Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Bird Sitting Toronto (“BST”, “we”, “us”) operates the BST Community Forum at forum.birdsittingtoronto.ca. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you use our Forum.

2. Information We Collect

Account information:

• Display name
• Email address
• Profile avatar (optional)

Content you provide:

• Forum posts, threads, and replies
• Direct messages to other users
• Questions submitted to “Ask the Flock”

Automatically collected:

• IP address and browser information
• Pages visited and interactions within the Forum
• Analytics data via Google Analytics (anonymized)

3. How We Use Your Information

• To operate and maintain the Forum
• To display your posts and profile to other users
• To send email notifications you have opted into (replies, mentions, digests)
• To provide AI-powered bird care advice via Ask the Flock
• To improve our services through analytics
• To enforce our Terms of Service and moderate content

4. AI & Third-Party Services

The “Ask the Flock” feature sends your questions to a third-party AI provider (OpenRouter) for processing. Questions are not linked to your personal identity when sent to the AI provider. We use the following third-party services:

• Turso — database hosting
• Vercel — application hosting
• OpenRouter — AI model provider for Ask the Flock
• Google Analytics — anonymized usage analytics

5. Cookies

We use cookies for authentication (keeping you signed in) and analytics. Essential cookies are required for the Forum to function. Analytics cookies help us understand how the Forum is used. You can disable non-essential cookies in your browser settings.

6. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We only share data with third-party service providers as necessary to operate the Forum (as listed above). Your public Forum posts are visible to all visitors.

7. Data Retention

Your account and content remain on the Forum unless you request deletion. You can request account deletion by contacting us, and we will remove your personal data within 30 days. Some content may remain in anonymized form.

8. Your Rights

Under applicable Canadian privacy legislation (PIPEDA), you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your account and personal data
• Withdraw consent for non-essential data processing

9. Children’s Privacy

The Forum is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify users of significant changes through the Forum. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

11. Contact

For privacy-related questions or data requests, visit birdsittingtoronto.ca.