Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how DCS Incorporated, doing business as DCSWebWorks ("we," "us," or "our"), handles personal information collected through our website at dcswebworks.lovable.app and any related services (collectively, the "Services").

DCSWebWorks is a web-design studio based in Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada. We are the "organization" responsible for the personal information described in this policy, and we act as the accountable party under Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act ("PIPEDA").

We only collect personal information that you provide to us directly, plus limited technical information required to operate the site.

a) Information you give us

• Contact form submissions: your name, email address, and any details you include in the message (for example, a phone number, business name, budget, or project description if you choose to share them).
• Live chat messages: the name and email address you enter to start a conversation, plus the content of any messages you send through our chat widget.
• Correspondence: if you email us directly at dcswebworks@gmail.com, we keep the contents of that email so we can respond and maintain a record.

b) Information collected automatically

• Basic technical/server logs: our hosting provider records standard information such as IP address, browser type, referring page, pages visited, and timestamps. These are used to keep the site running, prevent abuse, and diagnose errors.
• Local storage: our chat widget stores a small identifier in your browser's local storage so you can see your own prior messages if you return to the site on the same device.

c) What we don't collect

• We do not run Google Analytics, Meta / Facebook Pixel, or any third-party advertising or behavioural-tracking pixels.
• We do not knowingly collect payment card information through this website.
• We do not collect sensitive personal information (e.g., health, government ID numbers) and ask that you do not send it to us.

We use the personal information described above for the following purposes:

• To respond to your inquiries, quote requests, and messages sent through the contact form or live chat.
• To discuss, scope, quote, and deliver web-design and related services you ask us about.
• To send you project-related communications (e.g., proposals, invoices, status updates) if we begin working together.
• To operate, maintain, secure, and improve the website itself, including troubleshooting bugs and preventing abuse.
• To comply with our legal, tax, and accounting obligations under Canadian law.

We do not use your personal information to make automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects about you.

Under PIPEDA, we rely on your consent to collect, use, and disclose your personal information. Consent may be:

• Express — for example, when you type your name and email into our contact form or chat widget and press "Send," you are expressly consenting to us using that information to respond to you.
• Implied — for example, when you browse our public marketing pages, you implicitly consent to the limited technical logging needed to serve the website.

You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice, by contacting us using the details in the "Contact Us" section below. Withdrawing consent may mean we can no longer provide certain services to you.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We disclose personal information only in the limited circumstances described below.

Service providers we rely on

We use a small number of vetted service providers to operate the website and communicate with you. These providers process personal information on our behalf and are contractually required to protect it and use it only for the purposes we specify:

• Hosting & backend infrastructure — used to host the website, database, and chat backend.
• Email delivery — used to send transactional and project-related emails from us to you.
• Domain registration & DNS — used to operate the dcswebworks domain.

Some of these providers may store or process data on servers located outside Canada (including in the United States). When information is processed outside Canada, it may be subject to the laws of that jurisdiction, including lawful access by foreign courts, law enforcement, or national-security authorities. We take reasonable steps to ensure any such providers offer a comparable level of protection to what is required under PIPEDA.

Legal disclosures

We may disclose personal information without your further consent where required or permitted by law, including:

• To comply with a subpoena, warrant, court order, or other valid legal process.
• To investigate, prevent, or take action regarding suspected illegal activity, fraud, or violations of our terms.
• To protect the rights, property, or safety of DCSWebWorks, our clients, or the public.
• In connection with a business transaction (e.g., merger, acquisition, or sale of assets), subject to appropriate confidentiality obligations.

We do not use tracking or advertising cookies. Our website and chat widget rely only on:

• Essential local storage: a small identifier stored by the live-chat widget so a returning visitor on the same device/browser can see their own prior conversation.
• Session/authentication cookies: used only by our internal admin area, not by public visitors.

You can clear local storage and cookies at any time through your browser settings. Doing so will not prevent you from using the public parts of our website, but it will reset your chat history on that device.

We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information against loss, theft, and unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification. These safeguards include:

• Encryption of data in transit using HTTPS/TLS.
• Row-level security rules on our database so records are only accessible to the intended parties.
• Access controls that limit who can view messages and contact form submissions to authorized personnel only.
• Use of reputable infrastructure providers with their own security programs.

No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we become aware of a breach of security safeguards involving your personal information that creates a real risk of significant harm, we will notify you and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada as required by law.

We keep personal information only as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy or as required by law. In practice:

• Contact form submissions and chat transcripts are kept while a prospective or active client relationship exists, and typically for up to 24 months afterward for follow-up and reference.
• Records related to engaged clients (contracts, invoices, correspondence) are retained for as long as legally required for tax, accounting, and contractual purposes (generally up to 7 years under Canadian tax rules).
• Server and security logs are retained for a short operational period and then rotated out.

When personal information is no longer needed, we take reasonable steps to delete or de-identify it.

Under PIPEDA, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you and receive information about how it has been used and to whom it has been disclosed.
• Correct personal information that is inaccurate or incomplete.
• Withdraw consent to our continued use of your personal information, subject to legal and contractual limits.
• Request deletion of your personal information where we are not legally required to retain it.
• Ask a question or make a complaint about our handling of your personal information.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at dcswebworks@gmail.com. We will respond within a reasonable time (generally within 30 days) and may need to verify your identity before acting on your request.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

Our Services are directed at businesses and adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our practices, services, or applicable law. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. For material changes, we will take reasonable steps to notify you (for example, via a notice on the website or by email if we have an active project with you). Your continued use of the Services after the updated policy takes effect constitutes acceptance of the changes.

If you have questions, concerns, or requests about this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer:

This page is maintained by DCSWebWorks to describe our own data-handling practices. It is provided for transparency and does not constitute legal advice. For advice specific to your situation, consult a qualified lawyer.