This site is owned and operated by the Town of Westlock using software licensed from Social Pinpoint. We take appropriate measures to safeguard personal information and use encryption, access controls, and other security measures to protect it. For details on what personal information we may collect and access, please refer to Social Pinpoint's Privacy Policy.

Users have the right to access, correct, or delete their personal information, subject to certain exceptions. For details on exercising these rights, or for any questions or concerns regarding our privacy practices, please contact us at communications@westlock.ca.

This privacy policy may change from time to time, and any changes will be communicated to users through the site.

Our Commitment to Privacy

The Town of Westlock (“we,” “us,” or “the Town”) is committed to protecting your privacy when using the Town’s Social Pinpoint engagement platform (“the site”). As a public body in Alberta, we collect, use, disclose, and retain personal information in accordance with the Access to Information Act (ATIA) and the Protection of Privacy Act (POPA).

This Privacy Policy outlines what information we collect on the platform, how we use it, and the measures in place to safeguard your personal information.

How Social Pinpoint Operates

This site is owned and operated by the Town of Westlock, using software licensed from Social Pinpoint Pty Ltd. The platform is hosted and secured by Social Pinpoint under contract with the Town. Social Pinpoint may access data only as required for technical support, maintenance, and system monitoring, in compliance with ATIA/POPA.

The Town retains custody and control of all personal information collected through the platform.

Information We Collect

1. Information You Provide Voluntarily

When participating in engagement activities (surveys, maps, discussions, uploads), we may collect:

• Name (or screen name)
• Email address
• Responses, comments, survey answers, or feedback
• Uploaded images or documents
• Postal code or neighbourhood (if requested for context)
• Any other information identified at the point of collection

At each point where personal information is requested, we will tell you:

• What we are collecting
• Why we need it
• How it will be used

2. Automatically Collected Information

When you visit or browse the site, the following information is collected in aggregate and without identifying you:

• IP address or internet domain
• Browser type and operating system
• Date and time of visit
• Pages viewed
• Time spent on pages
• Referring site (if any)
• General interaction data (e.g., map tools, clicks, navigation patterns)

This helps us improve accessibility, performance, and user experience.

3. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

The platform uses cookies to support essential functions, including:

• Keeping you logged in
• Tracking which tools you have interacted with
• Ensuring map and survey tools load correctly

Cookies are not used to track your activity across unrelated websites, nor to build personal profiles. You may disable cookies through your browser settings, but certain features may not function properly.

How We Use Your Information

Personal information collected through Social Pinpoint is used only for:

• Understanding community feedback on Town projects
• Responding to inquiries or follow-up questions (if you provide contact details)
• Identifying trends and participation patterns
• Supporting project planning and engagement reporting
• Moderation and ensuring the platform remains safe and respectful
• Fulfilling obligations under ATIA/POPA

We do not use personal information for marketing or advertising. We do not sell or rent personal data to third parties.

Disclosure of Personal Information

We disclose personal information only:

• As required by ATIA/POPA
• With your explicit consent
• To Social Pinpoint, solely for technical support or system maintenance
• When necessary to prevent misuse, protect system integrity, or address security concerns
• When responding to a lawful ATIA access request

Any content you post publicly — comments, ideas, photos, mapping pins — may remain visible indefinitely unless removed according to our Moderation Policy or at your request, where appropriate.

Protection, Storage, and Retention

We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information, including:

• Encryption
• Access controls and role-based permissions
• Secure data hosting by Social Pinpoint
• Auditing and monitoring for unauthorized access

We retain personal information only for as long as required to fulfill its purpose or as mandated by ATIA/POPA.

Your Rights

Under ATIA/POPA, you have the right to:

• Access your own personal information
• Request corrections to inaccurate information
• Request removal of user-submitted content (where permitted)
• Withdraw consent for optional uses of your information

To make a request or ask questions, please contact: communications@westlock.ca | 780-349-4444

Formal ATIA access requests for records can also be submitted to the Town of Westlock.

External Websites

The platform may contain links to third-party websites. The Town is not responsible for their privacy practices, policies, or content. We encourage users to review external site policies before sharing information.

Children and Youth

If you are under 18, please ensure your parent or guardian understands this Privacy Policy before you participate. Some tools may require parental consent depending on the project.

Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, technology, or engagement practices. Updated versions will be posted on this site. Continuing to use the platform after changes means you accept the revised policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please contact:

Town of Westlock

10003 – 106 Street

Westlock, AB T7P 2K3

Phone: 780-349-4444

Email: communications@westlock.ca

The following Terms and Conditions govern the use of Westlock-More Connected. The software platform is owned by Social Pinpoint Pty Ltd and operated by us, the Town of Westlock.

By accessing and using this site, you are choosing to accept and comply with the Terms presented throughout this agreement, as well as the Privacy Policy and Moderation Policy. These Terms apply to all visitors and users of this site. Linked sites, affiliated services or third-party content or software have their own Terms that you must comply with. If you disagree with any of the Terms presented in this agreement, you may discontinue using the site immediately.

If you are under 18 years old, please ensure that your parent or guardian understands and accepts these Terms and Conditions (including the Privacy Policy and Moderation Policy).

What are the conditions for a user’s account?

While using the site, you must not violate any applicable laws and regulations. It is our duty to protect the confidentiality of content you provide on our site in accordance with our Privacy Policy. When you create an account with us, you must always provide us with accurate information. Failure to provide accurate information violates the Terms, which may result in immediate termination of your account on our service. You are responsible for protecting your own password you use for this site and for any activities done under that password. Unauthorised use of your password or account must be immediately reported to us. In some cases, our agents or we may require access to your user accounts to respond to technical issues.

We are not responsible for the content on the site provided by site users. Any content posted by you is subject to the rules of our Moderation Policy. Your contribution to the site may be edited, removed or not published if we consider it inappropriate (refer to Moderation Policy). Contributors should also be aware that their posts may remain online indefinitely. Where practical, you may choose not to identify yourself, deal with us on an anonymous basis or use a pseudonym.

What do we require from our users?

You must understand and agree that, without limitation:

• All information, data, images and other materials are the sole responsibility of the person from whom the content originated;
• You are prohibited from advertising or offering to sell or buy any goods and services
• You cannot transmit Content that contains software viruses or programs designed to change or destroy the functionality of any computer software or hardware; or
• You cannot collect or store personal data about other users of the site
• You cannot impersonate any person or entity, including, without limitation, a Town of Westlock representative
• You cannot interrupt or interfere with the site, servers, or networks connected to the site
• You cannot attempt to gain unauthorised access to the site or other user accounts

Can your account be suspended or terminated?

We may terminate or suspend access to your site and/or account immediately, without prior notice, including without limitation if you breach the Terms. We may immediately deactivate or delete your account and all the related files and information in your account. After your account has been terminated, the content you have posted may also remain indefinitely on the site.

If you want to terminate your own account, please send an email to communications@westlock.ca.

Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Alberta and the laws of Canada applicable therein, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles.

You agree that any disputes arising from or related to your use of this site shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Alberta, Canada.

Indemnification

Town of Westlock, its subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, agents, licensors and other partners are not responsible for any loss, liability, claim, or demand, including legal fees, made by any third party due to or arising from a breach of this agreement and/or any breach of your representations and warranties set forth above.

What content do we own?

This website contains the copyrighted material, trademarks, patents, trade secrets and other proprietary information (“Intellectual Property”) of the Town of Westlock and its suppliers and licensors. The Town of Westlock owns and retains all proprietary rights in the intellectual property. All intellectual property in the content of this site, including, without limitation, text, software, source code, pages, documents and online graphics, photographs, sounds, audio, video and other interactive features, is owned by or licensed to us.

Any original content that you submit or post on our site may be made available to the public and may be shared by users (with the end user acknowledging your contribution) under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License.

Except for Intellectual Property which is in the public domain or for which you have been given written permission, you may not copy, alter, transmit, sell, or distribute any of the Intellectual Property on this site.

We are not responsible for your communications or dealings, including the payment and delivery of goods or services, with any third party identified through our website. Any loss or damage incurred from those communications or dealings is solely between the user and the third party.

Disclaimer and Warranties

Users must agree that their use of the site is at their own risk. We make no warranty that the site will meet your requirements, be uninterrupted, or be error-free. Any material that the user downloads through the site is done at their own risk, and they are responsible for any damage to their computer system or loss of data.

What happens if these Terms change?

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms at any time without notice. The most recent version of the Terms is available on this page. By continuing to access or use our site after those revisions become effective, you agree and will comply to the revised terms. If you do not agree to the revised terms, please discontinue using our site.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us at communications@westlock.ca.