Effective date: 27 July 2026
SearchFlow ("SearchFlow", "we", "us", or "our") respects your privacy. This policy explains, in plain language, what personal information we collect through our website and our services, why we collect it, who we share it with, and the choices and rights you have.
We are a sole proprietorship based on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada, serving clients across British Columbia, Vancouver Island, and the Gulf Islands. As a private-sector business operating in Canada we handle personal information in line with the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and, as a business based in British Columbia, the BC Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). Our electronic marketing follows Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL).
PIPEDA (accountability principle) and BC PIPA both require a business to designate a person accountable for privacy and to make its practices available. Our Privacy Officer can be reached at the email above for any question, access request, or complaint about how we handle your information. (OPC fair information principles: https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/privacy-laws-in-canada/the-personal-information-protection-and-electronic-documents-act-pipeda/p_principle/ — accessed 27 July 2026; BC OIPC guidance on developing a privacy policy: https://www.oipc.bc.ca/guidance-documents/2286 — accessed 27 July 2026)
We collect only what we need for the purposes described in Section 3 (PIPEDA "limiting collection" principle).
a) Website visitors. When you browse searchflow.ca, our website host and analytics tools automatically receive standard technical data such as your IP address, browser and device type, pages viewed, referring page, and approximate location. Some of this is collected through cookies and similar technologies (see Section 4).
b) Leads (people who contact us or book a call). When you submit a lead-capture or booking form, we collect the information you give us — typically your name, email address, phone number, and information about your business (for example, your company name, website, and what services you're interested in). SMS or call bookings may also capture your phone number and the time you chose.
c) Clients. If you engage us, we collect the information needed to deliver and bill for the work, which may include billing and business contact details, project materials you share with us, and payment information. Payment card details are entered directly with our payment processor (see Section 5) — we do not store full card numbers.
Under PIPEDA and BC PIPA we must identify our purposes and, in most cases, obtain your consent. We use personal information to:
Consent. We rely on your consent to collect and use your personal information. Consent may be express (for example, when you submit a form or opt in to marketing) or implied (for example, where you are already a client). You can withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual limits — see Section 10. (OPC consent principle: https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/privacy-laws-in-canada/the-personal-information-protection-and-electronic-documents-act-pipeda/p_principle/ — accessed 27 July 2026)
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to make the site work, remember preferences, measure traffic, and — where enabled — support advertising. These may include:
These tools may set their own cookies and share limited information (such as your IP address and pages visited) with the analytics or advertising provider, which acts as an independent controller of that data under its own policies. You can control cookies through your browser settings, and you can opt out of many advertising cookies through the provider's own tools and through industry opt-out pages. Where required, we will ask for your consent to non-essential cookies through a banner on the site. (Cookie/pixel disclosure follows OPC "openness" guidance: https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/privacy-laws-in-canada/the-personal-information-protection-and-electronic-documents-act-pipeda/p_principle/ — accessed 27 July 2026)
We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with third-party service providers who process it on our behalf so we can run our business, and only as needed for that purpose. These fall into the following categories:
Data may be processed or stored outside Canada (for example, in the United States) by these providers. When personal information is handled outside Canada it may be accessible to that country's courts, law enforcement, and government under its laws. We use service providers that offer a comparable level of protection and are bound to safeguard the information. Under PIPEDA and BC PIPA, a business remains accountable for personal information transferred to a third party for processing. (OPC accountability principle: https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/privacy-laws-in-canada/the-personal-information-protection-and-electronic-documents-act-pipeda/p_principle/ — accessed 27 July 2026; PIPEDA applies to information that crosses borders in commercial activity: https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/privacy-laws-in-canada/the-personal-information-protection-and-electronic-documents-act-pipeda/pipeda_brief/ — accessed 27 July 2026)
When we send commercial electronic messages (marketing email or SMS), we follow CASL, which requires three things: a lawful basis to send (express or implied consent), clear identification of the sender, and a working unsubscribe mechanism. (CRTC: https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/com500/faq500.htm — accessed 27 July 2026)
Standard message and data rates may apply to SMS. Service and transactional messages (for example, a booking confirmation or an invoice) are not marketing and may still be sent.
We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purposes above or as required by law (for example, tax and accounting records). Lead information for enquiries that don't become clients is kept for a reasonable follow-up period and then deleted or de-identified. When information is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it (PIPEDA "limiting retention" principle).
We use reasonable physical, organizational, and technical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information — for example, access controls, strong passwords, and reputable service providers that use encryption in transit. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we work to protect your information against loss, theft, and unauthorized access (PIPEDA "safeguards" principle).
Under PIPEDA and BC PIPA you have the right to:
To exercise any of these rights, email our Privacy Officer at nic@searchflow.ca. We may need to verify your identity, and we will respond within the timeframes required by law. There is normally no charge for an access request. (OPC individual-access principle: https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/privacy-laws-in-canada/the-personal-information-protection-and-electronic-documents-act-pipeda/p_principle/ — accessed 27 July 2026)
If you have a concern about how we handle your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer first at nic@searchflow.ca so we can try to resolve it. You also have the right to complain to a regulator:
Our website and services are intended for businesses and adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it.
We may update this policy from time to time. The current version is always posted at searchflow.ca with a revised effective date. Material changes will be highlighted where appropriate. Your continued use of our website or services after an update means you accept the revised policy.
Nicholas Espinoza (SearchFlow)
Email: nic@searchflow.ca
This policy is provided for general information and is not legal advice. Laws referenced: PIPEDA, BC PIPA, and CASL, as accessed 27 July 2026.
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