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. Information Sharing and Disclosure

3.1 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

3.2 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

3.3 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.

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. Contact Us

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