Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 24, 2026

If you're talking to us, you're already under pressure. You shouldn't also have to wonder where your information goes. In plain language: we collect only what we need to prepare you, we use it only for that, we never sell it, and we delete it 7 days after your file closes. This page gives the details that Canada's privacy laws require.

Who we are

Debt Decoder is a paid advice service. We help people across Canada understand their options before they meet with a Licensed Insolvency Trustee. We give advice only: we never contact your creditors, negotiate with them, or handle money meant for them. We are the organization responsible for the personal information described here. If you have a question about your privacy, contact us:

Which privacy law applies to you

Canada's federal privacy law governs how we handle your personal information. If you live in a province with its own private-sector privacy law, that law applies to you as well:

What we collect

We collect only what we need to understand your situation and prepare your summary. That can include:

• What you tell us: your name, email or phone number, your debts and creditors, your income and household, your assets and vehicles, and anything else you choose to share in the chat or by email.
• What your advisor sends us: if an advisor referred you, the summary of your situation they emailed us, with you copied.
• Payment details: the name on your e-Transfer, the amount, the date and your reference code. We never see your bank login or account details.
• Basic technical information: standard data your device sends when you use the chat (for example, your time zone), used only to make the chat work.

We do not ask for, and you should not send, information we don't need, such as your SIN, bank login details or passwords.

Why we collect it

• To work out your options and what each one would cost you.
• To answer your questions and keep track of your file.
• To match your payment to your file.
• To prepare and send your written summary, including what to tell the trustee.
• To keep our own records and meet our legal obligations.

Your consent

We collect, use and share your personal information only with your consent. When you start a chat, we ask for your okay before going further, and that's your consent. You can withdraw your consent at any time by telling us (subject to legal or contractual limits and reasonable notice). If you do, we'll stop and delete your information.

Who we share it with

• Nobody on the other side of the table. We never share your file with your creditors or their collection agents.
• A Licensed Insolvency Trustee, only if you ask us to introduce you.
• The advisor who referred you, only to confirm that you've been in touch, unless you agree to more.
• Service providers who work for us, such as the companies that run our chat, AI assistant, email and payments. They act under confidentiality and only so they can provide that service to us.

We never sell your information, and we never share it with marketers or advertisers. Debt Decoder is operated from outside Canada, and some of our service providers store or process information outside Canada. Wherever that happens, your information is still protected by this policy and the law that applies to you.

How long we keep it

Your file is deleted 7 days after it closes. A file closes when we send your summary, or when you tell us you're not going ahead. After that, we wipe your personal information from our records and our mailbox. We keep only a bare record (your reference code, the dates and the amount paid) for our own accounting. You can ask us to delete your information sooner at any time, and we will, except for the records the law requires us to keep.

How we protect it

We use reasonable safeguards to protect your information against loss, theft and unauthorized access, and only the people who need it to prepare your file can see it. No system is perfectly secure, but we treat your information with the care a stressful, private situation deserves.

Your rights

Wherever you live in Canada, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Correct information that is wrong or incomplete.
• Withdraw your consent and ask us to stop using or to delete your information.
• Ask how your information has been used or disclosed.

Depending on where you live, you may have more rights. In Quebec, for example, you can ask for your information in a portable format and ask about automated processing. Contact us at the address above and we'll honour the rights that apply to you. If we can't resolve a concern, you can contact the privacy regulator for your province, listed above.

Changes to this policy

If we update this policy, we'll change the "Last updated" date above and post the new version on this page.