Privacy Policy

1. About This Policy

LifeLines Canada ("LifeLines", "we", "us", or "our") is a non-profit project dedicated to supporting Canadians living abroad. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you use our website and services at lifelinesproject.com.

By using LifeLines, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our services.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Account information: When you sign in with Google, we receive your name and email address from Google. We do not receive or store your Google password.
• Lifeliner profile: If you register as a Lifeliner volunteer, you provide a display name, age, a public profile photo, a private verification photo, an about-me bio, and the age groups you support.
• Communications: If you contact us at support@lifelinesproject.com, we retain that correspondence.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Authentication token: After sign-in we store a JWT (JSON Web Token) in a browser cookie named lifelines_token. This cookie is used solely to keep you signed in and expires after 30 days.
• Usage data: We use Vercel Analytics and Speed Insights to collect anonymised data about page visits and performance. This data does not identify you personally.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Create and maintain your account and authenticate your identity.
• Display your Lifeliner profile in our volunteer directory (public fields only).
• Verify Lifeliner identity using the private verification photo (never shown publicly).
• Respond to enquiries sent to our support email.
• Improve the performance and reliability of our platform.
• Comply with applicable laws and protect the safety of our community.

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.

4. Public vs. Private Information

We carefully distinguish between information that is publicly visible and information that remains private:

5. Cookies

We use a single authentication cookie (lifelines_token) to keep you signed in. This is a functional cookie — without it, authentication cannot work.

Third-party scripts (Vercel Analytics, Vercel Speed Insights, Google Identity Services) may also set their own cookies or use local storage. These are governed by the respective privacy policies of Google and Vercel.

You can remove all cookies by signing out or clearing your browser data. Disabling cookies will prevent you from staying signed in.

6. Data Retention

• Your account data is retained for as long as your account exists.
• Lifeliner profile data is retained until you delete your profile.
• Analytics data is retained according to Vercel's data retention policies.
• You may request deletion of your account and all associated data by emailing us at support@lifelinesproject.com. We will process your request within 30 days.

7. Third-Party Services

LifeLines uses the following third-party services:

• Google Identity Services — for authentication. Subject to Google's Privacy Policy.
• Vercel — for hosting and analytics. Subject to Vercel's Privacy Policy.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review their policies.

8. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Correct inaccurate information in your profile.
• Delete your account and associated personal data.
• Withdraw consent at any time by signing out and requesting account deletion.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@lifelinesproject.com.

9. Children's Privacy

LifeLines services, including the Lifeliner directory and community forum, are intended for users aged 13 and older. Lifeliner volunteers must be at least 18 years old. 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. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of LifeLines after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

For any questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

LifeLines Canada
support@lifelinesproject.com