MapleCat Journal

Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how MapleCat Journal Ltd. collects, uses, and safeguards information when you visit our website. We aim for clarity and transparency so you can make informed choices about your data.

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Introduction

MapleCat Journal Ltd. provides neutral, educational content for people living with cats in Canada. We respect your privacy and process personal data in a manner consistent with applicable laws, including principles found in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and comparable frameworks. This policy describes what data we collect, how we use it, the choices you have, and the tools we use for analytics and advertising measurement.

Legal entity and contact details: MapleCat Journal Ltd., 250 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2L7. Email: [email protected]. If you have questions about this policy or your data, you can write to the address above or email us.

Last Updated: January 15, 2026 • Effective Date: January 15, 2026. We notify users of material changes via a homepage banner at least 14 days before new terms take effect.

1) Cookie Categories

We use three categories of cookies on this site. You can manage non-essential categories any time using the controls provided in the banner or preferences panel.

Essential Cookies

Purpose: core site functionality, security, and session management. Examples: session_id, csrf_token, cookie_consent_status. Consent required: no; these are automatically activated because they are necessary for the website to operate. Retention: session duration or up to 12 months for preference storage.

Analytics Cookies

Purpose: measuring traffic, user behaviour, and site performance. Tools: Google Analytics 4. Examples: _ga, _ga_XXXXXXX, _gid, _gat. Consent required: yes; activated only after you accept. Retention: up to 14 months.

Marketing / Advertising Cookies

Purpose: remarketing, personalized ad delivery, and conversion tracking. Consent required: yes; activated only after you accept. Retention: up to 540 days (Google Ads default).

2) Marketing Cookies — Sub-Disclosures

  • Third-party ad serving: Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user's previous visits to this website and other sites on the internet.
  • Advertising partners: We may work with advertising partners such as Google and Meta to deliver advertisements tailored to your interests across various websites and platforms.
  • Remarketing: We may use remarketing services to advertise to previous visitors of our website. After visiting our site, you may see our ads on other websites, apps, or platforms you visit.
  • YouTube and Display Network: Advertisements may appear across Google services including YouTube, Gmail, and the Google Display Network.
  • Tracking technologies in use on this website include cookies (first-party and third-party), tracking pixels (Google Ads tag / gtag.js, Meta Pixel), device identifiers (browser fingerprint, IP address), and conversion event tags.
  • Advertising measurement: We use conversion tracking to understand which advertisements lead to actions on our website such as form submissions, calls, or purchases. This allows us to measure campaign effectiveness and allocate budget appropriately. Conversion data may be shared with Google Ads and Meta.
  • Technologies in use: Google Ads (gtag.js / Google Tag Manager), Google Analytics 4, Google Remarketing Tag, and Meta Pixel (Facebook / Instagram).
  • Opt-out from personalized advertising: You may opt out of personalized advertising at any time using these resources: Google Ads Settings at https://adssettings.google.com, Your Online Choices (EU) at https://www.youronlinechoices.eu, Network Advertising Initiative at https://optout.networkadvertising.org, and Digital Advertising Alliance at https://optout.aboutads.info. Opting out does not remove ads entirely; you will continue to see non-personalized advertisements.
  • Cookie preference management: Use the controls in the cookie banner, this page’s Manage cookie preferences button, or the link in the site footer to review or change your choices.

3) Consent Requirements

Our consent banner offers three options: Accept All, Reject Non-Essential, and Manage Preferences. Analytics and marketing cookies are not activated until you grant consent. Choices are stored in your browser’s localStorage for 12 months. You can dismiss the banner without accepting; rejecting activates only essential cookies. The banner links to this policy for more information.

Consent statement: By clicking "Accept All Cookies", you consent to the storing of cookies on your device for analytics and advertising purposes, including personalized advertising delivered by Google and Meta. You may withdraw consent at any time through the cookie preferences panel without affecting the lawfulness of processing that occurred before withdrawal.

EEA and UK users receive this consent notice in compliance with GDPR and UK GDPR. Marketing and analytics cookies are activated solely after explicit, informed, freely given consent under GDPR Article 6(1)(a). Consent is recorded with a timestamp and may be audited upon request.

Withdrawal of consent: You may withdraw consent at any time by clicking the control below or selecting "Manage cookie preferences" in the website footer. You can also clear cookies via your browser settings. Withdrawal does not affect processing that occurred while consent was valid.

4) Data Sharing with Advertising Partners

We share certain data with advertising partners for campaign delivery and measurement. Recipients and the data categories shared include:

  • Google LLC: cookie identifiers, conversion events, anonymized behavioural data, remarketing lists. Governed by Google’s Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
  • Meta Platforms, Inc.: pixel events, conversion data, custom audiences. Governed by Meta’s Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy

We do not sell personal data. All transfers to Google and Meta may operate under Standard Contractual Clauses where applicable. Data is processed for ad targeting and campaign measurement only, not resold to unaffiliated third parties. Google and Meta may use this data within their own platforms under their respective policies.

5) Lead Forms and Contact Requests

When you submit a contact form or request information, we collect the details you provide, typically your full name, email address, phone number if you choose to include it, and your message. We process this data to respond to your inquiry and keep records of communications.

Legal basis: consent (GDPR Art. 6.1.a) and, where a service relationship exists, performance of a contract (GDPR Art. 6.1.b). Retention: up to 2 years from submission unless a longer period is required by law. You may request deletion at any time by emailing [email protected]. A reference to this Privacy Policy appears next to every submit button on our site. Submitting a form constitutes acknowledgment of this policy.

6) Google Services and Advertising

This website uses Google Analytics 4 with IP anonymization to collect usage data, device information, and behavioural signals. Data retention is set to 14 months. You may opt out using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

We also use Google Ads Conversion Tracking to record defined actions, such as a form submission after interacting with our ads. Google Remarketing helps us show ads to previous visitors across Google’s network. Remarketing lists are not created from sensitive categories. Google Tag Manager deploys tracking tags on our behalf and does not collect personal data itself. For more on Google’s advertising products, see https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads.

7) Meta Advertising Services

We use the Meta Pixel to measure and improve the effectiveness of our advertising on Facebook and Instagram. The pixel may record page views, time on site, defined conversion events such as form submissions, and custom audience membership for retargeting. We do not use the Meta Pixel to collect sensitive personal data or to target users based on prohibited attributes. Meta acts as an independent data controller for data collected via the Pixel. Review Meta’s policy at https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy. Manage your Meta ad preferences at https://www.facebook.com/adpreferences/.

8) Prohibited Content Self-Declaration

This website does not promote or sell prohibited categories such as weapons, controlled substances, counterfeit goods, unlicensed gambling services, adult content, or services that make misleading health or financial claims. All advertising conducted through Google Ads and Meta Ads complies with respective platform policies.

9) Landing Page Integrity Statement

The content of this website accurately represents the topics we advertise. We do not use bait-and-switch practices. The experience for visitors arriving from paid advertisements is identical to that of all other users. We do not use cloaking or automatic redirects.

10) Children’s Privacy

Our website is not directed at individuals under the age of 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If we learn that information has been provided by a person under 16 without verifiable parental consent, we will delete it promptly. Contact us if you believe we have received data from a minor.

11) International Data Transfers

Personal data collected through this website may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the European Economic Area, including the United States, where Google LLC and Meta Platforms, Inc. are based. Transfers may be supported by Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission. You can request more information by emailing [email protected].

12) Your Rights

If you are located in the EEA or UK, you have rights under GDPR Articles 15–22, including access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, objection, and withdrawal of consent. To exercise any right, email [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. EU users can reference https://edpb.europa.eu and UK users can reference https://ico.org.uk.

13) What Data We Collect

  • Full name
  • Email address
  • Phone number (if provided)
  • IP address
  • Browser type and version
  • Device type and operating system
  • Cookies and tracking identifiers
  • Usage data such as pages visited, time on site, and click paths
  • Form submission content that you send to us
  • Conversion events such as form submissions or calls initiated from the site

14) Legal Basis for Processing

  • Contact form data: consent (GDPR Art. 6.1.a) and contract performance when relevant (GDPR Art. 6.1.b)
  • Analytics data: consent (GDPR Art. 6.1.a)
  • Marketing and remarketing data: consent (GDPR Art. 6.1.a)
  • Security and fraud prevention: legitimate interest (GDPR Art. 6.1.f)

15) Retention Periods

  • Contact form submissions: retained for up to 2 years
  • Analytics data (GA4): 14 months
  • Marketing cookies (Google Ads): up to 540 days
  • Email communications: duration of relationship plus 1 year
  • Server logs: 90 days
  • Cookie consent records: 3 years for audit purposes

16) Additional Information and How to Contact Us

If you have questions about this policy or wish to exercise your rights, contact MapleCat Journal Ltd., 250 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2L7, or email [email protected]. We will make reasonable efforts to address your request promptly and transparently.