Privacy Policy

serviceontario.online is an independent, unofficial guide to Ontario government services. This privacy policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and what tools and services are active on this site.

What We Do Not Collect

We do not collect personal information. We do not ask for your name, email address, phone number, health card number, driver's licence number, or any other personal identifiers. We do not process any government transactions. We do not store any data about you in a database.

Every action button on this site links directly to an official Government of Ontario or Government of Canada website. When you click those links, you leave our site and are subject to the privacy policy of the government website you are visiting.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to understand how visitors use this site. GA4 collects anonymous, aggregated data about page views, session duration, traffic sources, device types, and general geographic location (city-level, not your exact address). This helps us understand which guides are most useful, where traffic comes from, and how to improve the site.

Google Analytics uses cookies (small text files stored in your browser) to track visits across pages. The data is processed by Google and is subject to Google's Privacy Policy. We do not merge Google Analytics data with any personally identifiable information.

You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On, which is available for all major browsers.

Google Tag Manager

We use Google Tag Manager (GTM) to manage analytics and advertising scripts on this site. GTM itself does not collect personal data. It is a container that loads other tools (like Google Analytics and advertising tags) based on rules we configure. GTM is subject to Google's Privacy Policy.

Advertising

This site may display advertisements served by third-party advertising networks, including Google AdSense. These networks use cookies and similar technologies to serve ads based on your browsing activity across websites. This is known as interest-based or personalized advertising.

Advertising partners may collect or receive information from this site and other sites and apps, including device identifiers, IP address, and browsing history, to provide measurement services and targeted ads. You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings or the Network Advertising Initiative Opt-Out Page.

We do not control the content of advertisements. Ads displayed on this site are selected by the advertising network, not by us. The presence of an ad does not constitute an endorsement of the product or service being advertised.

Cookies

Cookies are small text files that websites store on your device. This site uses the following types of cookies:

Essential cookies: Used by the WordPress platform and Cloudflare CDN to manage basic site functionality (caching, security, load balancing). These are necessary for the site to work correctly.

Analytics cookies: Set by Google Analytics to track page views, session duration, and traffic sources. These cookies do not contain personal information.

Advertising cookies: Set by advertising networks (such as Google AdSense) to serve relevant ads and measure ad performance. These cookies may track browsing activity across multiple websites.

You can manage or delete cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers let you block all cookies, block third-party cookies only, or clear cookies when you close the browser. Note that blocking essential cookies may affect site functionality.

Cloudflare

This site uses Cloudflare as a content delivery network (CDN) and for security protection against malicious traffic. Cloudflare may process your IP address and browser information to serve cached content and protect the site from attacks. Cloudflare's privacy policy is available at cloudflare.com/privacypolicy.

External Links

This site contains links to external websites, including official Government of Ontario and Government of Canada websites. When you click an external link, you leave this site. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of external sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of any website you visit.

Children's Privacy

This site is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will take steps to remove it.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes are posted on this page with an updated revision date. Continued use of the site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy, contact us through our contact page.