be linked. You must check on any linked sites for the privacy policy that applies to that site and/or make any necessary inquiries in respect of that privacy policy with the operator of the linked site. These links to third party websites are provided as a convenience and are for informational purposes only. PROOF does not endorse, and is not responsible for, these linked websites.

As part of the University of Toronto, our collection of personal information is authorized by section 2(14) of The University of Toronto Act, 1971.

What personal information is collected through the PROOF website and why?

PROOF only collects personal information when we have your consent or when it is necessary for our legitimate interest of disseminating our research and related work.

Our website allows you to voluntarily provide us with your email address in order to receive the PROOF newsletter. The newsletter is powered by the third party service Mailchimp and when you sign up your email address is sent to Mailchimp. You can always unsubscribe from our mailing list by clicking on the unsubscribe link in a newsletter email. For more information about Mailchimp’s privacy practices, please consult their privacy policy.

Cookies and Technical Information

PROOF collects data that may be considered personal information in order to provide access to our website and relevant web content, and to monitor our website’s performance.

PROOF, in common with many website operators, may use standard technology called “cookies” on our site. Cookies are small data files that are downloaded onto your computer when you visit a particular website. You can disable cookies by turning them off in your browser; however, some areas of the sites may not function properly if you do so.

Our website also collects statistics about visitors’ usage of the website through Google Analytics. Google Analytics anonymizes your IP address prior to processing. The use of Google Analytics does not allow us to identify individuals and we do not use Google Analytics for advertising related purposes. Google Analytics cookies on our site may expire at the end of your browsing session or a maximum of two years after access, depending on their function.

By using our website you consent to the use of such cookies. For more information about Google’s use of data, please read their privacy policy as well as Google Analytics’ support article about “Safeguarding your data”.

How long do we keep your information?

We keep your personal information for as long as it is necessary in connection with the purposes for which it was collected.

Where and how is your personal information stored?

We store your personal information in Canada and use appropriate safeguards to keep your data safe. If you choose to provide us with your email address, that data will be stored in the United States and will be safeguarded by security practices described on MailChimp’s Security page. Google Analytics may also collect information that is considered personal information and will store this information in conformity with their privacy policy including complying with the EU-US and Swiss-US Privacy Shield Frameworks.

What rights do I have regarding my personal information?

Our handling of your personal information is governed by Ontario’s FIPPA through which you have enforceable rights. You have the right to access and correct your personal information. You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.

Depending on the applicable laws of your country or jurisdiction, you may also have the right to withdraw your consent at any time, the right to the erasure of your personal information, the right to object to the processing of your personal information, the right to restrict our processing of your personal information, and the right to receive your personal information in a manner that facilitates the portability of your data.

We will comply with all requests that are legally required and assist with other requests as appropriate in the circumstances, including erasure of your personal information, objection to processing of your personal information, and requests to receive your personal information in a manner that facilitates the portability of your data.

Who do I contact if I have further questions?

If you have further questions about our privacy practices you can contact us at proof@utoronto.ca.