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SATOV CONSULTANTS INC. 

1201, 170 University Ave., Toronto, Ontario M5H 3B3
[email protected] | 416-777-9000 | www.satovconsultants.com

PRIVACY POLICY

Document 2 of 11 | Version 2.3 | Effective Date: March 13, 2026 |
Last Reviewed: March 13, 2026

Governing the collection, use, and protection of personal information across all SATOV business activities, including our website, newsletter, and research operations.

 

QUICK REFERENCE

Privacy Officer, SATOV Consultants Inc., Suite 1201, 170 University Ave., Toronto, Ontario M5H 3B3 Email: [email protected]
Governing Law: PIPEDA (federal); Quebec Law 25 (Bill 64) where applicable; provincial privacy legislation as applicable Complaints: Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada — 1-800-282-1376 | www.priv.gc.ca

 

1. About This Policy

SATOV Consultants Inc. (“we,” “us,” “our”) is a strategy consulting firm based in Toronto, Ontario.  Our strategy practice is actively involved in growth strategies, operational improvements and M&A activities. Our consumer insights practice conducts research for a broad range of clients and integrates with our strategy team for consumer-facing and other b2b primary research engagements. Of relevance here, we conduct qualitative and quantitative research, including surveys, focus groups, in-depth interviews, and online forums — on behalf of our clients, among both consumer and business-to-business participants. We also maintain a public website and publish a newsletter.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect personal information from:

  • Visitors to our website (www.satovconsultants.com)
  • Newsletter subscribers
  • Research participants
  • Clients and business contacts
  • Vendors and service providers
  • Job applicants

It reflects our obligations under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and, where applicable, Quebec’s Act Respecting the Protection of Personal Information in the Private Sector (as amended by Law 25 / Bill 64) and other applicable provincial privacy legislation.

By using our website, subscribing to our newsletter, participating in our research, or otherwise providing us with personal information, you agree to the collection, use, and disclosure of your information as described in this Policy.

 

2. What Personal Information We Collect

We collect only the minimum personal information necessary for the identified purpose. Depending on the nature of your interaction with us, this may include:

2.1 Website Visitors

When you visit our website, certain technical information is automatically collected, including:

  • IP address (which may be anonymized)
  • Browser type and version
  • Device type and operating system
  • Pages visited, session duration, and navigation paths
  • Referring URLs and search terms

This information is collected through cookies and third-party analytics tools (see Section 9 for details). It is used to monitor website performance, analyze traffic, and improve user experience. We do not use this information to identify you personally.

2.2 Newsletter Subscribers

When you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect:

  • Name (if provided)
  • Email address

This information is used solely to send you our newsletter and related communications. We may periodically email you to ensure you are still interested in being on our newsletter or email communications list. You may unsubscribe at any time.

2.3 Research Participants

  • Contact information (name, email address, phone number, mailing address) — for recruitment, scheduling, and incentive fulfilment.
  • Demographic and screening information (e.g., age, gender, household composition, occupation, product usage) — to qualify you for relevant research and for analysis.
  • Opinions, attitudes, and experiences shared during research sessions.
  • Audio recordings, video recordings, and/or transcripts of research sessions (where consent has been provided).
  • IP address or device information when participating in online surveys or digital research.

2.4 Clients and Business Contacts

  • Business contact information (name, title, organization, email, phone number).
  • Information exchanged in the course of project work, proposals, and communications.

2.5 Vendors and Service Providers

  • Business contact information and information necessary for contract management and payment.

2.6 Job Applicants

  • Résumé, cover letter, references, and other information provided in the course of an application.


We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under the age of 16 without verifiable parental or guardian consent.

 

3. Why We Collect Personal Information — Purposes

We collect and use personal information for the following purposes:

  • To operate and improve our website and ensure its technical performance.
  • To deliver our newsletter to subscribers and manage subscription preferences.
  • To recruit qualified participants for research studies.
  • To conduct research sessions and gather insights on behalf of clients.
  • To analyze research findings and prepare reports and presentations.
  • To compensate participants for their time (incentive fulfilment).
  • To communicate with clients about project status, deliverables, and invoicing.
  • To manage vendor relationships and service delivery.
  • To evaluate job applications and manage employment relationships.
  • To comply with legal and regulatory obligations.

 

4. Legal Basis for Collection — Consent

We collect personal information with your knowledge and consent, except where the law permits or requires collection without consent (e.g., to comply with a legal obligation or court order).

Consent may be written, verbal, or implied (for example, by continuing to browse our website after being informed of our cookie practices). We rely on express consent for the collection of sensitive information — including audio/video recordings — and for research participation and newsletter subscription.

You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions, by contacting our Privacy Officer. Withdrawal of consent may affect our ability to provide certain services or complete research in which you have agreed to participate. Newsletter subscribers may withdraw consent at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any newsletter email.

 

5. How We Share Personal Information

5.1 With Our Clients

Research findings are delivered to clients in anonymized, aggregated, or de-identified form. We do not share participants’ names or individually identifying information with clients unless you have expressly consented to identified disclosure.

To be clear, we use video, audio and transcripts for the research projects and share these with clients. No full names or other information is attached to these media. These media are retained for our additional research and normative data analyses.

Client observers may attend research sessions (live or via secure link) in accordance with the Recording & Transcription Waiver you have signed. All client observers are bound by confidentiality obligations.

5.2 With Vendors and Service Providers

We engage third-party vendors to support our operations. These may include:

  • Website hosting (WP Engine — see Section 5.3 regarding US hosting)
  • Web analytics (Google Analytics 4 — see Section 9)
  • Newsletter distribution platforms (Constant Contact — see Section 5.3 regarding US hosting)
  • Transcription services
  • Online survey platforms
  • Video conferencing providers
  • Incentive fulfilment providers
  • Data analysis tools

Each vendor is selected with privacy in mind and is subject to contractual obligations regarding the handling of personal information.

5.3 Cross-Border Transfers

Our website is hosted by WP Engine, with primary servers located in the United States. Our analytics provider (Google Analytics 4) also operates in the United States. When personal information is transferred outside Canada, it may be subject to the laws of the receiving jurisdiction, including US federal and state law.

We take contractual steps to protect personal information transferred to foreign vendors, including through appropriate data processing agreements. By using our website, you acknowledge that your information may be processed in the United States.

5.4 Legal Disclosure

We may disclose personal information without consent when required or authorized by law — for example, in response to a court order, subpoena, or regulatory requirement. We will notify affected individuals of such disclosure where we are legally permitted to do so.

 

6. Retention

We retain personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. When personal information is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymized.

Our retention of information is governed by our Data Retention Policy (Document 12) and Data Retention Deletion Schedule (Document 11), both of which may be amended from time to time and are accessible via our Privacy Officer. Our staff are trained in this policy and with the relevant schedules. For more information, please contact our Privacy Officer.

 

7. Security

We implement physical, administrative, and technical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the personal information we hold. These measures include:

  • Encrypted storage for all files containing personal information.
  • Role-based access controls limiting access to authorized personnel only.
  • Confidentiality obligations for all staff, contractors, and vendors.
  • Secure file transfer protocols for sharing recordings and sensitive data.
  • Regular review of security practices in accordance with our Information Security Policy (Document 9).

No security measure is perfect. In the event of a breach of security that creates a real risk of significant harm to individuals, we will report the breach to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and notify affected individuals as required under PIPEDA.

 

8. Your Privacy Rights

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:

  • Access — Request access to personal information we hold about you.
  • Correction — Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Withdrawal of consent — Withdraw consent for the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information, subject to legal and contractual limitations.
  • Deletion — Request deletion of personal information we hold about you, where permitted by law and where doing so does not conflict with our legal obligations or the integrity of completed research.
  • Complaint — File a complaint about our privacy practices with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) at 1-800-282-1376 or www.priv.gc.ca, or with the Commission d’accès à l’information (CAI) if you are a Quebec resident.

To exercise any of these rights, please submit a written request to our Privacy Officer at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days (or as required by applicable law).

 

9. Cookies, Analytics, and Online Tracking

9.1 Cookies We Use

Our website uses two categories of cookies:

  • Essential cookies — Required for the website to function properly. These cannot be disabled without affecting core site functionality.
  • Analytics cookies — Used to understand how visitors interact with our website. We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) for traffic monitoring, user behavior analysis, conversion tracking, and performance measurement. Data collected may include IP address (potentially anonymized), device and browser information, pages visited, session duration, and referral sources.

We do not use cookies for advertising personalization, remarketing, or social media tracking. We do not currently use the LinkedIn Insight Tag or any social media pixels.

9.2 Managing Cookies

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Disabling analytics cookies will not affect your ability to use our website. A cookie consent mechanism is available on our website, allowing you to accept or decline non-essential cookies.

9.3 Third-Party Platforms

Third-party platforms we use (including Google Analytics, WP Engine, Constant Contact, Momentive, Qualtrics, Forsta, and other platforms) may have their own cookie and data practices. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of those platforms directly.

 

10. Quebec — Additional Obligations (Law 25 / Bill 64)

For individuals in Quebec, additional rights and obligations apply under Quebec’s Act Respecting the Protection of Personal Information in the Private Sector, as amended:

  • We are required to conduct and document Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) for projects involving sensitive personal information or transfers to third parties outside Quebec. This applies to our use of US-based vendors including WP Engine and Google Analytics.
  • Quebec residents have the right to data portability (to receive their personal information in a commonly used technological format) and the right to de-indexation (removal from accessible databases).
  • We are required to report confidentiality incidents to the Commission d’accès à l’information (CAI) within 72 hours if there is a risk of serious injury.
  • We maintain a register of confidentiality incidents as required.

If you are a Quebec resident and have privacy concerns specific to Quebec law, please contact our Privacy Officer or the CAI at www.cai.quebec.

 

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. We will post the updated policy on our website with a revised effective date. For material changes, we will take additional steps to notify affected individuals where required.

 

12. Contact Us

Questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy should be directed to our Privacy Officer:

SATOV Consultants Inc. Privacy Officer 1201, 170 University Ave., Toronto, Ontario M5H 3B3 Email: [email protected] Phone: 416-777-9000

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at 1-800-282-1376 or www.priv.gc.ca, or the CAI (Quebec) at www.cai.quebec.

 

Legal Counsel: Dickinson Wright LLP