Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

TCMThrive (“we,” “our,” or “us”) operates a directory for Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners in the Greater Vancouver Area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website at www.tcmthrive.com. We are committed to complying with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and British Columbia’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).

2. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

• Account information: If you create an account to claim a practitioner or clinic profile, we collect your email address.
• Search queries: When you use our search features, we process the text you enter to return relevant results. We do not permanently store individual search queries linked to your identity.
• Location data: If you choose to enable distance-based sorting, your browser shares your approximate location. This data is used only for that request and is not stored on our servers.

Information Collected Automatically

• Usage data: We collect standard web server logs including IP addresses, browser type, referring pages, and pages visited. This data is used for site analytics and security.
• Cookies: We use essential cookies for authentication (if you log in) and site functionality. We do not use third-party advertising or tracking cookies.

Publicly Available Information

Practitioner and clinic profiles displayed on TCMThrive are compiled from publicly available sources including clinic websites, Google Business profiles, and professional regulatory registries. This information is factual and publicly accessible.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide and maintain the TCMThrive directory service
• Process search queries and return relevant practitioner matches
• Authenticate users who claim practitioner or clinic profiles
• Improve our search algorithms and user experience
• Monitor for security threats and abuse
• Comply with legal obligations

4. Information Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share information only in these circumstances:

• Service providers: We use Supabase for database hosting and Vercel for website hosting. These providers process data on our behalf under contractual obligations.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or government regulation.

5. Data Retention

Account information is retained as long as your account is active. Server logs are retained for up to 90 days. You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time by contacting us.

6. Your Rights

Under PIPEDA and PIPA, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your personal information
• Withdraw consent for data processing

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the email address below.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information, including encryption in transit (TLS/HTTPS), secure authentication, and access controls. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure.

8. Third-Party Links

Our directory contains links to clinic websites, booking platforms, and other third-party services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

9. Children’s Privacy

TCMThrive is not directed at individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last updated” date. Your continued use of TCMThrive after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us at:

Email: privacy@tcmthrive.com