Privacy Policy

The short version

• We only collect what you choose to send us through the contact form or by email.
• The Site has no analytics, no tracking, no advertising, and sets no cookies.
• We use your information to reply to you and nothing else. We never sell it.
• Some of the services we use store data in the United States (details below).
• You can ask to see, correct, or delete your information at any time.

Information we collect

What you send us

When you use our contact form, we receive:

• Your name
• Your email address
• The topic you choose
• Your message, and anything you choose to include in it

The same applies if you email us directly. Some people choose to tell us about their health, including their MS. You never have to share health information to contact us. If you do, we treat it as sensitive, use it only to respond to you, and do not share it beyond the people at Upside MS who need it to reply.

Technical information

Like every website, our hosting provider automatically handles basic technical details when you visit, such as your IP address, browser type, the page requested, and the time. These are kept in short-lived server logs used only to run and secure the Site. We do not use them to identify or profile visitors.

Cookies and analytics

The Site does not set cookies and does not use analytics, tracking pixels, or advertising tools. If that ever changes, we will update this policy before it does.

How we use your information

• To read and reply to your message
• To follow up on something you asked us to do, such as volunteering or partnering
• To keep a basic record of our correspondence

We will not add you to a mailing list unless you ask us to. We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information.

Service providers and storage outside Canada

We rely on a small number of service providers to run the Site and our email. They process information only on our behalf and only as needed to provide their service:

• Vercel hosts the Site and processes contact-form submissions.
• Resend delivers contact-form messages to our inbox.
• Mailgun routes email sent to our upsidems.org addresses.
• Google Workspace hosts our email inbox, where your message is stored.

These providers may store and process information in the United States or other countries. While it is there, it may be subject to the laws of those countries, including lawful access by their courts or authorities. By contacting us through the Site, you understand that your information may be handled this way. If you have questions about this, contact our Privacy Officer.

How long we keep it

We keep correspondence only as long as we need it to respond to you and keep reasonable records, and generally no longer than two years after our last contact with you. You can ask us to delete it sooner.

Your rights

You can ask us to show you the personal information we hold about you, correct it, or delete it. Email hello@upsidems.org and we will respond within 30 days, as PIPA requires. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia.

Security

The Site is served only over encrypted connections (HTTPS), and access to our accounts and inbox is limited to the people who need it. No system is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect your information.

When we may have to disclose information

We will only share your information beyond our service providers if the law requires it, such as in response to a valid court order.

Children

The Site is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their personal information. If we learn that we have, we will delete it.

Links to other websites

The Site links to other websites. Their privacy practices are their own, and we encourage you to read their policies.

Changes to this policy

If we change how we handle personal information, we will update this page and the date at the top before the change takes effect.

Contact our Privacy Officer

Our Executive Director serves as Privacy Officer. For any question or request about your personal information, email hello@upsidems.org.