Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 20, 2026

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how the iGEM UAlberta team ("glEYEco," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, discloses, and protects your personal information when you visit our website and purchase products from our store. We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal information:

2.1 Information You Provide

  • Contact information: Name, email address, shipping address, and phone number provided during checkout.
  • Payment information: Credit or debit card details. These are processed directly by Stripe and are never stored on our servers.
  • Communications: Any information you provide when contacting us via email or social media.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

  • Device and browser information: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, and device type.
  • Usage data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, referring URLs, and click patterns.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

  • To process and fulfill your orders, including shipping and delivery.
  • To send order confirmations, shipping updates, and receipts.
  • To respond to your inquiries and provide customer support.
  • To improve our website, products, and overall user experience.
  • To comply with legal obligations and prevent fraud.

We do not use your information for automated decision-making or profiling. We will never sell your personal information to third parties.

4. How We Share Your Information

We share your personal information only with the following third parties, and only to the extent necessary to operate our store:

  • Stripe: Our payment processor. Stripe receives your payment information to process transactions securely. Stripe's privacy policy is available at stripe.com/privacy.
  • Shipping carriers: Your name and shipping address are shared with our shipping provider to deliver your order.

We may also disclose your information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of glEYEco, our users, or the public.

5. Cookies and Tracking

Our website uses essential cookies required for the site to function properly, such as maintaining your cart contents during a browsing session. We do not use advertising or third-party tracking cookies. We do not serve targeted advertisements.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy:

  • Order data: Retained for the duration required by applicable tax and accounting regulations (typically 7 years).
  • Contact inquiries: Retained for up to 2 years after resolution unless a longer period is required by law.

7. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These include:

  • HTTPS encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our servers.
  • Payment information processed exclusively through Stripe's PCI DSS-compliant infrastructure.
  • Access to personal information restricted to authorized team members only.

No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your Rights

Under PIPEDA and PIPA, you have the right to:

  • Access the personal information we hold about you.
  • Correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
  • Withdraw consent for the processing of your personal information, subject to legal or contractual restrictions.
  • Request deletion of your personal information where it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at uofaigem@ualberta.ca. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

9. Children's Privacy

Our website and store are not directed at individuals under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. The updated policy will be posted on this page with a revised "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, contact us:

iGEM UAlberta
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada