Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Backyard Brands Inc., operating as Sage Dazzle ("we," "us," "our"), is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you use the Sage Dazzle mobile application and related services (the "Service").

We comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy legislation, including Quebec's Act Respecting the Protection of Personal Information in the Private Sector (as amended by Law 25), Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act, and British Columbia's Personal Information Protection Act.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

When you register for and use the Service, you may provide:

• Account information: name and email address
• Dealer association: your selected authorized dealer from the available list
• Chat data: messages you send to the AI assistant, including any photos, files, or voice input
• Communications: emails you send us for support, feedback, or service requests
• Preferences: language preference, AI personality style, and technical level settings
• Role and permissions: your role within your dealer organization (e.g., staff, technician, manager)
• Usage patterns: interaction patterns, features used, response quality metrics

2.2 Information We Do Not Collect

We do not collect phone numbers, job titles, precise GPS location, device identifiers, IP addresses, or usage analytics. The Service is designed for business use and does not intentionally collect personal information from individuals under 18 years of age.

3. How We Use Your Information

4. Consent

4.1 How We Obtain Consent

We rely on different forms of consent depending on the nature of the information and how it is used:

• Express consent: For sensitive information or uses beyond what is necessary for the Service (e.g., marketing communications), we obtain your explicit agreement.
• Implied consent: For information necessary to provide the Service you requested, your consent is implied when you register and use the Service.

4.2 Withdrawing Consent

You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions. To withdraw consent, contact our Privacy Officer at privacy@backyardbrands.com . Withdrawal of consent may affect our ability to provide certain features of the Service.

5. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

5.1 Service Providers

We engage trusted third parties to perform services on our behalf, such as cloud hosting, analytics, and customer support. These providers are contractually bound to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

5.2 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of the transaction. We will notify you of any such change and your choices regarding your information.

5.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information when required by law, court order, or government request, or when necessary to protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of our users or the public.

5.4 With Your Consent

We may share your information for other purposes with your explicit consent.

6. Third-Party AI and Service Providers

To provide AI-powered recommendations and voice assistance, we use the following service providers:

OpenAI (AI Processing)

Purpose: Generate AI responses and water treatment recommendations.

Data transmitted:

• User-submitted chat messages
• Water chemistry readings entered by the user
• User-provided display name
• Dealer association
• Language preference
• AI preferences (personality style and technical level)

We do not transmit email addresses, passwords, or account credentials to OpenAI.

ElevenLabs (Voice Processing)

Purpose: Enable voice assistant functionality for authenticated users.

Data transmitted:

• Voice audio input
• Associated transcribed text

We do not transmit account credentials or authentication data to ElevenLabs. Voice features are not available in guest mode.

Supabase (Backend Hosting and Storage)

Purpose: Account management, authentication, and data storage.

Data stored:

• Email address and encrypted authentication credentials
• Display name and dealer association
• Chat messages, uploaded photos, and files
• Language preference and AI preferences (personality style, technical level)
• AI consent and terms acceptance records

Supabase does not process AI prompts or generate AI responses.

User Consent

Before creating an account or using guest access, users must review and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy via an in-app checkbox. Additionally, the app presents a mandatory in-app consent screen before any user data is transmitted to AI providers. This consent screen clearly describes what data will be shared and with which providers. Users must explicitly agree before proceeding. Authenticated users are informed that data is shared with both OpenAI and ElevenLabs. Guest users are informed that data is shared with OpenAI only. Users may decline and are unable to use AI-powered features without consent. Additionally, the app presents a Dealer Staff Application Use Agreement on first launch that must be accepted before accessing the application. This agreement is versioned and users will be re-prompted to accept when the agreement is updated.

We do not transmit email addresses or account credentials to AI providers.

AI Data Retention

AI providers process submitted content solely to generate responses and are not authorized to use this data for unrelated purposes. Account data is retained while the user maintains an active account.

Dealer Management Visibility

Your dealer's management may have visibility into your usage patterns, AI interactions, and performance data. This information is used to support your dealer's management of its account and to provide performance analytics to your dealer.

Persistent User Memory

The Application remembers your preferences, interaction history, and areas of expertise across sessions to provide a personalized experience. For example, if you frequently service a particular equipment brand, the Application will prioritize relevant diagnostic information. This persistent memory is associated with your user profile. If you leave the dealer's employ, your dealer's administrator may deactivate your profile, and your persistent data will be retained in anonymized form for product improvement purposes.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Our standard retention periods are:

• Active account data: Retained while your account is active
• Transaction records: 7 years (for tax and legal compliance)
• Usage and analytics data: 2 years
• After account closure: Personal information deleted or anonymized within 90 days, except where retention is legally required
• Agreement acceptance records: retained indefinitely for legal compliance

8. Your Privacy Rights

Under Canadian privacy law, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

To exercise any of these rights, contact our Privacy Officer. We will respond within 30 days of receiving your request. There is no fee for access requests unless the request is manifestly unfounded or excessive.

9. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Access controls limiting who can view your information
• Regular security assessments and vulnerability testing
• Employee training on data protection practices
• Incident response procedures for potential breaches

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.

10. Breach Notification

In the event of a security breach involving your personal information that poses a real risk of significant harm, we will:

• Notify affected individuals as soon as feasible
• For Quebec residents: notify within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach
• Report to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and applicable provincial authorities
• Maintain records of all breaches for at least 24 months

11. Data Location and International Transfers

Your personal information is stored and processed in Canada. Our cloud infrastructure providers maintain data centers in Canada.

If we transfer your information outside Canada, we ensure equivalent protection through contractual safeguards and compliance with applicable cross-border transfer requirements. We will inform you of any such transfers and the safeguards in place.

12. Automated Decision-Making

The Service does not currently use automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal effects or similarly significant effects on you. If we introduce such features in the future, we will update this policy and, where required, obtain your consent.

13. Third-Party Links

The Service may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. For material changes, we will provide at least 30 days notice via email or in-app notification before the changes take effect. The "Effective Date" at the top of this policy indicates when it was last revised.

Continued use of the Service after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the revised policy. If you disagree with changes, you may close your account.

15. Contact Us

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