This policy describes the IRCL's practices with respect to personal information and data. This policy applies to our website, emails, text messages and social media accounts. When you use these platforms, you agree to the terms of our Privacy Policy.
Last updated: January 15, 2025
IRCL (hereinafter, "we" or "us") takes its responsibilities for the protection of your personal data very seriously. This Privacy Policy (the "Policy") describes the types of personal data we collect, how we may use and disclose it to certain individuals, as applicable, and the choices and rights with respect to that information. This policy applies to data we collect through our website.
For the purposes of this website, by "personal data" we mean any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. Please read this Policy carefully before sharing any information with us, so that you fully understand our practices regarding personal information. By visiting or using the Website, communicating with us through the Website, or submitting information to us through the Website, you agree to the terms of this Policy.
This section applies to individuals who participate or wish to participate in our studies (collectively, "Study Participants").
2.1 Information Collected Directly from You
When you register for a clinical study using the Website, IRCL may collect, record and analyze information about you, including information in the following categories:
We may aggregate or anonymize the types of data mentioned above, such that they no longer identify an individual, in which case they are no longer considered "personal data" and may then be used for any purpose, to the extent permitted by applicable laws.
2.2 Purpose of collecting and processing personal data
The IRCL uses the data collected only to determine a participant's pre-eligibility for the studies in which he wishes to participate. If a participant volunteers for a study, he must still pass the screening process to participate. The personal data collected through the web page are part of the study file only if the participant passes the screening process and is registered in the study. In the event of abandonment or failure of the screening process, the data you have provided will be deleted from the IRCL database unless you wish it to remain there to be contacted in the future for other studies.
We may share your personal data with the following entities:
We may disclose personal data if we are required to do so by law, such as to law enforcement or other authorities. This includes court orders, subpoenas, and orders arising from legal processes, as well as administrative or criminal investigations. We may also disclose your personal data if disclosure is required for the purposes of preventing or detecting criminal acts or criminal prosecution, or to prevent other harm, or in response to legal action or to enforce our rights and claims.
When the information we collect about you is aggregated, anonymized, or does not identify you, we may use it for any purpose or share it with third parties, to the extent permitted by applicable laws.
You have the right to:
You will not typically have to pay a fee to exercise any of these rights, but we may charge a reasonable fee if your request is manifestly unfounded, repetitive or excessive. In such a case, we may also refuse to comply with your request.
Subject to exceptions, if you wish to exercise any of the above rights in relation to personal information under this Policy, you may do so by submitting a request to admin@ircl.ca. Once we receive your request, we will review it and contact you within 30 days of receiving it, we will notify you of any delays and in any event, we will respond within three (3) months. We may ask you for specific information to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access your personal data (or allow you to exercise your other rights). We may ask you for proof of identity before providing you with this data. Please note that certain legal requirements, including those applicable to the conduct of IRCL's studies, accounting, claims handling and mandatory data retention, may prohibit IRCL from complying with a data subject's request, including the deletion or anonymization of personal data.
IRCL stores your data on servers located in Canada. We make the security of your data our priority and have implemented a variety of security measures in line with industry best practices, including firewalls, secure and encrypted web access, and always-on security monitoring. IRCL will not retain data for longer than is necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected or as required by applicable laws or regulations. In accordance with the regulations, if you have been selected for a study or participated in it, your data cannot be deleted and must be retained. If you have applied to participate in a study, but have not been selected, and then you have requested that your data be deleted, all information will be deleted immediately. When not in use, the website data and information collected will be deleted after a period of three years.
In some cases, we may not allow you to access certain personal data. For example, if your personal data is linked to the personal data of other people, or for legal reasons. In this case, we will explain why you cannot obtain this data.
Our website may contain links to websites that are not operated by IRCL or its affiliates. This policy does not apply to personal data collected through these websites. These links are provided for reference and convenience only, and do not imply any endorsement of or association with the products sold or the information provided by these websites. IRCL does not control these websites and is not responsible for their data practices. Any information you provide to third parties through their websites is not covered by this policy, but rather by the privacy and data collection policies of those third parties. We strongly advise you to review the privacy policy posted on any site you visit before using the site or providing any personal data.
We may change this Privacy Policy at any time without prior notice. We will notify you of material changes to the use of your personal information prior to implementing them, either through a banner or other prominently displayed method on our website. By using our services and website after such changes are posted, you are indicating that you accept them.
The IRCL does not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If we discover that a minor is seeking to provide personal information, we will delete that information from our records. If you are the parent or legal guardian of a minor who has provided us with personal information, please contact us so that we can delete it.
Please note that we do not change our website's data collection and use practices when we receive a "Do Not Track" signal from your device.
IRCL's Data Protection Officer is Ms. Anne-Julie Landry, Director. To exercise your rights, if you have any questions about our privacy practices, or if you need help choosing or understanding your privacy options, please contact us at:
Institut de recherche clinique du littoral,
Attn: Data Protection Officer
Email : ajlandry@ircl.ca
425 Perron Boulevard, Maria
Québec G0C 1Y0
L'Institut de recherche clinique du Littoral (IRCL) est un organisme privé de recherche clinique spécialisé en études interventionnelles dans le domaine des produits de santé naturels et nutraceutiques. L'institut offre également une expertise en études biologiques, épidémiologiques et registres longitudinaux de maladies.