Privacy Policy
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Effective date: July 19, 2026
Pine & Birch Consulting Group ("Pine & Birch," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through www.pine-and-birch.com (the "Site"), why we collect it, how it's used and shared, and the choices and rights available to you. We collect as little as we reasonably can, and we never sell your personal information.
This policy should be read together with our Terms & Conditions, which govern your use of the Site generally.
On this page
- 1. Scope of This Policy
- 2. Information You Give Us
- 3. Cookies & Automatic Data Collection
- 4. Free Tools — Local Processing Only
- 5. How We Use Information
- 6. Legal Basis for Processing
- 7. How We Share Information
- 8. Third-Party Services We Use
- 9. Data Retention
- 10. Data Security
- 11. Your Privacy Rights
- 12. Canadian Visitors (PIPEDA)
- 13. European Visitors (GDPR)
- 14. California Visitors (CCPA/CPRA)
- 15. Children's Privacy
- 16. International Data Transfers
- 17. Do Not Track Signals
- 18. Changes to This Policy
- 19. Contact Us
1. Scope of This Policy
This policy applies to personal information we collect through the Site — including our contact form, newsletter signup, live chat, free tools, and general browsing activity. It does not apply to information handled under a separate, signed client services agreement, which is governed by the confidentiality and data-handling terms of that agreement.
2. Information You Give Us
We collect information you choose to provide directly:
- Contact form & consultation requests — typically your name, email address, phone number (if provided), company name, and the message or project details you share.
- Newsletter subscription — your email address, and optionally your name.
- Live chat — the messages you type into our chat widget, and, if you provide it, your name and email address for follow-up.
We use this information only to respond to you, provide the Services or information you requested, and (for subscribers) send occasional emails you can unsubscribe from at any time via the link included in every message.
3. Cookies & Automatic Data Collection
Like most websites, we use cookies and similar technologies (such as local storage) to make the Site work and to understand how it's used. When you first visit, a cookie banner lets you accept all cookies, reject non-essential ones, or choose exactly which categories to allow. You can change your choice at any time using the "Cookie Preferences" link in the site footer.
| Category | Examples | Purpose | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Necessary | Site preferences, security tokens | Required for core site functionality (e.g. remembering your cookie choice). Cannot be disabled. | Up to 12 months |
| Analytics | Google Analytics (_ga, _ga_*) | Aggregated, anonymized-where-possible usage statistics — pages visited, approximate location, device type, referral source. | Up to 14 months (Google default) |
| Functional | Tawk.to live chat | Enables the live chat widget and remembers your chat session so you don't lose your conversation on page navigation. | Session to 12 months |
We use Google Analytics to understand aggregated site usage — pages visited, approximate location (city/country level), device and browser type, and how you arrived here. We use Google's Consent Mode: analytics cookies default to off until you accept them, and the site and its core functionality work fully whether or not you accept analytics or functional cookies. Our live chat widget (Tawk.to) only loads after you've granted functional consent, and processes the messages you choose to send through it.
4. Free Tools — Local Processing Only
The free tools on this site — image, PDF, color, and diagram tools among others — run entirely in your browser. Files you open and text you type into those tools are processed on your own device and are never uploaded to our servers. We could not access them even if we wanted to, and no cookie or analytics event from these tools ever contains the content of your files.
5. How We Use Information
We use the information described above to:
- respond to inquiries and provide requested information or Services;
- operate, maintain, and improve the Site and its performance;
- understand aggregated usage patterns and content performance;
- send newsletter communications to subscribers, which you can opt out of at any time;
- detect, prevent, and address technical issues, fraud, or abuse; and
- comply with legal obligations.
6. Legal Basis for Processing
Where applicable law requires a legal basis for processing (such as under the GDPR for European visitors), we rely on: your consent (for analytics/functional cookies and newsletter emails, which you may withdraw at any time); our legitimate interests (for example, understanding site usage and responding to inquiries); and compliance with legal obligations where relevant.
7. How We Share Information
We do not sell or rent your personal information. We share it only with:
- service providers who help us operate the Site (hosting, email delivery, analytics, live chat), each contractually or contextually limited to using it solely to provide their service to us;
- professional advisors (legal, accounting) where necessary; and
- where required to comply with a legal obligation, protect our rights, or in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets (in which case we'll ensure the same privacy protections continue to apply).
8. Third-Party Services We Use
The Site relies on the following third-party services:
- Google Analytics (Google LLC) — usage analytics. See Google's Privacy Policy.
- Tawk.to (Tawk.to Inc.) — live chat widget. See Tawk.to's Privacy Policy.
- Our hosting and infrastructure providers, who process data solely to serve the Site to you.
9. Data Retention
We keep contact form and chat messages for as long as needed to respond to you and meet our legal and record-keeping obligations, typically no longer than 24 months after our last interaction unless a longer period is required by law or an ongoing client relationship. Newsletter addresses are kept until you unsubscribe. Analytics data is retained per Google Analytics' default retention settings (see Section 8).
10. Data Security
We use industry-standard measures — including HTTPS encryption in transit, access controls, and working only with reputable service providers — to protect the information we hold. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we take reasonable steps appropriate to the sensitivity of the information involved.
11. Your Privacy Rights
Regardless of where you're located, you may ask us at any time to: (a) confirm what personal information we hold about you; (b) correct inaccurate information; (c) delete your information; (d) withdraw any consent you previously gave (for example, for analytics cookies or newsletter emails); or (e) receive a copy of your information in a portable format. Email info@pnbconsult.com and we'll respond within a reasonable time, generally within 30 days.
12. Canadian Visitors (PIPEDA)
As a business operating in Ontario, Canada, we handle personal information in accordance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy legislation. You have the right to access and request correction of your personal information, and to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you believe we have not handled your information appropriately — though we'd appreciate the chance to resolve any concern directly first.
13. European Visitors (GDPR)
If you are located in the European Economic Area or UK, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including the rights described in Section 11, as well as the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. Our legal bases for processing are described in Section 6.
14. California Visitors (CCPA/CPRA)
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (as amended by the CPRA) gives you the right to know what personal information we collect, request its deletion, and opt out of its "sale" or "sharing." We do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined under the CCPA/CPRA. You may exercise your rights using the contact details in Section 19.
15. Children's Privacy
The Site is intended for business audiences and is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.
16. International Data Transfers
We are based in Canada, and the third-party service providers described in Section 8 may process information on servers located outside your country of residence, including in the United States. Where information is transferred internationally, we rely on those providers' own safeguards and contractual commitments to protect it.
17. Do Not Track Signals
Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" (DNT) setting. Because there is no common industry standard for how to respond to DNT signals, our Site does not currently respond to them differently; instead, we honor the cookie choices you make directly through our cookie banner and "Cookie Preferences" link.
18. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our practices or applicable law. The "Effective date" at the top of this page always reflects the most recent revision. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
19. Contact Us
Questions about this policy or your data can be sent to info@pnbconsult.com, through our contact page, or by mail to:
Pine & Birch Consulting Group
16945 Leslie St, Upper Level, Unit 20
Newmarket, Ontario, L3R 9A2
Canada