Who we are
SettleEasy ATLAS ("SettleEasy ATLAS", "we", "us") is a settlement intelligence platform that helps individuals navigate international relocation, from pre-decision through long-term settlement. The platform is operated by the SettleEasy team and is accessible at settle-easy.vercel.app and its associated hub pages.
This Privacy Policy applies to all users of the SettleEasy ATLAS platform including visitors who browse without an account, registered newcomers with a settlement profile, and peer guides who participate in the community system.
What we collect
We collect only what is necessary to provide you with a personalised settlement roadmap and the features of the platform. The table below sets out each category of data, what it includes, and whether it is required or optional.
| Category | What it includes | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Account information | Email address, hashed password, account creation date, sign-in history | Required |
| Settlement profile | Province or region, city, immigration pathway, current stage, household size, arrival timing, selected settlement topics | Required to generate a roadmap |
| Immigration status | Status type (e.g. Permanent Resident, Express Entry, Study Permit). PR grant date and protected person status if applicable. | Required for citizenship counter activation |
| Travel log | Trip departure dates, return dates, and destination countries as entered by you | Optional, required only for citizenship counter accuracy |
| Financial goals | Your settlement fund goal (user-set) and current saved amount (user-set). We do not access your bank accounts. | Optional |
| Journey progress | Task completion status, stage advancement, guide and partner saves, ratings you submit | Generated automatically as you use the platform |
| Community content | Posts, replies, and reactions you submit in community threads, and messages you send via in-app messaging | Optional, community participation is not required to use the platform |
| Usage data | Pages visited, features used, search queries within the platform, session duration. No cross-site tracking. | Collected automatically |
| Device information | Browser type, operating system, screen resolution, language setting. No device fingerprinting. | Collected automatically |
Why we collect it
Every piece of data we collect has a specific purpose. We do not collect data speculatively or for future monetisation.
| Purpose | Data used | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and personalise your settlement roadmap | Settlement profile, immigration status, household, selected topics | Contract, this is the core service |
| Calculate citizenship eligibility | PR grant date, travel log, protected person status | Your explicit consent at activation |
| Match you with a peer guide | Province, immigration pathway, origin country | Contract |
| Operate the community platform safely | Account age, post content, report history, community tier | Legitimate interest, platform safety |
| Improve the platform | Anonymised, aggregated usage data only, never individual profiles | Legitimate interest |
| Send you announcements | Email address, selected topics | Your consent, you can unsubscribe at any time |
| Maintain security and prevent abuse | Account data, IP address, usage patterns | Legitimate interest, platform integrity |
Automated data sources
SettleEasy ATLAS uses automated pipelines to ingest publicly available cost and settlement data from government sources, CMHC, Statistics Canada, the Bank of Canada, and provincial transit authorities. This data is used to populate cost estimates and settlement guidance within the platform.
This automated data collection is entirely separate from your personal data. It involves no personal information. The sources are official government publications. We do not scrape private websites, purchase third-party data, or use community-reported data as a standalone source without corroboration from a primary government source.
Who sees your data
Your personal data is not sold, rented, or traded. We share it only in the following limited circumstances:
- Infrastructure providers: Our hosting, database, and email providers process data on our behalf under strict data processing agreements. They do not have permission to use your data for their own purposes.
- Peer guides: When you are matched with a peer guide, they see only your province, immigration pathway, and the general stage of your journey. They do not see your email address, financial information, travel log, or citizenship counter data.
- Verified partners: Partners listed in the platform directory are not given access to your personal data. If you choose to contact a partner directly, that interaction happens outside SettleEasy ATLAS and is governed by the partner's own privacy practices.
- Legal requirements: We may disclose data if required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of users from imminent harm. We will notify you of any such disclosure unless legally prohibited from doing so.
How long we keep your data
| Data type | Retention period |
|---|---|
| Active account data | Held for as long as your account is active |
| Journey and task data | Held for as long as your account is active |
| Travel log | Held for as long as your account is active. Deleted immediately on account deletion. |
| Community posts and replies | Held for as long as your account is active. On deletion, content is anonymised, text retained for community context, author identity removed. |
| In-app messages | Deleted in full on account deletion of either party in the thread |
| Usage and session data | Anonymised after 90 days. Raw session logs deleted after 30 days. |
| Deleted accounts | All personal data deleted within 30 days of account deletion request. Anonymised aggregate data may be retained. |
How we protect your data
- All data is transmitted over encrypted HTTPS connections
- Passwords are hashed using a modern one-way algorithm, we cannot read your password
- Sign-in is protected by a one-time code sent to your email
- Immigration status and travel log data is stored in access-controlled fields, not accessible to community roles or partner accounts
- The SettleEasy team accesses personal data only for operational support and moderation purposes, and only as necessary
- We conduct regular access reviews to ensure data is not accessible beyond what is operationally required
No system is perfectly secure. If a security breach occurs that affects your personal data, we will notify you within 72 hours of becoming aware of it, in line with applicable data protection requirements.
Your rights
You have the following rights over your data, which you can exercise at any time through your account settings or by contacting us.
| Right | What it means | How to exercise it |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Request a copy of all personal data we hold about you | Account settings → Export my data |
| Correction | Request correction of inaccurate data | Edit directly in your profile, or contact us |
| Deletion | Delete your account and all associated personal data immediately | Account settings → Delete my account |
| Portability | Receive your data in a machine-readable format | Account settings → Export my data (JSON) |
| Withdraw consent | Withdraw consent for optional processing (citizenship counter, marketing emails) | Account settings or unsubscribe link in email |
| Restriction | Request that we restrict processing of your data while a dispute is resolved | Contact us directly |
| Object | Object to processing based on legitimate interest | Contact us directly |
Community and messaging
When you participate in the community, the content of your posts and replies is visible to other community members within the same province group. Your immigration pathway and account tier (Member, Trusted Member, Peer Guide) may be visible alongside your posts.
Your email address, financial data, travel log, citizenship counter data, and full immigration status details are never visible to other community members under any circumstances.
In-app messages between you and your matched peer guide are private, visible only to you and your guide. The SettleEasy team may review message content in the course of investigating a reported safety concern. All message content is automatically scanned for contact details (phone numbers, email addresses) and payment request language before storage. Content triggering these scans is blocked and the relevant moderation process is initiated.
Community content you post may be reviewed by the SettleEasy team as part of the platform's moderation system. Content removed by the moderation system is not publicly visible but may be retained in our logs for safety and audit purposes.
Citizenship counter data
The citizenship eligibility counter is available to users with Permanent Resident status. It uses your PR grant date, travel log entries, and protected person status (if applicable) to calculate accumulated days of physical presence in Canada.
This data is treated with the highest level of sensitivity on the platform. It is:
- Stored in access-controlled fields not accessible to community roles, peer guides, or partner accounts
- Never displayed to any other user, including your matched peer guide
- Never used for any purpose other than calculating and displaying your eligibility estimate
- Deleted immediately and completely when you delete your account
Cookies
SettleEasy ATLAS uses a minimal set of cookies necessary to operate the platform. We do not use advertising cookies, third-party tracking cookies, or analytics cookies that share data with external services.
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Session cookie | Keeps you signed in during your browser session | Expires when you close your browser |
| Authentication token | Remembers your sign-in if you choose "Stay signed in" | 30 days |
| Preference cookie | Stores your hub selection and display preferences | 1 year |
You can clear cookies through your browser settings at any time. Clearing your session cookie will sign you out of SettleEasy ATLAS.
Minors
SettleEasy ATLAS is designed for adults navigating international relocation. We do not knowingly collect personal data from individuals under the age of 18. If you believe a minor has created an account on SettleEasy ATLAS, please contact us and we will delete the account and all associated data promptly.
Policy changes
When we make material changes to this policy, changes that affect what data we collect, how we use it, or who we share it with, we will notify you by email and display a notice within your account for a minimum of 14 days before the changes take effect.
Continuing to use SettleEasy ATLAS after a change takes effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. If you do not accept the changes, you may delete your account at any time.
Minor changes, such as clarifications, corrections, or updates to contact information, may be made without notice. The effective date at the top of this policy will always reflect the most recent revision.
Contact us
If you have any questions about this policy, want to exercise your data rights, or need to report a privacy concern, please contact the SettleEasy team directly.
SettleEasy ATLAS Privacy
We aim to respond to all privacy enquiries within 5 business days. For account deletion requests, action is taken immediately upon verification of your identity.
privacy@settleeasy.com