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Connect1d Canada Privacy Policy

Welcome to Connect1d Canada, a digital diabetes registry operated by the Alberta Diabetes Institute at the University of Alberta.

Last updated: March 30, 2026

A. Introduction

Purpose

This Privacy Policy describes the privacy practices of the University of Alberta (UA) in relation to the hosting and use of Connect1d Canada (Connect1d). Specifically, it is designed to provide you with information regarding how the UA collects, uses, discloses and manages your personal information (PI) through your use of Connect1d. It is supplemental to the UA’s global privacy policy and associated procedures.

What is Connect1d?

Canada is a world leader in research about type 1 diabetes (T1D). Connect1d is a web application designed to connect people living with T1D or who have a child living with T1D  (Participants) with researchers (Researchers) leading Research Ethics Board-approved studies in Canada (Studies), so they can participate in those Studies. We also aim to talk to Participants to find out what Researchers should be studying. By joining Connect1d, Participants can register their interest to take part in T1D Studies and learn about the latest research published.

Transition to the UA

The Connect1d platform was previously hosted by the University Health Network, and was governed by a separate privacy policy. Connect1d is now being hosted by the UA, and this Privacy Policy represents the new, current privacy policy governing its use.

Applicable Law

As a public body within Alberta, the UA’s collection, use, disclosure and management of PI through Connect1d is governed by Alberta’s Protection of Privacy Act (POPA) and Access to Information Act (ATIA).

B. Collection & Use of Personal Information

In order to: operate the Connect1d platform, establish Participants’ Connect1d accounts and connect Participants with Researchers, Connect1d may collect the following PI from you, depending on your role in Connect1d:

Participants:

  • Demographics & contact info: Includes first name, contact information, and other demographic information such as birth year, gender, province or territory, category of living area (urban, suburban, rural, etc.), and race/ethnicity, in order to operate Connect1d, facilitate connection with Researchers, notify you of new T1D studies or publications, and generally inform, assess and improve the Connect1d platform.;
  • Interest in studies: While using Connect1d, you may register your interest in one or more Studies. This information will be used to connect you with the corresponding Researchers conducting those Studies;

Researchers:

  • Registration info: Information to establish your Researcher profile, including name, email address and institutional affiliation;
  • Study info: Information about your Studies which you would like to recruit for via Connect1d, , which may constitute your PI;

All Connect1d users:

  • Cookies: Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device by websites you visit. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to site owners about how users interact with their services. Web browsers generally accept cookies automatically. On Connect1d, when you sign-in, you can:
    • opt for Connect1d to remember you and then it will use cookies to do so, or
    • if you prefer, you may choose to set your browser to decline cookies, or
    • you may be able to modify your browser setting to notify you each time a cookie is created and permit you to accept or decline cookies on an individual basis or to accept cookies from web sites that meet certain disclosure and use specifications.

Note that some functionality of Connect1d Canada may be limited if you direct your browser to reject all cookies.;

  • Technical data & metrics: Connect1d may also collect various technical and analytical data regarding your site usage, for the purposes of tracking metrics and generating non-identifying aggregate data (e.g. rates of recruitment into studies) to help further support, maintain and improve the Connect1d website; and
  • Google Analytics: The UA uses Google Analytics to gather statistics on portions of its web site. The UA will use the information gathered to improve digital services for its patrons. Google Analytics employs cookies to define user sessions, which allows for the collection of important data about how our patrons are using the site. Google Analytics uses only first-party cookies for data analysis. This means that the cookies are linked to the ualberta.ca website domain(s), and the UA will only use the collected data and cookies for aggregate, including age, gender and possibly interests for non-individual statistical analysis related to your browsing behaviour. According to Google, the data collected cannot be altered or retrieved by services from other domains. If you choose, you can opt out by turning off cookies in the preferences settings in your browser. For more information on Google Analytics privacy, please visit the Google Analytics Privacy FAQ.

Only individuals with a need-to-know the above PI will have access to and use that PI, and only for the purposes of operating and/or improving Connect1d.

C. Disclosure of Personal Information

Participants

When you register your interest in a Study within Connect1d, by clicking “I am interested in participating in this study”, the Researcher responsible for that Study will receive:

  • A notification of your interest; and
  • Your first name and contact info,

so that the Researcher may directly contact you outside of the Connect1d platform. The Researcher may then ask you for further information in order to help determine your eligibility and potential participation. Please note: once you have been directly connected with a Researcher, any further personal information collected or disclosed as part of that process (i.e. outside of Connect1d) falls outside the scope of this Privacy Policy.

Researchers

Information about yourself and your Studies will be available for other Connect1d users to view, including Participants who may register their interest in your Studies.

The UA will not sell your PI to any third party for any reason.

D. Protection of Personal Information

Security

To ensure the integrity and availability of the Connect1d services, the UA employs various techniques that identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage or render the service unavailable.

The Connect1d web infrastructure is provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). The UA has contracted with AWS and undertaken a Privacy & Security Review of AWS services in accordance with its privacy & security-related policies & procedures. Overall management and user access of Connect1d will remain with the UA.

Third party links

The Connect1d website may contain, or may communicate to you, links to other third-party sites. We are not responsible for the content and the privacy practices of such other websites and encourage you to examine each site’s privacy policy and disclaimers and make your own decisions regarding the accuracy, reliability and correctness of material and information found.

E. Your rights

Access, correction and deletion

Under Alberta’s ATIA, you have the right to request access to, or correction or deletion of, PI collected through your use of Connect1d. However, please note that any PI for which you have provided consent to share with a third party, including with Researchers or other Connect1d users, may not be recoverable by the UA.

Contact

For any inquiries concerning this Privacy Policy, or the collection, use, disclosure or management of your PI through Connect1d, please contact: cnct1d@ualberta.ca

For any inquiries concerning the collection, use, disclosure or management of your PI by the UA generally, or for any inquiries or requests falling under ATIA, please contact the UA’s Information, Privacy & Records Management Office:

University of Alberta, Information, Privacy & Records Management
7-20 University Terrace
8303 – 112 Street NW
Edmonton AB T6G 1K4
Phone: (780) 492-9419
Email: privacy@ualberta.ca

Complaints

For any complaints regarding UA’s compliance with this Privacy Policy, or with POPA or ATIA, please contact the UA’s Information, Privacy & Records Management Office per the above contact info. Otherwise, further questions, concerns or complaints may be directed to the Office of the Information & Privacy Commissioner of Alberta:

Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner
410-9925 109 Street NW
Edmonton AB T5K 2J8
Toll-Free: 1-888-878-4044
Main phone line: 780-422-6860
Email: generalinfo@dev.oipc.ab.ca