Privacy policy

Builderloo is run by Torrin Leonard in Waterloo, Ontario. This policy says what personal information we collect, why, who else handles it, how long we keep it, and how to see, fix or delete it. "We" means Builderloo and Torrin Leonard.

Who to contact

Torrin Leonard is responsible for personal information at Builderloo. Email hello@builderloo.ca, or write to Builderloo, PO Box 39054, Waterloo RPO Columbia, ON N2T 0A7, Canada. We answer within 30 days.

What we collect when you browse

• Server logs. Our web server records each request: your IP address, the page, the time, the page you came from and your browser's name and version. We keep these for 90 days to keep the site running, stop abuse and count visitors. After 90 days we keep only daily totals, which do not identify you.

• Visit records. The page records what happens during your visit so we can find and fix bugs: pages opened, errors, clicks and named keys like Enter (never the text you type), and your screen size, language and browser. If you are signed in, it records your account. It does not record your IP address. We keep visit records for 90 days.

• Browser storage. A sign-in cookie keeps you signed in for up to 30 days. Your browser also stores your light or dark mode choice, and for the current tab, where you arrived from (a campaign or poster code). We use no advertising or third-party analytics cookies, so we do not ask you to accept cookies.

• Logos and icons. Some pages load company icons from Google's and DuckDuckGo's icon services. Your browser sends those services your IP address when it loads an icon.

What we collect when you take part

• Account. Your email address and password (stored only as a one-way hash), whether you confirmed your email, your forum handle, and a profile image if you upload one.

• Forum. Your posts, comments and votes. Posts, comments and your handle are public, and search engines can index them.

• The Weekly. Your email address, when you signed up, where you signed up (for example a page or a poster code), and a record of each issue we sent you. If you unsubscribe, we keep your address and the date so we never mail you again.

• Startup claims. Your email, the listing and the note you send to prove you run the company, and our decision.

• Street posters. If you scan a poster, we record the poster number, a random visit code, whether you used a phone, and how many pages you viewed. If you then make an account, we note which poster brought you. We do not link a scan to you unless you make an account.

Information about people at listed companies

The directory is built from what companies publish about themselves: their websites, startup hub listings, domain registration dates and news coverage. It can include the names and job titles of founders, staff, advisors and investors, which we show publicly because they describe who runs the business. We also collect contact details from these sites (email addresses, phone numbers and street addresses). We show these only to our administrators and use them to check and maintain listings.

If you are named in the directory and want your information corrected or removed, email us and we will do it. A company can also claim its listing and edit it.

How we use it

We use personal information to run the site and your account, send the email you asked for (email confirmation, password resets, and The Weekly if you subscribed), moderate the forum, review claims, fix bugs, prevent abuse and count visitors. We do not sell personal information, and we do not use it for advertising.

Who else handles it

We use these services to run the site. Each handles personal information only to provide its service to us.

• DigitalOcean hosts our servers and database in Toronto, Canada, and stores uploaded images.

• Resend delivers our email from the United States.

• Google and DuckDuckGo receive your IP address when your browser loads a company icon.

• OpenRouter and the AI models it connects to help write The Weekly. They receive the week's public directory, news and event facts, and none of your personal information.

Information handled in the United States is subject to United States law, and authorities there may be able to access it. We may also disclose information when the law requires it.

How long we keep it

We keep account and forum information until you ask us to delete your account. Logs and visit records are kept for 90 days. Newsletter records are kept while you subscribe, and after that only your address and the unsubscribe date. Claim records are kept while the listing exists.

Your choices and rights

You can ask to see the personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete your account. You can unsubscribe from The Weekly with the link in every issue. Email us for anything else. If you are not satisfied with our answer, you can complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

Security

We use encrypted connections, hash passwords and limit access to administrators. No system is perfectly secure. If a breach creates a real risk of significant harm to you, we will tell you and the Privacy Commissioner as the law requires.

Children

Builderloo is not meant for children. You must be 16 or older to make an account.

Changes

When we change this policy, we update the date at the top of this page. If a change affects how we use information we already hold, we will tell account holders by email first.