FCC Privacy Policy

A. Our commitment to protect your privacy
B. Your privacy rights
C. How we collect, use, manage, and disclose personal information
D. Your right to access your personal information
E. FCC Online Privacy Policy
F. For more information and how to contact us

A. Our commitment to protect your privacy

Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is committed to protecting your personal information. We collect your personal information under the authority of the Farm Credit Canada Act. We manage your personal information in accordance with Canada’s federal Privacy Act and we will only collect, use, disclose, and retain your personal information in accordance with that Act to provide services to you or as otherwise required by law.

This Privacy Policy applies to all FCC employees and members of FCC’s Board of Directors. People or companies providing services to FCC that affect the collection, access, use or disclosure of customer and/or employee personal information must also conduct themselves in a manner consistent with this policy.

B. Your privacy rights

FCC is accountable to keep all personal information accurate, confidential and secure, both within the corporation and when business activities are carried out by a third party on behalf of FCC.

FCC’s ability to protect personal information requires ethical, responsible behaviour from our employees, Board members and applicable third parties, in accordance with FCC’s 10 privacy principles:

Accountability – FCC is responsible for the personal information under its control. This includes the personal information of customers, business partners and employees.
Identifying purposes – FCC identifies the purpose for collecting personal information. This explanation is required at or before the time of collection.
Consent – FCC practices informed consent. Consent is clearly explained so people understand the use and disclosure of their personal information. People can withdraw their consent at any time.
Limiting collection – FCC will only collect personal information for the purpose that was identified. Personal information is collected legally.
Limiting use, disclosure and retention – FCC requests additional consent if it wants to use personal information for any new or additional purpose. FCC retains personal information only as long as necessary.
Accuracy – Personal information is complete, accurate and up-to-date. This also applies to personal information provided to third parties.
Safeguards – FCC safeguards personal information with the level of protection appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. Employees are aware that confidentiality of personal information must be maintained.
Openness – FCC is open about its personal information policies and practices.
Individual access – People can ask about the existence, use and disclosure of their personal information, and they can challenge the accuracy and completeness of this information.
Challenging compliance – People can challenge FCC’s compliance with the above principles.

C. How we collect, use, manage, and disclose personal information

(1) Personal information we may collect from you

The type and extent of personal information we may need to collect from you depends on the products and services you wish to use. It is our policy to collect only the personal information needed to administer our programs and services to explain the type of information we will collect and the purposes for which it will be used, and ensure that you always provide your consent for FCC to collect your personal information.

It is your choice to provide personal information to us. For financial and insurance products and services, your decision to withhold some types or personal information or your withdrawal to use certain personal information may prevent us from providing the products or services you have requested.

(2) How we use your personal information

Generally, FCC will need to collect your personal information in order to:

Identify you, determine your eligibility, and prevent fraud
Obtain credit reports to evaluate your credit rating
Open, maintain, and administer your account(s)
Comply with legal and regulatory requirements
Determine appropriate FCC products and services
Offer products and services that meet your needs
Make it easy and convenient to do business with us
Continually improve our services

(3) How we manage your personal information

FCC takes its responsibility to protect the confidentiality and integrity of your personal information very seriously. We are committed to managing your personal information in accordance with applicable laws and industry standards.

We have developed and continue to enhance security procedures to safeguard and protect your personal information against loss, theft, unauthorized disclosure, copying, and unauthorized use or modification. We maintain appropriate safeguards and security procedures that reflect the types of documents, including electronic or paper records, organizational measures including security clearances and limiting access on a "need-to-know" basis, and technological measures such as the use of passwords and encryption.

(4) When we disclose your personal information

To the extent necessary, FCC may disclose your personal information to process your credit facility application, authenticate your identity and prevent fraud, communicate with other credit suppliers to obtain your credit report, administer your credit facility and, if required, satisfy certain legally compliant demands for your personal information.

In some instances, we may use third-party service providers (including cloudbased providers) to store, process, and transfer your personal information on our behalf. Some of these service providers may be located outside Canada and subject to the laws of a different jurisdiction. We carefully select our service providers to ensure that your privacy and personal information are protected and that FCC’s Privacy Policy is fully adhered to.

To the extent necessary, FCC may also obtain personal information about you from other financial institutions, credit reporting agencies, and/or other parties only to the extent necessary to process your credit facility application and administer your credit facility.

D. Your right to access and correct your personal information

FCC is accountable to ensure that your personal information in our records is accurate and complete. If any change occurs in the personal information that you provide us, please advise FCC at the earliest opportunity. The Privacy Act gives you the right to access the personal information FCC holds about you and FCC’s Privacy Officer can also correct any personal information that may contain errors.

E. Online Privacy Policy

Our Online Privacy Policy describes how we manage the collection, use, disclosure, retention and access to your personal information. Access to and use of FCC’s websites, mobile apps, and other platforms are also governed by our Terms of Use and the Electronic Access Agreement govern your use of our online services.

(1) Your Privacy and the Internet

The information in this privacy statement summarizes our online privacy practices for all of FCC’s websites, mobile apps, and other platforms. FCC is committed to providing online access that respects the privacy of visitors.

The nature of the Internet is such that Web servers automatically collect certain information about a visit to a website, including the visitor’s Internet Protocol (IP) address. IP addresses are unique numbers assigned by Internet Service Providers (ISP) to all devices used to access the Internet. Web servers automatically log the IP addresses of visitors to their sites. The IP address, on its own, does not identify an individual. However, in certain circumstances, such as with the co-operation of an ISP for example, it could be used to identify an individual using the site.

When you visit an FCC website and take advantage of our online services, your activities are electronically logged. FCC uses software to monitor website traffic and to detect unauthorized attempts to upload, change information, or otherwise cause damage. We receive and record the IP addresses of computers that have visited our website including the date and time of visits, the pages that were viewed and downloaded, and the identifier attributed to any registered user who accesses restricted areas on this site. The software also captures information regarding the type of browser and operating system. FCC does not attempt to link the IP addresses and the identifiers with the identity of users visiting this site unless there is an attempt to damage the site.

Unless otherwise noted, FCC does not automatically gather any specific information from you, such as your name, telephone number or email address. FCC would obtain this type of information only if you supply it to us, for example, by email or by filling in a contact form. In such cases, how your personal information is handled will be provided in a Personal Information Collection Statement.

In cases where services are provided by organizations outside of FCC, such as social media platforms or mobile applications, IP addresses may be recorded by the Web server of the third-party service provider.

(2) FCC Mobile Apps

FCC has also designed its mobile apps to respect the privacy of users. Unless otherwise noted, FCC does not automatically gather any specific identifiable information from you with respect to your use of FCC mobile apps.

Your activities on FCC mobile apps are electronically logged by FCC for the same authentication and security (fraud prevention) purposes. FCC will only attempt to link this information with user identities if there is an attempt to hack or otherwise damage an FCC mobile app.

When using certain FCC mobile apps, including but not limited to, for example, “FM Pro Mobile” or “AgExpert Mobile”, FCC may have to access and/or collect certain types of specific identifiable information to allow you to use the FCC mobile app, such as your:

Device information: When using an FCC mobile app certain device-specific information such as language, wireless network, and mobile network information may need to be accessed, with your consent, which will have been obtained when you download an FCC mobile app;
Camera and photos: When using an FCC mobile app access to your mobile device’s camera and photos may be required, with your consent, which will have been obtained when you download an FCC mobile app. For example, you won’t be able to upload pictures of your receipts unless the FCC mobile app can access your mobile device’s camera and photos;
Content information: When using an FCC mobile app, with your consent, which will have been obtained when you download an FCC mobile app, FCC may need to access your mobile device’s storage in order to edit, process, and/or delete any information you will have entered into an FCC mobile app;
Location information: FCC may need to access and collect information about both your approximate and specific location, using methods such as GPS, wireless networks, cell towers, WI-FI access points, and/or other mobile device sensors, with your consent, which will have been obtained when you download an FCC mobile app. For example, you won’t be able to see your storage locations and your fields unless the FCC mobile app can access your mobile device’s camera and photos.

(3) Communicating with FCC

If you choose to send us an email or complete a feedback form online or, where applicable, through FCC mobile apps, we will use your personal information to respond to your inquiry. The information you provide will only be shared with a third-party outside FCC if your inquiry relates to that third-party and if we have your consent to share the information. FCC does not use the information you provide to create individual profiles nor do we disclose your information to anyone other than to those in FCC who need to provide you with a response. Any disclosure of your personal information is in accordance with the Privacy Act.

When you complete any online subscription or registration form on our website or mobile apps or tell us that you wish to add your name to any contact or mailing list, we will collect information such as your name and name of your company (if applicable), your address, telephone and fax numbers, and your language of preference. We will use this information and your e-mail or regular mailing address to send you information from time to time on FCC’s products or services, or provide information on agricultural and business topics and events that may be of interest to you.

Further, FCC has structured its practices to comply with the consent and unsubscribing requirements under Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). Where consent is required by CASL, FCC will ensure that you have expressly opted-in or that we have your implied consent (as defined under CASL) to receive FCC communications before they are sent to you. Further, FCC ensures that all communications include a clear means to opt-out of receiving any further FCC business and/or marketing messages as required under CASL.

Emails and other electronic methods used to communicate with the FCC are not secure unless it is specifically stated on a Web page. Therefore, it is recommended that you do not send sensitive personal information, such as your Social Insurance Number, or your date of birth, through non-secure electronic means.

Personal information from emails or completed feedback forms is collected pursuant to the Farm Credit Canada Act. Such information may be used for statistical, evaluation and reporting purposes.

(4) Third-Party Social Media

FCC’s use of social media serves as an extension of our presence on the Web and through FCC mobile apps. Social media account(s) are public and are not hosted on FCC servers. Users who choose to interact with us via social media should read the terms of service and privacy policies of these third-party service providers and those of any applications you use to access them.FCC uses: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Personal information that you provide to social media account(s) is collected under the authority of the Farm Credit Canada Act. This information is collected to capture conversations (e.g. questions and answers, comments, “likes”, retweets) between you and FCC. It may be used to respond to inquiries, or for statistical, evaluation and reporting purposes. Comments posted that violate Canadian law will be deleted and disclosed to law enforcement authorities. Comments that violate our rules of engagement will also be deleted.

(5) Improving your Experience on our Websites and in our Mobile Apps

Digital Markers (including cookies)

A digital marker is a resource created by the visitors’ browser in order to remember certain pieces of information for the Web server to reference during the same or subsequent visit to the website. Examples of digital markers are “cookies” or HTML5 web storage. Some examples of what digital markers do are as follows:

they allow a website to recognize a previous visit each time the visitor accesses the site;
they track what information is viewed on a site which helps website administrators ensure visitors find what they are looking for.

FCC uses both session and persistent digital markers (“cookies”) on some portions of our website and mobile app.

A session cookie is a small text file placed on your browser by a web server. It acts as an identification card because it’s unique to you, but can only be read by the server that gave it to you. FCC secure online applications use session cookies to make your online visits easier and improve site navigation by maintaining information from page to page within these applications. Session cookies are deleted from your computer’s hard drive once you close down your web browsing software.
A persistent cookie is more permanent and can be re-read when you return to the site that placed it on your computer. It acts as your identification card and can only be read by the server that gave it to you. At FCC, we use persistent cookies to help us remember which official language you prefer and to find out how visitors access, navigate, and use our website.

You may adjust your browser settings to reject digital markers, including cookies, if you so choose. To do this, go to the “Help” files on your browser. If you disable cookies you will still be able to access our website - however, it may affect your ability to interact with some portions of our website, including secure services.

(6) Web Analytics

Web analytics is the collection, analysis, measurement, and reporting of data about Web traffic and visits for purposes of understanding and optimizing Web usage. Information in digital markers may be used for the purpose of web analytics to remember your online interactions with FCC’s website.

FCC uses Mix Panel, Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics to improve our web site. When your computer requests an FCC Web page, we collect the following types of information for Web analytics:

the originating IP address
the date and time of the request
the type of browser used
the page(s) visited

FCC uses Mix Panel, Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics and the information collected is disclosed to Google and external third party service providers. Your IP address is anonymized prior to being stored on a service provider's servers in order to help safeguard your privacy. The information collected is de-personalized, as activated by the anonymization features in Mix Panel, Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics.

Data collected for Web analytics purposes goes outside of Canada to the United States of America and may be subject to the governing legislation of that country, (for example the USA Patriot Act.)

Information used for the purpose of Web analytics is collected pursuant to the Farm Credit Canada Act. Such data may be used for communications and information technology statistical purposes, audit, evaluation, research, planning and reporting. For more information on how your privacy is safeguarded in relation to web analytics, see the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s Standard on Privacy and Web Analytics.

Mobile Device Analytics

FCC may also use analytics for the purposes of understanding and optimizing FCC mobile app usage as well as, when applicable, access to/usage of FCC Online Services through a mobile device. FCC may collect the following types of information for analytics purposes:

type of mobile device used to access an FCC mobile app or Online Services;
the geo-location of the mobile device (if enabled on your device);
the mobile network used to access an FCC mobile app or Online Services;
the date and time of the access;
the Web pages and/or mobile app content visited and digital experience(s) accessed (as applicable).

FCC may use this information to facilitate the operation of any FCC mobile apps and Online Services, to provide or enhance the products or services available through an FCC mobile app and/or Online Services, to improve the overall functionality of an FCC mobile app, and for internal analytics and reporting.

Most mobile devices allow you to control or disable location services. If you have any questions about how to disable your device's location services, we recommend that you contact your mobile service provider.

(7) Protecting the Security of our Websites and Mobile App/System Monitoring

FCC employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. This software receives and records the IP address of the computer that has contacted our website, the date and time of the visit and the pages visited. FCC employs similar measures with respect to identifying unauthorized use of or damage to an FCC mobile app. We make no attempt to link this usage information with the identity of individuals visiting our site or accessing an FCC mobile app unless an attempt to damage the site or mobile app has been detected.

This information is collected pursuant to section 161 of the Financial Administration Act. The information may be shared with appropriate law enforcement authorities if suspected criminal activities are detected. Such information may be used for network security related statistical purposes, audit, evaluation, research, planning and reporting.

F. Contact Us

Any questions, comments, concerns or complaints you may have regarding the administration of the Privacy Act as it applies to your personal information and/or FCC’s Privacy Policy may be directed to our Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator by email, by calling our Privacy and Access to Information Officer at 306-780-8668 or writing to:

Privacy, Access to Information Officer
Farm Credit Canada
1800 Hamilton Street, Box 4320
Regina, SK S4P 4L3

If you are not satisfied with FCC’s response to your privacy concern, you may wish to contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada by telephone at 1-800-282-1376.

Last reviewed: July 24, 2017