Opinion Matters Privacy Statement
Updated March 2020
All of us at Opinion Matters (OM), including our Vancouver Focus® (VF) division, understand that our business success relies on our relationships with our research participants, whether they represent the general population, an employee group, the business community, a customer base, or other respondent group.
OM upholds the 10 principles of the federal legislation known as Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). PIPEDA sets out principles for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information, which every organization in Canada must respond to by developing a Privacy Policy. Our policy is guided both by PIPEDA and the research standards set out by American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and European Society for Opinion and Market Research (ESOMAR).
Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act
Under the principles of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), an organization is responsible for the protection and fair handling of personal information at all times, throughout the organization and in dealings with third parties. The ten principles that form the basis of OM’s privacy statement are interrelated and OM will adhere to the ten principles as a whole.
Principle 1 – Accountability
Under PIPEDA, every organization must designate an individual or individuals who are accountable for privacy compliance. To demonstrate the company’s commitment to taking privacy seriously, OM’s privacy officer is the firm’s senior-most director, principal and the founder, Barb Justason. The privacy officer is accountable for overall compliance with PIPEDA.
Principle 2 – Identifying Purposes for Collection of Personal Information
OM will identify the purposes for which personal information is collected at or before the time the information is collected.
Principle 3 – Obtaining Consent for Collection, Use or Disclosure of Personal Information
The knowledge and consent of an individual are required for the collection and use of personal information.
Principle 4 – Limiting Collection of Personal Information
OM will limit the collection of personal information to that which is necessary for the purposes identified by OM. OM will collect personal information by fair and lawful means.
Principle 5 – Limiting Use, Disclosure, and Retention of Personal Information
OM will not use nor disclose personal information for purposes other than those for which it was collected, except with the expressed consent of the individual.
Principle 6 – Accuracy of Personal Information
Personal information will be as accurate, complete, and up-to-date as is necessary for the purposes for which it is to be used.
Principle 7 – Security Safeguards
OM will protect personal information by security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information.
Principle 8 – Openness Concerning Policies and Procedures
OM will make readily available to individuals specific information about its policies and procedures relating to the management of personal information.
Principle 9 – Access to Personal Information
OM will inform an individual of the existence, use, and disclosure of his or her personal information upon request and will provide the individual access to that information.
Principle 10 – Challenging Compliance
An individual will be able to address a challenge concerning compliance with the above principles to the designated person or persons accountable for OM’s compliance with OM Privacy Code.
If you have questions or comments about our privacy policy, please contact our Privacy Officer as follows:
In writing:
Attn: Privacy Officer
Opinion Matters
Unit 503 – 1080 Howe Street
Vancouver, BC, Canada
V6Z2T1
Phone: 1-604-783-4165
By email: privacyofficer@opinionmatters.com
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
Opinion Matters (OM), including its Vancouver Focus® (VF) division, complies with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) including the Patriot Act requirements of FOIPPA, regarding storing accessing or disclosing personal information outside of Canada. The amendments related to the Patriot Act place restrictions on storing, accessing and disclosing of B.C. public sector data by service providers. This restriction does not apply to non-public sector data.
In practice, the requirements apply to personal information related to the delivery of service specifically to or about BC public sector bodies including the BC government, crown corporations and BC government agencies. Personal information is defined to mean recorded information about an identifiable individual other than contact information. No distinction is made between the treatment of sensitive and non-sensitive personal information.
In reviewing its practices with respect to FOIPPA, and Patriot Act requirements of FOIPPA, we note the following:
- All completed project data files are stored and archived in British Columbia.
- Location of servers: Opinion Matters professional office at Unit 503, 1080 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Location of cloud servers: Toronto, Ontario and Scarborough, Ontario.
- Staff and contractors have signed non-disclosure agreements and understand their obligations under federal and provincial privacy legislation and specifically the Patriot Act restrictions.
- At six months following each completed project, contact information is deleted from personal survey research data.
Charter of Respondent Rights
Your participation in legitimate marketing, social or public opinion research is very important to us. We value your honest feedback and your time. Your opinions help companies develop new products, make existing ones better, and improve customer service. Your views also assist governments and not-for-profit organizations in advancing laws and policies that are in the public interest.
Our relationship with you is based on respect, trust, and goodwill. When you participate in research conducted by Opinion Matters you can be assured that:
Article 1: You will always be told the first name of the person contacting you, the research company’s name, and the nature of the study.
Article 2: You can verify that the research you have been invited to participate in is legitimate by communicating with the appropriate research director:
Survey research: ResearchDirector@JustasonMI.com
Focus groups and other qualitative research: Director@VancouverFocus.com
Article 3: You will never be sold anything or asked for money.
Article 4: Your privacy, anonymity, and confidentiality of your answers will be respected and strictly preserved in accordance with the organization’s privacy policy and applicable federal and provincial laws.
Article 5: You will be contacted at reasonable times. If the time is inconvenient, you may ask to be re-contacted at a more convenient time.
Article 6: You are entitled to know the estimated duration of the interview.
Article 7: Your decision to participate in a study, answer specific questions, or discontinue your participation will be respected.
Article 8: You will be informed in advance if the interview will be recorded and the intended use of the recording. You may choose not to proceed with the interview if you do not want it to be recorded.
Article 9: You are assured that the highest standards of professional conduct will be upheld throughout all stages of the study.
Security Processes
Protecting your data
Opinion Matters (OM) is dedicated to developing the most secure web-based data collection operations. OM rigorously addresses people, process, technology, and physical security.
People
OM’s team works hard to deliver secure research administration in all our survey operations and when handling client information.
- All full-, part-time and contract staff sign non-disclosure agreements and are briefed regularly on their responsibilities under that agreement, under Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and under the standards set out by the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), European Society for Opinion and Market Research (ESOMAR), and Canadian Research and Insights Council (CRIC).
- Information access control: Staff members and consultants have access only to the information and files that they need to execute their responsibilities.
- Educating staff to avoid compromising activities: This includes phishing scams, social engineering tactics and other ways our systems can be threatened. We stay informed about, and engage in, current best practices for in-office Internet use; sharing, storing, and disposing of client data; reporting lost and stolen devices; and maintaining strong passwords.
Processes
At OM all work routines and processes are secure. We have different levels of access, monitoring, back-up and recovery procedures to ensure that data that must be confidential are confidential.
- OM methodically backs up all databases. We guarantee the accuracy and safety of all data in our possession and on our servers.
- Client data is stored on our servers for the duration of our work with a client and for a period of up to one year after. Clients can request to have information removed from OM servers at any time.
- Access to data, information and system administration is limited by username and password or administrative privileges.
- Vendors to OM, including data processors, software vendors, and others who require access to client or respondent information are provided only with the data they require to complete their assignment, have their own strict privacy policies and sign NDA agreements with OM.
Technology
OM’s security processes meet high security standards. Technological safeguards to protect electronic client data and customer personal information include:
- Up-to-date firewalls and anti-virus software;
- Routine maintenance and testing;
- Password protected screen savers;
- A file transfer service featuring end-to-end encryption to send sensitive documents and recordings;
- Secure and password-protected access to online client reporting functions;
- Unique URL for secure viewing of online live survey data: OM does not provide this URL to any other person or entity.
- Redundancies utilizing cloud-based and on-location servers to ensure lost data can be recovered and will not impact operations.
- Client access to survey data is limited to aggregated data only, except when with the informed consent of respondents.
Physical
- OM’s offices are located at Unit 503 – 1080 Howe Street. This building, managed by Rancho Management Services. The building is fitted with security cameras.
- OM’s office has a security system and is fitted with 24-hour video surveillance.
- All confidential material is shredded by Urban Impact Recycling.