Privacy Policy

Background Buddy (“we”, “our” or “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how your personal information is collected, used and disclosed by Background Buddy.

This Privacy Policy applies to our website and its associated subdomains (collectively, our “Service”) as well as our application, Background Buddy. By accessing or using our Service, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agreed that we collect, store, use and disclose your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy and in our Terms of Use.

Definitions and key terms

In order to explain things as clearly as possible in this Privacy Policy, each time any of these terms is mentioned, it is strictly defined as follows:

• Cookie: a small amount of data generated by a website and saved by your web browser. It is used to identify your browser, provide analytics, and remember information about you, such as your language preference or your login credentials.
• Company: where this policy refers to “Company”, “we”, “our” or “us”, it refers to Background Buddy LLC (1111B South Governors Avenue, Suite 23460, Dover, Delaware 19904, United States), which is responsible for your information under this Privacy Policy.
• Country: the location where Background Buddy or the owners/founders of Background Buddy are based, in this case Canada.
• Customer: means the company, organization or person that registers to use the Background Buddy service to manage relationships with its customers or the users of its services.
• Device: any device connected to the Internet, such as a phone, tablet, computer or any other device that can be used to access Background Buddy and use the services.
• IP address: every device connected to the Internet is assigned a number known as an IP (Internet Protocol) address. These numbers are usually assigned in geographic blocks. An IP address can often be used to identify the location from which a device connects to the Internet.
• Personnel: means the individuals employed by Background Buddy or under contract to provide a service on behalf of one of the parties.
• Personal data: any information that, directly, indirectly or in connection with other information — including a personal identification number — allows the identification or identifiability of a natural person.
• Service: means the service provided by Background Buddy as described in the terms and conditions (if available) and on this platform.
• Third-party service: means the technical providers or publishers on which the Service depends (e.g. authentication, hosting, database, email sending, audience measurement after consent), as well as any third-party site or content accessible via a link from the platform.
• Website: the “Background Buddy” site, accessible via this URL: www.background-buddy.com
• You: a natural or legal person registered with Background Buddy to use the Services.

What information do we collect?

We collect information about you, in particular on behalf of Background Buddy's customers, among them producers in the context of their production activities for which our background-casting management solution is used, when you visit our website or application, create or use an account (in particular via Clerk), complete a background-actor or crew profile, upload documents or supporting materials provided for in the business workflows, take part in a production (assignments, attendance, contracts, etc.) or use payment features where they are offered.

On mobile devices, some pages offer the option to add a photo or a document via the system file picker; depending on the browser or OS, you may be prompted to take a photo or choose an existing file. You can refuse access to the camera or files; without a file provided, the relevant feature may remain unavailable.

• First name, last name and login identifier (email or equivalent depending on the flow);
• Phone numbers when you enter them in the profile or the relevant forms
• Email addresses;
• Postal and billing addresses when the fields are available and filled in;
• Date of birth when the registration or profile flow requires it (an age may be derived from it);
• Social insurance number (SIN), when the flow requires it;
• Cheque specimens, when you provide them for payments or accounting;
• Tax status (e.g. incorporated person, provincial and federal tax numbers) when provided;
• Emergency contact details;
• Work permits and associated documents, when required by the production;
• Union information (UDA, ACTRA or other affiliation) and member numbers, depending on the flow;
• Identity documents and other supporting materials uploaded as part of the business workflows;
• Authentication secrets managed by our identity provider (we do not store your password in plain text in our application databases);
• Production and background-casting data (e.g. roles, days, statuses, documents related to the service) depending on the modules enabled.

How do we use the information we collect?

All the information we collect from you may be used in any of the following ways:

• To personalize your experience (your information helps us better respond to your individual needs);
• To improve our website/application (we continuously strive to improve our website/application offerings based on the information and feedback we receive from you);
• To improve customer service (your information helps us respond more effectively to your customer service requests and support needs);
• To process transactions or subscriptions when these features are enabled;
• To send emails and notifications related to the service (e.g. invitations, registration reminders, call notices, contracts, production administration messages) and, if you consent, separate messages provided for that purpose.

When does Background Buddy use end-user information from third parties?

Background Buddy will collect the end-user data necessary to provide the Background Buddy services to our customers.

End users may voluntarily provide us with information they have made public on social media. If you provide us with such information, we may collect publicly available information from the social media you have indicated. You can control how much information social media makes public by going to those sites and changing your privacy settings.

When does Background Buddy use customer information from third parties?

We may receive information from third parties when you contact us or use integrations provided by the product (e.g. authentication provider, payment gateway). These providers process certain metadata according to their own policies (for example security or fraud prevention for a payment). In the application code currently deployed, we do not use a separate third-party “commercial interest” service triggered solely by a contact email. We may also consult information you make public on social media if you voluntarily indicate these sources to us; you can adjust the visibility of your profiles on these platforms.

Do we share the information we collect with third parties?

In the current state of the product, the main sharing is with the technical subcontractors necessary for the operation of the Service (application hosting, database and file storage, authentication, transactional email sending, audience or performance measurement only after consent when these tools are enabled — see the cookie policy). We may also share information with affiliates or in the context of a merger, asset sale or reorganization, subject to appropriate confidentiality commitments.

Typical providers include, in particular, Clerk(authentication), Supabase (data and files), Vercel(hosting and, if you accept non-essential trackers, performance or usage indicators), Resend(email sending) and, if online payments are enabled, a payment provider (e.g. Stripe) depending on the deployment configuration. These third parties receive only the data necessary for the function they perform.

Technical logs (which may include IP addresses or device identifiers) may be processed for security, debugging and service improvement. Consumer analytics tools or advertising networks are not used to sell your contact details; any change (new partners or purposes) will be reflected in this policy.

We may also disclose personal and non-personal information about you to government officials, law enforcement authorities or private entities if we believe, at our sole discretion, that it is necessary or appropriate to respond to claims, to legal proceedings (including subpoenas), to protect our rights and interests or those of a third party, the safety of the public or of any person, to prevent or stop any illegal, unethical or actionable activity, or to otherwise comply with court orders, laws, rules and regulations.

Where and when is information collected from customers and end users?

Background Buddy will collect the personal information you submit to us. We may also receive personal information about you from third parties, as described above.

How do we use your email address?

We use your email address for communications necessary for the Service (account creation, invitations, follow-ups, messages related to a production or a contract, etc.). Marketing emails separate from the service, if any, are only sent with an appropriate legal basis or consent and with the ability to unsubscribe where the law requires it.

Social media advertising: we do not currently use your email address for paid advertising targeting on third-party platforms (e.g. custom audience lists). If this practice were to be introduced, this policy will be updated and, where applicable, consent or an opt-out mechanism compliant with applicable law will be offered to you.

How long do we keep your information?

We keep your information only as long as necessary to provide you with Background Buddy and to fulfill the purposes described in our policy on the retention, destruction and anonymization of personal information. The same applies to anyone with whom we share your information and who provides services on our behalf. When we no longer need to use your information and it is no longer necessary to keep it to comply with our legal or regulatory obligations, we delete it from our systems or anonymize it so that you can no longer be identified.

How do we protect your information?

We implement various security measures to protect your personal information when you enter, submit or access data in the Service. Exchanges with the server are carried out over HTTPS. Highly sensitive data (e.g. tax identifiers or supporting documents) is transmitted and stored in accordance with the practices of our providers and the application's access controls. When online payments are offered, card data is processed by the relevant payment gateway; we do not keep full card numbers in our business code. However, we cannot guarantee absolute security; in the event of an incident, we follow the applicable legal obligations.

Could my information be transferred to other countries?

Background Buddy LLC is incorporated in the United States. The personal information we process may be hosted, accessed or disclosed outside Quebec or Canada, for example when we use providers located abroad (cloud hosting or infrastructure, authentication, email sending, support or other features of the Service).

In accordance with the requirements applicable in Quebec, we rely in particular on a privacy impact assessment (PIA) carried out as part of our compliance approach (including the elements covered by the updated compliance documentation, such as our compliance letter). In light of this analysis, we implement adequate protection measures when personal information is hosted or disclosed in jurisdictions located outside Quebec; this may include, among other things, contractual provisions (including confidentiality and processing clauses), safeguards provided for by law, security controls and the obligations imposed on our processors, depending on the risk and sensitivity of the data concerned.

The mere consent of users does not, on its own, constitute the basis on which we rely for these disclosures or this hosting where the law requires other protections or conditions of us. In this context, the PIA documents the risks and the measures adopted. At the same time, we make sure to inform you clearly so that you know that such flows may occur when you use the Service.

Is the information collected through the Background Buddy service secure?

We take precautions to protect the security of your information. We have physical, electronic and managerial procedures to help protect your information, prevent unauthorized access, maintain data security and use your information properly. However, neither people nor security systems are infallible, including encryption systems. In addition, people may commit intentional offenses, make mistakes or fail to follow policies. Therefore, although we make reasonable efforts to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. If applicable law imposes an obligation to protect your personal information that cannot be waived, you agree that intentional misconduct will serve as the standard for assessing our compliance with that obligation.

Can I update or correct my information?

The rights you have to request the update or correction of the information collected by Background Buddy depend on your relationship with Background Buddy. Personnel may update or correct their information in accordance with our internal employment policies.

Customers have the right to request the limitation of certain uses and disclosures of personally identifiable information as follows. You can contact us to (1) update or correct your personally identifiable information, (2) change your preferences regarding the communications and other information you receive from us, or (3) delete the personally identifiable information about you kept in our systems (subject to the following paragraph), by terminating your account. These updates, corrections, changes and deletions will have no effect on the other information we keep, nor on the information we have provided to third parties in accordance with this Privacy Policy prior to such update, correction, change or deletion. To protect your privacy and security, we may take reasonable steps (such as requesting a one-time password) to verify your identity before granting you access to your profile or making corrections. It is your responsibility to keep your one-time password and account information confidential at all times.

You should be aware that it is not technically possible to remove from our system all traces of the information you have provided to us. The need to back up our systems to protect information against accidental loss means that a copy of your information may exist in a non-erasable form that it will be difficult, if not impossible, for us to locate. Upon receipt of your request, all personal information stored in the databases we actively use and on other readily searchable media will be updated, corrected, changed or deleted, as the case may be, as soon as possible and to the extent reasonably and technically feasible.

If you are an end user and you wish to update, delete or receive the information we hold about you, you can do so by contacting the organization of which you are a customer.

Quebec — Act respecting the protection of personal information and Law 25

If you are in Quebec, the Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector(LPRPSP, CQLR c. P-39.1), as amended in particular by the Act to modernize legislative provisions respecting the protection of personal information (often referred to as “Law 25”), may grant you additional or distinct rights compared to the summary above, depending on the case, including:

Person responsible for the protection of personal information (privacy officer) in Quebec: Charles Nouÿrit.

For any question regarding the application of Law 25 or to exercise your rights in Quebec, you can write to us at privacy@background-buddy.com. You can also visit the CAI website: cai.gouv.qc.ca.

• the right to access the personal information we hold about you;
• the right to rectify inaccurate or incomplete information;
• where applicable, the right to withdraw your consent where processing is based on consent, the right to portability, the right to have dissemination stopped or to de-indexing, subject to the conditions and exceptions provided for by law;
• the right to be informed of the extent to which decisions concerning you are based exclusively on automated processing of personal information, where the law requires it;
• the right to file a complaint with the Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec (CAI).

Personnel

If you are an employee or applicant of Background Buddy, we collect the information you voluntarily provide to us. We use the information collected for human resources management purposes in order to manage employee benefits and to select candidates.

You can contact us to (1) update or correct your information, (2) change your preferences regarding the communications and other information you receive from us, or (3) receive a statement of the information we hold about you. These updates, corrections, changes and deletions will have no effect on the other information we keep, nor on the information we have provided to third parties in accordance with this Privacy Policy prior to such update, correction, change or deletion.

Business transfer

We reserve the right to transfer information to a third party in the event of a sale, merger or other transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of Background Buddy or any of its affiliates (as defined herein), or of the part of Background Buddy or of any of its affiliates to which the Service relates, or in the event that we cease our activities or file a petition, or if a petition in bankruptcy, reorganization or similar proceeding has been filed against us, provided that the third party undertakes to comply with the terms of this Privacy Policy.

Affiliates

We may disclose information (including personal information) about you to our affiliates. For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, the term “affiliate” means any natural or legal person that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with Background Buddy, whether through ownership or otherwise. Any information about you that we provide to our affiliates will be processed by them in accordance with the terms of this Privacy Policy.

Governing law

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the United States, without regard to its conflict-of-laws provisions. You accept the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts for any action or dispute arising between the parties under or in connection with this Privacy Policy, except for persons who may have the right to assert claims under the Privacy Shield or the Swiss-U.S. framework.

The laws of the United States, excluding their conflict-of-laws rules, govern this agreement and your use of the website/application. Your use of the website/application may also be subject to other local, regional, national or international laws.

By using Background Buddy or contacting us directly, you signify your acceptance of this Privacy Policy. If you do not accept this Privacy Policy, you must not interact with our website or use our services. Continued use of the website, any direct interaction with us, or continued use of our services after the posting of changes to this Privacy Policy that do not materially affect the use or disclosure of your personal information will mean that you accept those changes.

Your consent

We have updated our Privacy Policy to provide you with full transparency about what is set when you visit our site and how that information is used. By using our website/application, creating an account or making a purchase, you hereby accept our Privacy Policy and approve its terms.

Links to other websites

This Privacy Policy applies only to the Services. The Services may contain links to other websites that are not operated or controlled by Background Buddy. We are not responsible for the content, accuracy or opinions expressed on such websites, and we do not verify, monitor or check the accuracy or completeness of such sites. Remember that when you use a link to go from the Services to another website, our Privacy Policy no longer applies. Your browsing and interactions on any other website, including those that have a link on our platform, are subject to the rules and policies of that website. These third parties may use their own cookies or other methods to collect information about you.

Cookies

Background Buddy uses “cookies” to identify the sections of our website that you have visited. A cookie is a small data file stored on your computer or mobile device by your web browser. We use cookies to improve the performance and functionality of our website/application, but they are not essential to their use. However, without these cookies, certain features, such as videos, may no longer be available, or you would have to enter your login credentials each time you visit the website/application, because we would not be able to remember that you had already logged in. Most web browsers can be configured to disable the use of cookies. However, if you disable cookies, you may not be able to access the features of our website properly, or at all. We never place personally identifiable information in cookies. For more details, see our cookie policy.

Blocking and disabling cookies and similar technologies

Wherever you are, you can also configure your browser to block cookies and similar technologies, but this action may block our essential cookies and prevent our website from functioning properly, and you may not be able to fully use all of its features and services. You should also be aware that you may lose some saved information (for example, your login credentials or site preferences) if you block cookies in your browser. Different browsers make different control options available to you. Disabling a cookie or a category of cookies does not delete the cookie from your browser; you will have to do this yourself from your browser. For more information, please consult your browser's help menu.

Payment details

With respect to the credit card information or any other payment method information you have provided to us, we undertake to store this confidential information in the most secure manner possible.

Children's privacy

The Service is aimed at production professionals and background actors; it is not designed to solicit data from children for marketing purposes. When a minor participates (as a background actor), the processing is governed by the applicable legal obligations and the registration or parental consent flows provided for in the application. If you are a parent or guardian and you believe that a child has provided us with data without authorization, contact us; we will review the request and take the appropriate measures, including deletion where the law and technology permit.

Changes to our privacy policy

We may change our Service and our policies, and we may need to change this Privacy Policy so that it accurately reflects our Service and our policies. Unless otherwise required by law, we will notify you (for example, through our Service) before making changes to this Privacy Policy and give you the opportunity to review them before they take effect. If you continue to use the Service, you will then be bound by the updated Privacy Policy. If you do not wish to accept this Privacy Policy or any updated Privacy Policy, you may delete your account.

Third-party services

We may display, include or make available third-party content (including data, information, applications and other products or services) or provide links to third-party websites or services (“Third-Party Services”).

You acknowledge and agree that Background Buddy shall not be responsible for any Third-Party Services, including their accuracy, completeness, timeliness, validity, copyright compliance, legality, decency, quality or any other aspect thereof. Background Buddy does not assume and will not have any liability to you or any other person or entity for any Third-Party Services.

The Third-Party Services and links to them are provided solely for your convenience, and you access and use them entirely at your own risk and subject to the terms and conditions of such third parties.

Tracking technologies

• Links to maps (e.g. Google Maps) Some screens or emails may contain URL links to mapping services (e.g. Google Maps) entered by the platform's users (e.g. a call location). The application does not currently embed a client-side “Google Maps API” widget that would collect data via a Google key within our pages; by opening such a link, you are subject to the terms and trackers of the third-party site.
• Cookies and trackers See the cookie policy: strictly necessary cookies (including Clerk authentication), local storage of consent preferences for analytics tools, and loading of Vercel Analytics / Speed Insights only after acceptance when the banner is displayed.
• Local storage The browser may retain preferences (e.g. consent to non-essential trackers) in local storage or equivalent, in the same way as for cookies.
• Session and authentication The secure session state relies on the mechanisms of our authentication provider (Clerk) and on technical cookies; it is not a separate “session file” downloaded like a marketing cookie.

Information on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

We may need to collect and use information about you if you reside in the European Economic Area (EEA). In this section of our Privacy Policy, we will explain to you exactly how and why this data is collected, and how we protect it against any reproduction or misuse.

California residents

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) requires us to disclose the categories of personal data we collect and how we use them, the categories of sources from which we collect this data, and the third parties with whom we share it, as explained above.

We are also required to communicate information about the rights available to California residents under California law. You can exercise the following rights:

If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you. If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us.

We do not sell the personal information of our users.

For more information about these rights, please contact us.

• Right to know and access. You can submit a verifiable request for information concerning: (1) the categories of personal data we collect, use or share; (2) the purposes for which these categories of personal data are collected or used by us; (3) categories of sources from which we collect personal information; and (4) the specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you.
• Right to equal service. We will not discriminate against you if you exercise your privacy rights.
• Right to deletion. You can submit a verifiable request to close your account, and we will delete the personal information about you that we have collected.
• Request that a company that sells a consumer's personal data not sell that data.

California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA)

CalOPPA requires us to disclose the categories of personal data we collect and how we use them, the categories of sources from which we collect this data, and the third parties with whom we share it, as explained above.

Users covered by CalOPPA have the following rights:

If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you. If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us.

We do not sell the personal information of our users.

For more information about these rights, please contact us.

• Right to know and access. You can submit a verifiable request for information concerning: (1) the categories of personal data we collect, use or share; (2) the purposes for which we collect or use these categories of personal data; (3) the categories of sources from which we collect personal data; and (4) the specific personal data we have collected about you.
• Right to equal service. We will not discriminate against you if you exercise your privacy rights.
• Right to deletion. You can submit a verifiable request to close your account, and we will delete the personal information about you that we have collected.
• Right to request that a company that sells a consumer's personal data not sell that data.

Contact us

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

• By email: privacy@background-buddy.com