Privacy Policy

Effective: May 17, 2026
Jurisdiction: Saskatchewan, Canada
Governing law: PIPEDA & CASL
Plain Language Summary

Visual Moat collects only the information needed to review your audit application and deliver our services. We do not sell your data. We do not add you to marketing lists without permission. We do not share your information with third parties except where necessary to operate our business. You can request access to your data or ask us to delete it at any time by emailing hello@visualmoat.com.

Section 01

Who We Are

Visual Moat is a sole proprietorship operating as a specialized email marketing studio based in Saskatchewan, Canada. We provide email marketing services to e-commerce brands, including technical infrastructure setup, campaign production, studio photography, and strategic consulting.

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, "Visual Moat," "we," "our," and "us" refer to the business operating at VisualMoat.com. "You" refers to any individual who visits our website, submits an audit application, or engages with us as a client.

This policy is governed by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and the Canada Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL).

Section 02

Information We Collect

We collect information in two ways — information you provide directly to us, and limited information collected automatically when you visit our website.

What we collect
When we collect it
Why
Brand name and website URL
Audit application form
To review your brand before the audit
Business email address
Audit application form
To deliver your audit and communicate
Industry, platform, and revenue range
Audit application form
To assess fit and personalize your audit
Frustrations and goals
Audit application form
To make the audit specific and useful
Onboarding questionnaire data
After contract is signed
To deliver your engagement correctly
Platform access credentials
After contract is signed
To configure your email infrastructure
IP address and browser type
Website visit — automatically
Standard server logs and security
Pages visited and time on site
Website visit — via analytics
To understand how our website is used

We do not collect payment card numbers or banking information directly. All payment processing is handled by third-party payment processors who operate under their own privacy and security standards.

Section 03

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect only for the purposes it was collected for. We do not use your personal information for any purpose beyond those listed below without your explicit consent.

To review your audit application — assess fit, research your brand, prepare and deliver your personalised audit report
To deliver contracted services — configure email infrastructure, produce campaigns, manage your account, and communicate about your engagement
To send service-related communications — campaign approvals, reports, invoices, and updates directly related to your engagement
To manage our waitlist — notify you when a client slot becomes available if you have applied and we are at capacity
To improve our website — understand how visitors use VisualMoat.com using aggregated, anonymized analytics data
To comply with legal obligations — retain business records as required under Canadian law

We will never use your personal information to send unsolicited marketing communications, add you to third-party lists, or sell your data in any form.

Section 05

Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party under any circumstances.

We share limited information only with the following categories of third-party service providers, and only to the extent necessary to operate our business:

Service provider
Purpose
Data shared
Formspree
Form submission processing
Audit application fields
Client Portal
Client portal and project management
Client contact and project details
Wave
Invoicing and accounting
Billing name and contact details
Google (Workspace / Analytics)
Email communication and website analytics
Aggregated usage data and email content
Audit Tools
Audit video delivery
Video links shared via email
ClickUp
Internal project and campaign management
Project details and campaign data

All service providers are contractually required to protect your information and may only use it for the specific purpose for which it was shared. We may also disclose information where required by Canadian law, a court order, or to protect the rights and safety of Visual Moat, our clients, or the public.

Section 06

Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law.

Audit applications — declined: Deleted within 90 days of the declined notification being sent
Audit applications — waitlist: Retained for the duration of the waitlist period and deleted within 30 days of a slot decision being communicated
Active client records: Retained for the duration of the engagement plus 7 years, as required under Canadian tax and business records law
Platform access credentials: Revoked and deleted within 14 days of engagement conclusion
Website analytics: Aggregated and anonymized — retained indefinitely for business improvement purposes
Section 07

Security

We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect it against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

All platform access credentials are stored in an encrypted password manager — never in plain text
All client communication occurs through secured, encrypted platforms — our client portal and Google Workspace
VisualMoat.com is served exclusively over HTTPS — all data in transit is encrypted
Access to client accounts is limited to the Visual Moat studio only — credentials are not shared or delegated

No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. In the event of a data breach that poses a real risk of significant harm, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada in accordance with PIPEDA breach notification requirements.

Section 08

Your Rights

Under PIPEDA, you have the following rights with respect to your personal information held by Visual Moat. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@visualmoat.com. We will respond within 30 days.

Right of Access

Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you and information about how it is used.

Right to Correction

Request that inaccurate or incomplete personal information be corrected or updated.

Right to Withdraw Consent

Withdraw consent for processing at any time, subject to legal and contractual restrictions. Withdrawal may affect our ability to provide services.

Right to Deletion

Request deletion of your personal information where it is no longer necessary for the purpose it was collected, subject to legal retention requirements.

Right to Complain

Lodge a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at priv.gc.ca if you believe your rights have been violated.

Right to Challenge Compliance

Challenge our compliance with PIPEDA by contacting us directly. We will investigate and respond to all compliance challenges in writing.

Section 09

Cookies & Tracking

VisualMoat.com uses a limited number of cookies and similar technologies to operate correctly and understand how the site is used.

Essential cookies — required for the website to function. These cannot be disabled. They do not track you across other websites.
Analytics cookies — we use Google Analytics to understand aggregate site usage. Data is anonymized and does not identify individual visitors. You may opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on.

We do not use advertising cookies, retargeting pixels, or any tracking technology designed to follow you across other websites. We do not use cookies for any purpose beyond operating and improving VisualMoat.com.

Section 10

CASL & Commercial Electronic Messages

Visual Moat complies fully with the Canada Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). We will only send you commercial electronic messages (emails) if:

You have provided express consent to receive communications from Visual Moat, or
You have an existing business relationship with us through a signed service agreement, in which case implied consent applies for the duration and 2 years following the relationship

Submitting an audit application does not constitute consent to receive marketing communications. The only emails you will receive as a result of an audit application are those directly related to delivering your audit and communicating its findings.

Every commercial email we send includes a clear and functional unsubscribe mechanism. Unsubscribe requests are processed within 10 business days as required by CASL. We maintain a suppression list of all unsubscribed contacts and honour all unsubscribe requests permanently.

Section 11

Children's Privacy

VisualMoat.com and the services offered by Visual Moat are directed exclusively at business owners and marketing professionals. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 18.

If you believe a person under 18 has submitted personal information to us, please contact us immediately at hello@visualmoat.com and we will delete that information promptly.

Section 12

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or legal obligations. When we make material changes, we will update the effective date at the top of this page.

If we make changes that materially affect your rights or how we use your personal information, we will notify active clients directly via email at least 14 days before the changes take effect. Your continued use of VisualMoat.com or our services after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically. The most current version is always available at VisualMoat.com/privacy.html.

Section 13

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or have a concern about how your personal information is being handled, please contact us directly. We are committed to resolving all privacy inquiries promptly and transparently.

Privacy Contact
Visual Moat Studio
Email
hello@visualmoat.com
Website
VisualMoat.com
Location
Saskatchewan, Canada
Response
Within 30 days — as required by PIPEDA

If you are not satisfied with our response to a privacy inquiry, you have the right to contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at priv.gc.ca or by calling 1-800-282-1376.