Legal

Protection of Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2026

Disclaimer

While the procedural rules governing the conduct of its dispute resolution services provide for confidentiality safeguards, as outlined in the policies under which it operates, Sport Dispute Management cannot be held responsible for the conduct of the Parties, Authorized Representatives, or witnesses involved in complaint processes which may cause unlawful disclosure of Personal Information that forms part of the evidentiary record before Sport Dispute Management.

In delivering most of its services virtually, Sport Dispute Management shall take reasonable steps to prevent unauthorized access to Personal Information in electronic form while stored on its own servers, however, it cannot be held responsible for any breach caused by email or Internet service providers of intended email recipients.

Sport Dispute Management's websites provide links to third party websites. Sport Dispute Management is not responsible for the collection, use or disclosure of Personal Information obtained by those third party websites. It is strongly recommended that Sport Dispute Management's website visitors consult the privacy policies of those third parties before disclosing any Personal Information.

The distribution of the information received in a complaint process is subject to the requirements of the policy under which it was received and that policy takes precedence over the terms described here.

Background

Sport Dispute Management Inc. (Sport Dispute Management) focuses its practice on the administration of sport disputes in accordance with policies and procedures developed by National Sport Organizations, Provincial/Territorial Sport Organizations and Multi-Sport Organizations.

The Sport Dispute Management Protection of Privacy Policy ("the Policy") is based on the ten principles outlined in the Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information of the Canadian Standards Association and in the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) fair information principles.

The purpose of this Policy is to describe the way that Sport Dispute Management collects, uses, retains, safeguards, discloses and disposes of Individual's Personal Information.

The Policy may be updated or modified from time to time by Sport Dispute Management for any reason, including to account for the introduction of new technologies, business practices, stakeholder needs or applicable laws and regulations.

Definitions

Authorized Representative: Any lawyer or any other person so designated in writing by the Individual, or, in the case of a minor Individual who is not emancipated, any parent, legal guardian or authorized representative representing a party to a complaint process.
Document Management Program: The software platform used by Sport Dispute Management in the management of documents for complaint proceedings and/or its business operations.
Clients: The individuals or organizations who retain Sport Dispute Management's services.
Complaint: A submitted complaint intake form or information expressly deemed by Sport Dispute Management to constitute a complaint.
Complaint Management Program: The software platform used by Sport Dispute Management in the management of Complaints to share information internally and with the Contractors, Clients and those authorized by Clients to receive the information.
Contractor: Any person retained by Sport Dispute Management to execute tasks in the conduct of its operations in exchange for monetary compensation or co-op education credits.
Express Consent: Consent given electronically, in writing or orally when necessary by an Individual, which must always be unequivocal and not require inference on the part of Sport Dispute Management.
Implied Consent: Consent that can be reasonably inferred from an Individual's actions or inaction.
Individual: A person whose Personal Information is collected, used, disclosed or retained by Sport Dispute Management including, but not limited to, Party(ies) and Clients.
Party(ies): User of Sport Dispute Management's dispute resolution services, including but not limited to, a complainant, a respondent, an affected party, each as defined in the policies under which Sport Dispute Management operates.
Personal Information: Any information provided to or collected by Sport Dispute Management about an identifiable individual, or an individual whose identity may be inferred or determined from the information. This Policy applies regardless of how Personal Information is recorded (for example, electronically, or on paper). This Policy does not cover Aggregated Information (information about more than one individual where the identity of the individuals is not known and cannot be inferred).

1 — Accountability

Sport Dispute Management takes the protection of Personal Information seriously. Sport Dispute Management requires all Contractors and others who provide services in connection with the delivery of services to our Clients to comply with these obligations.

2 — Identifying Purpose and Type of Information Collected

2.1 Types of Information Collected

Sport Dispute Management collects Personal Information that is necessary for its operations and/or required by law. This includes: a) Last names, given names, and contact information (email address and/or telephone number), confirmation of identity or authority of Contractors, Clients, Parties and, if applicable, their Authorized Representatives. b) Personal Information through the evidentiary record and submissions filed in the course of dispute resolution proceedings, such as health information, criminal offences, contact information, and information relating to complaints against individuals and related sanctions. c) Personal Information from Contractors including financial information, last names, given names and contact information. d) Cookies on user accounts such as IP addresses, sections of portal visited, and information downloaded. e) Non-identifiable information from websites such as IP addresses, sections of website visited, and information downloaded. f) In some cases, information from regulatory and legal authorities, other organizations, government agencies, credit reporting agencies, and from publicly available records.

2.2 Purpose

The purposes for which Personal Information is collected are enumerated in Appendix A. Sport Dispute Management will inform the Individual of the applicable purposes at or before the time that the Personal Information is collected and used. Under no circumstances will Sport Dispute Management sell any Personal Information it has obtained.

3 — Obtaining Valid, Informed Consent

3.1 When to Seek Consent

Except when it is reasonable to think that implicit consent was given, in case of emergency or when not required by law, Sport Dispute Management must obtain valid consent from the Individual, or Authorized Representative, at or before the time of collection for the use and disclosure of Personal Information. If the Personal Information collected is to be used for purposes not originally agreed upon, Sport Dispute Management will notify and obtain consent for any new purposes.

3.2 Express and Implied Consent

An Individual or their Authorized Representative's provision of Personal Information to Sport Dispute Management means that they agree to the collection, use and disclosure of their Personal Information under this Policy. Consent can either be Express Consent or Implied Consent. Sport Dispute Management shall seek Express Consent when the Personal Information is likely to be considered sensitive.

4 — Limiting Collection

Sport Dispute Management shall only collect Personal Information by fair and lawful means necessary for the identified purposes. This may include: (a) for the purpose of determining whether Sport Dispute Management will enter into a professional relationship with a client; (b) during the course of a professional relationship with a client; or (c) when Sport Dispute Management otherwise is required to collect Personal Information, for example during the administration of a Complaint process.

5 — Limiting Use

5.1 Use and Disclosure

Sport Dispute Management shall only use and disclose Personal Information for the identified purposes and such purposes shall be limited solely to fulfilling the necessary functions of Sport Dispute Management. Last name and given name may be shared with other Parties involved in the same dispute or Complaint and with their Authorized Representatives during the proceedings. Personal Information that is disclosed in an adjudicator's decision and that allows for the identification of an Individual against whom a violation has been asserted shall be published, retained and distributed in accordance with the complaint management policy under which the complaint was administered. Access to, use and disclosure of Personal Information will be limited to Sport Dispute Management's Contractors in accordance with the reasonable limits required to fulfill their duties and responsibilities.

5.2 Retention

Personal Information shall be retained only as long as reasonably necessary and still relevant for the purposes for which it was collected. Procedures for the retention and archiving of Personal Information shall be in accordance with the Safeguard and Security standards stated in Section 7.

6 — Accuracy of Information

Sport Dispute Management will take reasonable steps to ensure that Personal Information is accurate, complete, and as up-to-date as is necessary for the identified purposes. Sport Dispute Management requires that each Individual be responsible to provide accurate Personal Information and to ensure it remains current by communicating any changes promptly. Sport Dispute Management is not responsible for any loss of services resulting from Individuals who fail to advise Sport Dispute Management in writing of any changes to their Personal Information on file.

7 — Safeguards and Security

7.1 General Provisions

Sport Dispute Management has implemented safeguards to protect against loss, theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification of Personal Information. Security methods include: • Physical measures: retaining no hard copy documents and immediately shredding any printed materials after use. • Administrative measures: appointing a Privacy Officer, limiting access to data on a need-to-know basis, and requiring Contractors to sign confidentiality agreements. • Technological measures: data transmission protocols, reasonable standards of data security to the Complaint Management Program, and retaining emails and documents only on the Document Management Program.

7.2 Specific Areas of Safeguarding

Sport Dispute Management's Complaint Management Program and Document Management Program deploy the following data protection measures: • Password protection with minimum requirements • Two-factor authentication • AES 256-bit encryption • TLS encryption • SOC 1 Type II, SOC 2 Type II, SOC 3 compliance • Network protection through isolated networks and firewalls • Regular virus scanning and ransomware protection • Highly secure data centers with automatic backups • End-to-end encryption for backups, uploads and downloads Sport Dispute Management is compliant with PIPEDA and HIPAA standards.

7.3 Privacy Education, Training and Agreements

All Contractors are made aware of the importance of maintaining the security and confidentiality of Personal Information. All Contractors shall execute an agreement which binds them to this Policy and the relevant provisions of the policy under which the complaint(s) they are addressing are administered.

7.4 Destruction, Deletion or De-Identification

Personal information will be destroyed, deleted, permanently anonymized or, in the case of paper files, shredded, once it is no longer relevant or necessary for the purposes of the collection.

8 — Openness

8.1 Privacy Officer

The role of the privacy officer is to ensure that the Policy complies with applicable privacy laws and regulations, to monitor Sport Dispute Management's compliance with the Policy, and to report and respond to privacy complaints and breaches. The privacy officer may be contacted by email at [email protected].

8.2 Amendments

Amendments to the Policy shall be made publicly available, after their adoption but at least one (1) month prior to becoming effective, through Sport Dispute Management's website or upon request.

8.3 Discrepancies

In the event that there are any discrepancies between applicable privacy legislation and the Policy, the applicable privacy legislation shall take precedence.

9 — Individual Access and Correction

9.1 Access and Corrections to Information

It is the right of any Individual to access his or her Personal Information upon written request to the Sport Dispute Management's privacy officer. Sport Dispute Management shall also provide, upon written request, basic information regarding the use of the Individual's Personal Information, including disclosure to third parties. The Individual is entitled to request the correction of any demonstrable errors, in writing.

9.2 Identification

Only requests made in writing by Individuals having properly identified themselves or by Authorized Representatives having the proper authority may be fulfilled. Proper identification shall include two government-issued identification documents (passport, driver's license, birth certificate, etc.), at least one of which must bear a photo of the requestor.

9.3 Time to Respond to Request

Sport Dispute Management shall respond no later than 30 days from the date of receipt of a written request. Under reasonable circumstances, Sport Dispute Management may require an extension of time beyond the 30-day time limit, with written notice to the requestor before the expiration of the 30 days.

9.4 Cost

Sport Dispute Management may require the Individual requesting a response to pay a cost for the response. The individual will be advised of the approximate cost and must make payment before the requested information will be provided.

9.5 Refusing a Request

Sport Dispute Management may refuse a correction or access request with reasons, including where: fulfilling the request may cause harm to an Individual; it may compromise the administration or investigation of a Complaint; it would reveal Personal Information of another Individual without their consent; or reasonable doubt exists in the proper identification of the requestor.

10 — Challenging Compliance

10.1 Receipt of Inquiries and Complaints

All written privacy inquiries, concerns and complaints are to be forwarded to the Sport Dispute Management's privacy officer upon receipt.

10.2 Handling of Inquiries and Complaints

Sport Dispute Management will investigate all concerns and complaints unless the privacy officer determines there is sufficient cause to handle the inquiry in another manner. The privacy officer will complete an initial review within a reasonable period of time and will inform the Individual of the progress of the review with an estimated date of completion.

10.3 Privacy Breaches

Privacy breaches include any inadvertent or intentional theft or loss of Personal Information, any unauthorized collection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, any unauthorized modification or destruction of Personal Information, or any non-compliance with this Policy. The privacy officer is obligated to ensure: containment from further harm; prompt notification of all affected Individuals; investigation of the breach; and recommendations to the Chief Executive Officer for remediation and, where appropriate, disciplinary measures.

10.4 Independent Audit

As deemed necessary, Sport Dispute Management's Board of Directors may initiate an independent audit of its own compliance with the Policy.

Appendix A — Purposes of Collection

From and about all Individuals:

•To assist the Individuals with administrative or technical support in the use of Sport Dispute Management's Document and Complaint Management Programs, systems and services
•To collect the Individuals' opinions and comments in regard to Sport Dispute Management's operations
•Such other collections and uses of Personal Information for which Sport Dispute Management may obtain consent from time to time
•As otherwise required or permitted by law

From Individuals other than Contractors:

•To respond to the Individuals' complaints or inquiries
•To receive, process, administer, investigate, mediate and adjudicate Complaints
•As part of the Individuals' requests for Sport Dispute Management's dispute resolution or dispute prevention services
•As part of the Individuals' applications to participate in one of Sport Dispute Management's programs
•To advise Individuals about new programs and services that may be of interest to them
•To monitor the use of the Complaint Management Program and Document Management Program and detect possible fraudulent attempted use
•For the purposes of statistical reporting and clients' sport profiles

From Contractors:

•To organize events involving their participation
•For the purpose of recruitment for positions at Sport Dispute Management
•For the purpose of the administration of Sport Dispute Management's policies and procedures regarding the training, retention and evaluation of Contractors
•For the purposes of coaching, mentoring and professional development
•For the purposes of managing productivity, including making accommodations and allowances
•To refund admissible expenses incurred by Contractors
•From Third Party providers of benefits, pension arrangements and insurance, for the purpose of providing compensation and fulfilling taxation requirements
•To comply with other requirements imposed by law including applicable workplace insurance and safety legislation

Contact the Privacy Officer

For privacy inquiries, access requests, or to report a concern, contact Sport Dispute Management's Privacy Officer:

[email protected]

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