Privacy Policy

PRIVACY POLICY

Thank you for visiting Business/Construction/Manufacturing/Resource in Focus, a division of FMG Publishing Inc. (“Focus Media Group”, “we”, “us” or “our”). This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) describes the personal information that we collect from or about you when you subscribe to, are featured within, and/or advertise within one of our publications, how we use that information, and to whom we disclose it. “Personal information” means information about an identifiable individual, and does not include general, statistical, or aggregated information. Examples of personal information that we may situationally collect, use, and/or disclose include contact information, billing information, and any other information that may be provided to us in conjunction with either a subscription to one of our publications, or during the development and publication of a feature within our publications. “Personal information” does not, however, include business contact information that Focus Media Group uses solely for the purpose of communicating or facilitating communication with you in relation to your employment, business, or profession, such as your position name or title, or your work telephone or fax number, or work email address that you have made readily accessible on a public domain.

Please read this Policy carefully. If you do not agree with this Policy, you should not access or use our website or applications. This Policy should be read in conjunction with our Booking and Editorial Terms and Conditions.

This Policy was last updated on February 1, 2023. We reserve the right to revise this Policy at any time and, as such, you should review its terms each time that you use our website or application. Any changes to this Policy will be promptly communicated on this page, however, they will not go into effect until at least ten (10) business days after they are posted.

ACCOUNTABILITY & LEGISLATIVE COMPLIANCE

Focus Media Group is responsible for personal information under our control. We have established policies and procedures to effectively safeguard any confidential personal information that we have on file or which we collect, and to deal with complaints and inquiries. We only collect personally identifiable data when it is voluntarily submitted by you in conjunction with either a subscription to one of our publications, or during the development and publication of a feature within our publications, and are committed to maintaining the accuracy, confidentiality, and security of your personal information. We will ensure that you have access to information regarding the policies and procedures that we use to manage your personal information.

Focus Media Group has a designated Privacy Department, accountable for our compliance with this Policy and for ensuring that information about our policies and practices relating to the management of personal information is easily accessible. All questions or concerns regarding this Policy and our compliance with it should be directed to the Privacy Department in writing, and sent by email to privacy@fmgpublishing.com or by post to:

Privacy Department
Focus Media Group
Unit #300, 7071 Bayers Road
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3L 2C2

Every complaint or challenge regarding our compliance with this Policy will be investigated, and where a deficiency is found to exist, Focus Media Group will take appropriate measures to address it. This may include amending our policies and procedures as necessary. We will also cooperate with all applicable regulatory authorities to resolve any complaints that cannot be resolved between Focus Media Group and either our subscribers, advertisers, or individuals from our featured companies. Pertaining to non-compliance with federal privacy legislation, individuals may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at 30 Victoria Street, Gatineau, Quebec K1A 1H3 to file a written complaint. Complaints regarding Focus Media Group’s utilization of Commercial Electronic Messages (“CEM”) may be directed to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada via online submission only.

CONSENT

Except as expressly provided in this Policy or as otherwise permitted by law, consent is required for the collection of personal information and the subsequent use or disclosure of that information. Consent may be express, or it may be implied. For consent to be meaningful, it must be informed consent and will only be valid if it is reasonable to expect that the individual understands the nature, purpose, and consequences of the collection, use or disclosure of the personal information to which they are consenting. Typically, consent will be sought for the use or disclosure of personal information at the time of collection, and reasonable efforts will be made to ensure that you understand the purpose(s) for which the information will be used or disclosed. In certain circumstances, consent regarding use or disclosure may be sought after the information has been collected, but before use, such as when Focus Media Group wishes to use personal information already in its possession for a purpose that was not previously identified.

By voluntarily submitting your personal information, subscribing to one of our publications, or participating in either our editorial or advertising processes you signify your agreement to the terms and conditions of this Policy and to our use of your personal information in accordance with this Policy.

Subject to contractual and other legal obligations, you are entitled to withdraw your consent to our use and disclosure of your personal information. Specifically, if you prefer that we do not use or disclose your personal information for marketing and promotional purposes, please notify our Privacy Department. You may make inquiries, or change or withdraw your consent to the collection, use and/or disclosure of your personal information at any time by contacting the Privacy Officer in writing at either the email or physical address listed above. Specific to subscribers, withdrawal of consent to receive commercial electronic messages (such as those sent once a month to your email address as part of your subscription) from Focus Media Group can be submitted via the unsubscribe link listed within those emails. For vendors or advertisers seeking to be removed from Focus Media Group’s third-party advertising outreach, please click here. Please note that in some circumstances, a change or withdrawal of consent may affect our ability to provide you with information, products, or services.

COLLECTION & RETENTION OF INFORMATION

We collect personal information only to the extent that it is necessary for the purposes set out below (SEE: Collection, Use, & Disclosure of Personal Information). In most cases, we will collect personal information directly from you when you subscribe to one of our publications or participate in either our editorial or advertising processes. For example, we may request personal information when it is needed to provide certain services, such as enabling you to purchase products and services. Occasionally, we may collect personal information from a third party based on your consent or as otherwise permitted by law. Personal information will always be collected using means that are fair and lawful.

Personal information that is collected may include, but is not limited to, your contact information (such as name, address, billing and shipping information, email address and telephone number) and, where applicable, credit card or other payment information. Subject to any legal or accounting requirements, we will retain personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected. Personal information that is no longer required will be destroyed, erased, or made anonymous, although copies of deleted information may continue to exist on back-up media.

If you provide comments or other feedback to us, you agree that such comments or other feedback become the property of Focus Media Group, and we may use and disclose them for any purpose not associated with your personally identifiable information.

COLLECTION, USE, & DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

We will identify the purposes for which we collect personal information before or when we request the information. We will not collect personal information when unnecessary and, except as specified below, will not use and/or disclose personal information for any purpose other than the purpose(s) for which it was collected without first obtaining your consent. The information that we collect is used and disclosed only for business purposes. These include:

to subscribe to one of our publications, and to communicate with you regarding said subscription;
to establish, maintain, and manage business relations with you when necessary, so that we may provide you with the information, products and/or services that you request;
to verify that any information submitted by you is accurate and complete;
to communicate with you and to create a record of your involvement with us;
to conduct polls and surveys pertaining to our editorial and/or advertising processes;
to protect us against error, fraud, theft or damage to our assets, our business, or our property;
to comply with any legal, accounting, and regulatory requirements, including reporting requirements;
any other reasonable purpose for which you provide consent, or for which consent may be implied in accordance with this Policy and applicable law

Where personal information that has been collected is to be used for a purpose not previously identified, and for which consent cannot be reasonably implied, the new purpose will be identified, and consent obtained prior to the use of that information for the new purpose unless otherwise permitted by law.

DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

You acknowledge that, in the course of providing products and/or services to you, Focus Media Group may delegate our authority to collect, access, use, and disseminate your information to third-party subcontractors. Third party subcontractors may include payment processors, delivery and logistics providers, and membership vendors. If we transfer any personal information to a third-party subcontractor, we will provide the subcontractors only with the information needed to perform the subcontracted service and will use appropriate contractual or other means to provide a comparable level of protection while the information is being used by them. However, you agree not to hold us liable for the actions of any third-party subcontractor, even if we would normally be held vicariously liable for their actions and understand that you must take legal action against them directly should they commit any tort or other actionable wrong against you.

We may collect, use or disclose your personal information without your knowledge or consent where we are permitted or required to do so by applicable law, government request, request of a law enforcement agency, search warrant, subpoena or court order, or based on our good faith belief that it is necessary to do so in order to comply with such law, request, warrant, subpoena, court order, or to protect our assets, the users of our website, products or services, or the public.

Subject to certain restrictions, Focus Media Group may also use and disclose your personal information without your knowledge or consent where necessary in connection with a proposed or completed business transaction. “Business transaction” includes those transactions described in the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, S.C. 200, c. 5, as amended. In each such case, Focus Media Group and any other parties to the transaction (or proposed transaction) will enter into an agreement limiting the purposes for which the personal information may be used and disclosed, thereby ensuring its protection by means appropriate to the sensitivity of the information and providing for the return or destruction of the information if the transaction does not proceed, or if the transaction does proceed, to notify you within a reasonable time that your personal information has been disclosed.

PROTECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

Focus Media Group has implemented reasonable physical, organizational, contractual and technological security measures to protect personal information in our possession or under our control from loss or theft, and from unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification, regardless of the format in which the information is held. The safeguards applied will depend on the sensitivity of the personal information, with the highest level of protection given to the most sensitive personal information. We use user IDs, passwords, and encryption technology, maintain our servers and paper files in locked premises, and restrict the employees who have access to personal information to those having a “need to know” and who are bound by confidentiality obligations to ensure that information is handled and stored in a confidential and secure manner. When destroying personal information, we delete electronically stored personal information and shred any tangible materials containing personal information. While we will endeavor to destroy all copies of personal information, you acknowledge that deleted information may continue to exist on back-up media but will not be used unless permitted by law.

Focus Media Group will continually review and update our security policies and controls as technology evolves. However, no security technology can be guaranteed to be 100% effective. Using the Internet to collect and process personal data may involve the transmission of data on an international basis and across networks not owned and/or operated by us. Therefore, by downloading and using our information, participating in any of our services, and/or communicating electronically with us, you acknowledge and agree to our processing of personal information in this way and agree that we are not responsible for any personal information which is lost, or which is altered, intercepted or stored by a third party without authorization.

ACCURACY OF PERSONAL INFORMATION & INDIVIDUAL ACCESS

Focus Media Group has a responsibility to ensure that all personal information contained in our records, or which is disclosed to third parties for the purposes described above is accurate, complete and up to date. You may make a request in writing for access to your personal information. We will inform you of your personal information held by us and provide an account of the use that has been made of the information, as well as identify any third parties to whom the information has been disclosed.

Subject to certain limitations, we will endeavor to provide you with reasonable access to your personal information. In certain circumstances, Focus Media Group may not be able to provide you with access to all or some of your personal information, in which case you will be advised in writing. Situations in which Focus Media Group may deny or limit access to your personal information include those in which:

provision of the personal information would be prohibitively expensive or disruptive;
the personal information would likely reveal personal information about a third party, or otherwise violate the rights of a third party;
disclosing the personal information would reveal confidential commercial, corporate, or strategic information;
the information relates to existing or anticipated legal proceedings against you, and such disclosure would defeat or undermine the purpose of the proceedings;
the request is frivolous or vexatious;
the information requested is protected by solicitor-client privilege;
disclosure of the personal information may reasonably be expected to result in a threat to the safety or security of a person or property;
disclosure of the personal information would require the disclosure of the identity or personal information of an individual who has provided personal information about you or another individual, such as recommendations, reports, assessments and reviews, and the individual providing the personal information does not consent to the disclosure of his or her information;
the personal information was generated during arbitration or other formal dispute resolution proceedings;
the personal information has been collected for the purposes of a legal investigation; or
the disclosure of your personal information is prohibited by law, or by order of a court or other competent authority

If you demonstrate the inaccuracy or incompleteness of your personal information, the information will be amended as appropriate. You should advise us immediately if you discover inaccuracies in our data, if your personal information changes, or if you wish to have your information removed from our files. All notices and requests should be in writing and sent to the Privacy Officer at one of the addresses set out above (SEE: Accountability & Legislative Compliance).

THIRD PARTY CONTENT & LINKS TO OTHER WEBSITES

Our websites may contain optional links to advertiser and/or other third-party Internet sites and services. You acknowledge that these third parties may collect data from users or their computers. The accessing and use of third-party websites is at your own risk, and we cannot assume responsibility for the privacy practices, policies or actions of the third parties who operate those websites. This Policy applies only to Focus Media Group websites and applications, and we encourage you to review the privacy policies contained on each Internet site and in each application that you use.

MINORS

GOVERNING LAW

You agree that your access to and use of the Focus Media Group websites and applications, and this Policy, are governed exclusively by the laws of the Province of Nova Scotia and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein (excluding conflicts or choice of laws principles). In case of any inconsistency between this Policy, and applicable law, applicable law shall prevail, and this Policy shall be interpreted as to apply only to the extent permitted by law.