Last Update: November 8th, 2023
Valence Discovery Inc. (“Valence Labs”, “we”, or “us”) values and respects your privacy. We have prepared this privacy policy to explain the manner in which we collect, use and disclose personal information through our website located at https://www.valencelabs.com/ (the “Website”), the Valence Portal (the “Portal”, collectively with the Website, the “Platforms”) and other interactions with you.
The Platforms provide the research community in AI and drug discovery with a place to share research, organize conferences, events, meet-ups, and engage in discussion with fellow community members.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
• Collection and Use of Personal Information
• Sharing of Personal Information
• Information About Our Website
• Safeguards and Retention
• Your Choices
• Updates to the Privacy Policy
• Contact Us
COLLECTION AND USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
Means of Collection
We collect personal information that you provide directly to us (online through our Platforms, or through other communication channels) as well as information your devices provide to us automatically.
How we collect and use personal information through the Platforms
Creating an Account: If you wish to access and use the Platforms, you will need to create an account, which will require certain personal information. The personal information we collect includes your first and last name, email address and a password that you create. We use this information to create and administer your account. We strongly recommend that you do not share your password with anyone. We will never ask you for your password in any unsolicited communication (such as letters, phone calls or email messages). If you become aware of any unauthorized access to or use of your account, we ask that you notify us immediately.
Using the Platform: During your use of the Platforms, you have the option to provide certain additional information to build your profile and connect with other members, such as work affiliation/title, interests, and city/province. You can also share research papers, datasets (excluding any personal information) and pictures, post comments and respond to other posts within the Platforms. Please note that any information that you share on a Platform will be publicly viewable to anyone who visits the Platform. The Platforms are not intended to process personal information, and we ask that you not share any personal information (e.g., in a dataset or picture) through the Platforms.
How we collect and use personal information through our Website and in our other interactions with you
Visiting the Website: You do not have to register to visit or use our Website. However, we do collect some personal information when you visit our Website. Please see "Information about our Website," below for detailed information regarding the personal information we collect when you visit and use our Website, and the choices you have with regards to that collection.
Engaging with Social Media: We may offer you the opportunity to engage with our content on or through third-party social networking websites, plug-ins and applications. When you engage with our content on or through third-party social networking websites, plug-ins and applications, you may allow us to have access to certain personal information associated with your social media account (e.g., name, username, email address, profile picture, gender) to deliver the content or as part of the operation of the website, plug-in or application. When you provide personal information from your social media account, we may use this information to personalize your experience on the Platforms and on the third-party social networking websites, plug-ins and applications, and to provide you with other products or services you may request.
Marketing Communications: If you sign up to receive email marketing communications, such as newsletters, we collect your email address as well as other information on an optional basis to help us tailor our communications to you. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link included at the bottom of each email. Alternatively, you can opt out of receiving email marketing communications by contacting us at the contact information provided in the “Contact Us” section below. Please note that you may continue to receive transactional or account-related communications from us.
Employment: In connection with a job application or related inquiry, you may provide us with certain personal information about yourself (such as that contained in a resume, cover letter, or similar employment-related materials). We use this information for the purpose of processing and responding to your application for current and future career opportunities.
Events: If you attend one of our events or webinars, we may collect certain personal information that you provide to us in connection with the event or webinar. We collect this information so that we can communicate with you about the event and contact you about future events.
Surveys: From time to time, we may offer you the opportunity to participate in one of our surveys. The information obtained through our surveys is used in an aggregated/de-identified form. We use this information to help us understand our users and to enhance our Website.
Contact Us: When you contact us with a comment, question or complaint through veronique@valencediscovery.com you may be asked for information that identifies you, such as your name, address and a telephone number, along with additional information we need to help us promptly answer your question or respond to your comment or complaint. We may retain this information to assist you in the future and to improve our customer service and service offerings.
Anonymous Information: We may modify or aggregate your personal information such that it cannot reasonably be associated with you, for the following purposes:
(i) to protect your privacy and the security of your personal information; and
(ii) to conduct research and/or analytics with the goal of improving our services and the client experience and developing new offerings.
SHARING OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
We do not sell or disclose your personal information to third parties without your consent, except as set forth below or as required or permitted by law.
Service Providers: Your personal information will be transferred (or otherwise made available) to certain third parties including affiliates that provide services on our behalf. We use service providers to provide services such as hosting the Website, hosting the Portal and providing email marketing services. Our service providers are only provided with the information they need to perform their designated functions and are not authorized to use or disclose personal information for their own marketing or other purposes. We and our service providers may access, store and otherwise process personal information outside of the jurisdiction in which you are located, including in other provinces in Canada, the United States and European Economic Area.
Legal and Compliance: We and our Canadian, U.S. and other foreign service providers may disclose your personal information in response to a search warrant or other legally valid inquiry or order, or to another organization for the purposes of investigating a breach of an agreement or contravention of law or detecting, suppressing or preventing fraud, or as otherwise may be required or permitted by applicable Canadian, U.S. or other law or legal process, which may include lawful access by U.S. or foreign courts, law enforcement or other government authorities. Your personal information may also be disclosed where necessary for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims and to investigate or prevent actual or suspected loss or harm to persons or property.
Sale of Business: We may transfer any information we have about you as an asset in connection with a proposed or completed merger, acquisition or sale (including transfers made as part of insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings) involving all or part of Valence Labs or as part of a corporate reorganization or other change in corporate control.
INFORMATION ABOUT OUR WEBSITE
Visiting our Website: In general, you can visit our Website without telling us who you are or submitting any personal information. However, we collect the IP (Internet protocol) addresses of all visitors to our Website and other related information such as page requests, browser type, operating system and average time spent on our Website. We use this information to help us understand our Website activity and to monitor and improve our Website.
Cookies: Our Website uses a technology called "cookies". A cookie is a tiny element of data that our Website sends to a user’s browser, which may then be stored on the user’s hard drive so that we can recognize the user’s computer or device when they return. You may set your browser to notify you when you receive a cookie or to not accept certain cookies. However, if you decide not to accept cookies from our Website, you may not be able to take advantage of all of the Website features.
Analytics: We may use a third party such as Google Analytics to help us gather and analyze information about the areas visited on the Website (such as the pages most read, time spent, search terms and other engagement data) in order to evaluate and improve the user experience and the Website. These third parties may use cookies and other tracking technologies. For more information about Google Analytics or to prevent the storage and processing of this data (including your IP address) by Google, you can download and install the browser plug-in available at the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en. You can also obtain additional information on Google Analytics’ data privacy and security at the following links:
• https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites and
• https://support.google.com/analytics/topic/2919631
Third Party Links: Our Website may contain links to other websites that Valence does not own or operate. We provide links to third party websites as a convenience to the user. These links are not intended as an endorsement of or referral to the linked websites. The linked websites have separate and independent privacy policies, notices and terms of use. We do not have any control over such websites, and therefore we have no responsibility or liability for the manner in which the organizations that operate such linked websites may collect, use or disclose, secure and otherwise treat personal information. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of every website you visit.
SAFEGUARDS AND RETENTION
We have implemented reasonable administrative, technical and physical measures in an effort to safeguard the personal information in our custody and control against theft, loss and unauthorized access, use, modification and disclosure. We restrict access to personal information on a need-to-know basis to employees and authorized service providers who require access to fulfil their job requirements.
We have record retention processes designed to retain personal information for no longer than necessary for the purposes set out herein or as otherwise required to meet legal or business requirements.
YOUR CHOICES
Marketing Communications
As indicated above, if you have signed up to receive our email communications, you can unsubscribe any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link included at the bottom of the email. Alternatively, you can opt out of receiving our marketing communications by contacting us using the contact information under “Contact Us” below.
Exercising Your Privacy Rights
Subject to applicable law, you have the right to access, update, rectify and correct inaccuracies in, and withdraw consent to the processing of, your personal information in our custody or control. You may make such a request or withdraw consent by emailing or writing to us using the contact information set out below. We may request certain personal information for the purpose of verifying your identity when you seek access to your personal information.
PRIVACY GOVERNANCE POLICIES AND PRACTICES
We are committed to protecting your personal information and have implemented policies and practices that govern our treatment of personal information, including:
• a privacy framework that defines the roles and responsibilities of our employees with respect to the treatment of personal information in our custody and control;
• policies and procedures regarding the protection of personal information, including safeguards designed to protect personal information in our custody and control against loss or theft and unauthorized access, use or disclosure;
• the designation of a Privacy Officer who is responsible for overseeing Valence Lab’s compliance with applicable privacy legislation;
• practices pertaining to privacy training and awareness for our personnel with access to personal information;
• processes for responding to data subject requests and complaints concerning the handling of personal information in a timely and effective manner; and
• a framework governing the retention and destruction of personal information that is designed to ensure compliance with our legal obligations.
UPDATES TO THE PRIVACY POLICY
We may update this privacy policy periodically to reflect changes to our privacy practices. We encourage you to periodically review this page to ensure you are familiar with those changes. We will indicate at the top of this privacy policy when it was most recently updated.
CONTACT US
If you have any questions or comments about this privacy policy or the manner in which we or our service providers (including our service providers outside Canada) treat your personal information, or to exercise any rights in respect of your personal information, please contact us at:
Véronique Bérubé
514-715-4998