We have updated our Privacy Notice, effective as of December 11, 2023, to:
- Provide more details on third parties who may collect, use, disclose, and process personal information in connection with our services.
If you have any questions regarding these changes, please feel free to reach out to us at privacyinfo@ckc.world.
Earlier versions of this Privacy Notice are available here.
Welcome! We are the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the study, breeding, exhibiting, and maintaining purebred dogs. This Privacy Notice explains how the Canadian Kennel Club, Inc. (“CKC,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, processes, discloses, and uses personal information (as defined below) in connection with our websites (the “Sites”) and other websites we operate that link to this Privacy Notice, as well as our mobile applications (the “Apps”), and the related content, platforms, services, products, and other features offered through our online services (collectively, the “Services”). This notice does not address privacy practices regarding CKC employees and other staff.
What is Personal Information?
In this Privacy Notice, when we refer to “personal information,” we mean any information that identifies, relates to, describes, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, to an individual. This does not include aggregated or de-identified data that cannot be reasonably linked to an individual.
How We Collect Personal Information
We may collect personal information automatically when individuals engage with our Services, or we may gather personal information directly from individuals. In some cases, we may collect personal information from third parties even before we interact with you directly.
NFT Program Participants: Please note that because of the public nature of the blockchain, including the Ethereum Blockchain, the transactions and holdings associated with your cryptocurrency wallet address used in CKC’s NFT Program will be publicly visible and accessible to others. This includes, but is not limited to, your public sending address (including cryptographically secure non-fungible tokens or “NFTs”), the public address of the receiver, the amount sent or received, and any other data that a user may choose to include in a transaction. Information stored on the blockchain may not be alterable or deletable due to its immutable nature. The transactions and addresses may reveal your identity, and such information could potentially be correlated by anyone now or in the future. Please familiarize yourself with how privacy and transparency work on the blockchain.
Personal Information Collected from Users
We may gather the following personal information submitted by individuals through our Services:
Contact Information: This includes your full name (first and last), middle initial, prefixes or suffixes, email address, physical address, employer, job title, company name, phone number, and communication preferences.
Inquiry and Communication Details: This includes any information shared through custom messages on forms, emails, or phone calls. It covers online registrations (e.g., event planning), chat inputs, and order information placed via the CKC Shop. Additionally, it includes data provided for subscribing to newsletters, magazines, or other contact forms on our Services.
Account Information: Includes personal details such as your full name, middle initial, email address, job title, company name, username, profile information, CKC registration numbers, dog breed details, litter information, account balance, purchase and payment history, awards, and other information you provide. We use a third-party provider to process payments, so we do not accept payments directly through our Services.
Online Marketplace or Shopping Data: Includes your name, email, mailing address, payment history, and products or services considered or purchased. If you sell products or services on our platform, we may also collect your business information, including your address, location, billing details, and products you offer.
NFT and Crypto Data: This includes your personal details, account information, NFT ownership, blockchain wallet address, cryptocurrency transaction details, and metadata associated with NFTs (e.g., transfers, smart contracts, amounts, etc.). We may also collect information from crypto transactions, including wallet types, asset amounts, and balances. Payment processing for NFTs is facilitated through third-party providers.
Groomer, Trainer, and Breeder Details: Includes contact information (email, mailing address, phone), business details (name, specialty, location), licensing and certification info, photos, videos, purchase history, account balance, and any other information you choose to share for public bio listings.
Community-Related Data: This includes personal details such as name, company, address, videos watched, comments on blog posts, interactions in services like the AKC GR Legislative Action Center or Scent Work, and other data you provide via search fields or forms within our Services.
AKC Canine College Data: Includes your personal and contact details, profile information, registration details, billing data, services purchased, evaluation forms, and certification information.
Club Member Information: This includes club membership details such as name, contact info, club role (breeder, exhibitor, judge), and years of experience.
Contest, Sweepstakes, and Survey Details: Information submitted when entering contests or sweepstakes, or in response to survey questions and testimonials.
Donation Information: Includes details such as your name, club affiliation, donation type, amount, contact info, and payment history.
Event Participation Data: This includes details like seminar registration, club affiliation, judge numbers, attendee badges, awards, and personal contact information.
Dog and Litter Registration Information: Includes registration details like your name, address, phone number, dam and sire registration numbers, litter number, certificate issue dates, and transfer details.
Employment Application Data: Includes demographic and contact details, educational and work history, application materials, and information shared during interviews for employment opportunities.
Automatically Collected Personal Information
Like most digital platforms, we and our third-party providers automatically collect personal information from your device, browsing activities, and usage patterns when you visit or interact with our Services. This may include:
Log Data: Information such as your internet protocol (IP) address, operating system, browser type and ID, URLs entered, referring pages/campaigns, date and time of visit, duration spent on our Services, and any errors encountered during your visit.
Analytics Data: Information about your electronic path to, through, and from our Services, as well as your usage and activity within our Services.
Location Data: General geographic location based on the log data collected by us or our third-party providers.
Please be aware that our systems may also capture personal details that you enter on our Sites and other online services, even if you do not choose to submit them.
We and our third-party partners may utilize (i) cookies, which are small data files placed on a user’s device, and (ii) other similar technologies, including web beacons, pixels, embedded scripts, location-tracking methods, and logging tools (collectively referred to as “cookies”), to automatically gather personal information. For instance, our Sites make use of Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC (“Google”), to collect and analyze traffic data on our Sites. For additional information about Google Analytics and its non-advertising usage, you can review Google’s privacy policy here, and explore the available opt-out options here.
To control cookie usage, individuals can adjust their browser settings to: (i) receive alerts when a cookie is set, giving them the choice to accept it or not; (ii) block existing cookies; or (iii) automatically decline all cookies. Please be aware that altering these settings may affect the overall experience of using our Services, as certain features may not function properly or may be unavailable. Depending on the device and operating system, it may not be possible to remove or block every cookie. Moreover, to block cookies across all browsers and devices, users must adjust settings for each browser and device they use. Additionally, users can configure their email preferences to stop the automatic download of images that might contain tracking technologies, allowing us to know whether the email was opened and what actions were taken.
For further details on data collection practices by us and third parties, including online advertising, please refer to the “Third Party Data Collection and Online Advertising” section in this Privacy Notice.
Personal Information from External Sources
In addition to collecting personal information directly from individuals or automatically through our Services, we also gather personal information from third-party sources. This information may be combined with data that we collect to better understand and serve our users.
We may receive the same types of personal information mentioned earlier from the following third parties:
Club Affiliates: If you are associated with a club, your club may share your contact information and other details you choose to provide with us.
Event Information Providers: We gather event details and results from clubs, organizations, or individuals who organize events, such as event superintendents or club secretaries.
Other Customers or Interactions with Our Services: We may obtain information about you from other users of our Services. For instance, if you are involved with a provisional judge, this information might be shared through the Tracking Judge Evaluation Form.
Your Employer or Company: If your interaction with our Services is through your employment or company, we may receive relevant information from your employer or another representative within your organization.
Business Relationships: We may obtain your personal data from business partners who offer their services or products through our Services.
Social Media: When you interact with our Services via social media networks, such as logging in, liking, following, or sharing content, we may receive information that you have permitted these social platforms to share. The type of data we receive depends on your privacy settings on these platforms and can include information such as your profile, picture, gender, username, user ID, age range, language, country, and any other details you have agreed to share.
Service Providers: Third-party service providers that offer services on our behalf, such as survey and marketing companies or payment processors, may collect and share personal information with us. For example, cryptocurrency wallets may provide us with blockchain or Ethereum wallet addresses and additional information for NFT transactions.
Information Providers: From time to time, we may obtain personal data from external sources to update or correct the information we have. For instance, we might receive updated contact details from third-party providers to ensure we can reconnect with individuals.
Employment-Related Third Parties: If you apply for a job with us, we may gather personal data from your current or past employers, recruitment agencies, social media platforms, and other sources we use to assess job applicants.
Other Sources: We may also collect personal information from publicly accessible sources, third-party data providers, customers, or through transactions such as mergers and acquisitions. This could include contact information, employment details, and service interests. We may combine this third-party data with information collected directly from you to personalize our Services, contact you, process job applications, or send promotional materials.
How We Use Personal Information
We utilize the personal information we collect for the following purposes:
To fulfill the specific purpose for which the information was provided, such as meeting contractual obligations, delivering requested Services, and processing transactions, including online shopping, NFT purchases and resales, applications for groomers, trainers, and breeders, club memberships, registrations, and evaluations.
To manage and run the daily operations of our organization.
To communicate with individuals through various channels, including email, text messages, social media, and phone calls.
To request individuals to participate in surveys about our organization, our partners, and the Services we offer.
For marketing and advertising purposes, such as promoting products or services we believe may interest you, through email, direct mail, phone, or text messages.
To administer, enhance, and personalize our Services, including recognizing individuals and remembering their details when they return to our platform.
To process payments for the Services we provide.
To facilitate customer benefits and support, including through our customer service teams.
To analyze how individuals interact with our Services and assess usage patterns.
To conduct research and analytics on our user base and Services to improve offerings.
To improve and tailor our Services based on the needs and preferences of our customers and other individuals we engage with.
To test, enhance, update, and monitor the functionality of our Services, or to address and resolve any technology-related issues.
To help maintain the safety, security, and integrity of our property, Services, and technological infrastructure.
To evaluate your suitability for employment, communicate during the hiring process, and facilitate the onboarding process, if you’ve applied for a job.
To enforce our Terms of Use, resolve disputes, fulfill obligations, protect our rights, and defend our business interests as well as the interests of third parties.
To prevent, investigate, or notify of any fraudulent, unlawful, or criminal activity.
To comply with contractual and legal obligations and requirements.
To fulfill any other purpose for which you provide personal information.
For any other lawful purposes or purposes for which you provide consent.
If you choose to contact us, we may need additional information to respond effectively to your inquiry or request. In such cases, we may provide you with supplementary privacy-related details that apply specifically to the information provided at that time, which will govern how we process it.
Sharing of Personal Information
We may disclose personal information in the following situations:
Affiliates: We may share your personal information with companies within the AKC group, including subsidiaries or other affiliated entities, especially when collaborating to provide the Services you’ve requested.
Club Affiliates: If you’re connected with a club, we may share relevant information with the club and its affiliates as part of your association.
Online Marketplace and Community Participants: If you engage in online communities or make purchases through our Services, we may share your public profile information with other users or community members, along with any other details you make publicly available.
Contests, Sweepstakes, and Surveys: We may provide personal information to third parties who assist in administering our contests, sweepstakes, and surveys, and who help process responses.
Marketing Providers: We may share your information with marketing partners to reach out to you about the Services, including promotional material and product updates.
Customer Support and Communication Providers: To manage customer service and communication inquiries, we may share personal information with third-party providers who assist us in delivering these services.
Additional Service Providers: We use third-party service providers for various operational needs, including hosting services, IT infrastructure, payment processing, analytics, and employment application management. We may also share information with companies handling NFT transactions such as purchases, sales, or transfers, including blockchain networks like Polygon.
Blockchain Participants: Please note that if you engage with blockchain-based Services, any transactions and wallet holdings linked to your crypto address will be visible to blockchain participants and third parties. This includes any details you choose to make public.
Advertising Networks and Partners: We collaborate with third-party ad networks to deliver targeted ads across our Services and other platforms. These companies may gather information directly from your browser or device through cookies and other technologies to provide personalized advertising and related services. For further details, refer to the “Third Party Data Collection and Online Advertising” section of this Privacy Notice.
Business Partners: We may share personal information with third-party marketers, sponsors, and other organizations whose products or services may be of interest to you. This sharing helps them communicate relevant offers to you.
Employer / Company: If you access our Services through your employment or organization, we may share your personal information with your employer or company representatives.
Dog and Litter Registration: We may share information about your dog or litter registrations to confirm eligibility, especially for prospective dog owners or those transferring a dog.
Event Results: We publish public event results on our Sites, which may include information such as breeder names, registered owners, judges, event locations, and other event details.
Business Transactions: If there is a business transaction, such as a merger, acquisition, or sale of company assets, we may disclose personal information to third parties involved in the negotiation or execution of such transactions. This could also apply in case of bankruptcy or insolvency.
Legal Compliance: We may disclose personal information to third parties, such as law enforcement or legal advisors, to:
- Defend or assert legal claims.
- Comply with legal requirements or respond to legal requests.
- Protect the rights and property of our organization and others, including enforcing agreements.
- Detect and prevent fraud.
- Ensure the safety and security of our services.
- As required by applicable laws.
With Your Permission: We may share your personal information with third parties or make it public when you give us your consent. For example, we may post your testimonial on our website or in promotional materials if you authorize us to do so.
Third-Party Data Collection and Targeted Advertising
We engage in interest-based advertising and work with third-party advertising companies to deliver targeted ads based on your browsing activity. These third-party ad networks, social media companies, and other external services may collect data on how you interact with our online services over time. This allows them to display ads on our Services, other websites, and across multiple devices you use. Typically, but not always, this data is gathered through tracking technologies like cookies, web beacons, embedded scripts, location-tracking tools, and similar methods, which identify your device and collect information such as click stream data, browser type, timestamps of your visits, AdIDs, exact geolocation, and more.
To help identify you across different devices, we may share a common account identifier (e.g., a hashed email address or user ID) with our third-party ad partners. Both we and our advertising partners use this data to make the ads you see more relevant to your interests and provide related services like reporting, analytics, market research, and attribution. Additionally, we may utilize services from social media platforms to show you targeted ads on their networks. This can involve providing a hashed version of your email or other details to the platform. For more information on how to opt out of interest-based advertising, please refer to the “Online Ads and Control Over Your Information” section below.
Social Media Features and Advertising
Our Services may include social media features like the Facebook “Like” button, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and other widgets. These features can recognize you and collect information about your interaction with our Services. They may also set cookies or use other tracking technologies. Your use of these features is subject to the privacy policies of the respective social media companies.
We also display targeted ads on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other networks. These platforms have interest-based advertising systems that allow us to serve ads to users who have shown interest in our services while on those platforms, or to groups of users with similar characteristics and interests. To do this, we may share a unique identifier, such as a user ID or a hashed email, with the platform provider, or they may collect data via first-party pixels from our website visitors. These ads are governed by the privacy policies of the respective social media platforms. If you prefer not to see targeted ads on these networks, you can adjust your advertising preferences within your settings on those platforms.
Controlling Your Information
You have several ways to manage how your personal information is collected and used:
- Device Access: You can adjust your device settings to control the CKC Services’ access to features like geolocation, network connections, and app integrations.
- Email Preferences: To stop receiving promotional emails, click the “unsubscribe” link in any marketing email from us. However, certain essential communications, such as account updates and security alerts, cannot be opted out of.
- Push Notifications: You can turn off push notifications by adjusting your notification settings on your iOS or Android device.
- Updating or Removing Your Information: If you need to review, change, or delete your information, you can contact us at privacyinfo@ckc.world. Please note that some data, especially related to CKC’s NFT Program, may be permanent due to blockchain technology.
- Cookies & Tracking: To learn how cookies and tracking technologies are used and how you can manage them, please refer to the Automatically Collected Information section.
- Advertising Preferences: If you want to limit targeted ads, you can visit the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) or Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) for opt-out options. Mobile users can restrict interest-based ads through their device settings by selecting “Limit Ad Tracking” (iOS) or “Opt-Out of Interest-Based Ads” (Android). The AppChoices app also allows control over mobile advertising settings.
Children’s Personal Information
Our Services are not intended for children under 13 years old, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you are under 13, please do not use our Services or provide any personal information. If a child under 13 has shared personal data with us, we encourage their parent or guardian to contact us so we can remove it from our records. Upon discovering that we have collected such information, we will promptly delete it.
Links to Third-Party Websites and Services
Our Services may contain links to third-party websites, applications, and plug-ins. This Privacy Notice does not apply to any third-party sites unless explicitly stated. We are not responsible for how those third parties handle personal information. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before engaging with them.
State-Specific Privacy Rights
California (California Consumer Privacy Act – CCPA)
California residents have the right to request details about how their personal information has been shared with third parties for direct marketing purposes under California Civil Code Section 1798.83 (“Shine the Light” law). To opt out, please email CAPrivacy@ckc.world.
Nevada Privacy Rights
Under Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 603A, Nevada residents can opt out of the future sale of certain personal data. While CKC does not currently sell personal information, you can submit an opt-out request at privacyinfo@ckc.world.
Colorado Privacy Act (CPA)
If you are a Colorado resident, you have the right to:
- Access, correct, and delete your personal data
- Opt out of the collection, sale, or use of your personal data
To make a request, contact privacyinfo@ckc.world.
Privacy Policy Updates
We may update this Privacy Notice periodically. Any changes will be reflected by the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. If significant updates are made, we will notify users via email, a notice on our website, or other appropriate methods. Changes take effect upon publication unless stated otherwise.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or requests related to this Privacy Notice or any other privacy-related matters, please email us at privacyinfo@ckc.world.
