Bureau Foundations Privacy Policy.

Version 1.0 — Effective October 17, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Fortitude North Ltd. ("we", "us" or "our") handles personal information in connection with the Bureau Foundations software (Writer, Reader, Spreadsheet, Mail and Presentation, the "Software"). We follow the principles of Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and other applicable privacy laws.

In short

• Your documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDFs and email stay on your computer. The Software does not send them to us.
• The Software has no analytics, advertising or tracking, and it does not create a user profile.
• The only time the Software contacts us is the optional update check. It reveals your IP address, the Software's version and your type of computer, nothing else, and you can turn it off.
• Mail connects only to the email servers you set up. It never writes your password to its own files; on macOS it keeps it in the Keychain.

1. Information that stays on your computer

The Software creates and processes information on your own device. This may include personal information, for example names in documents or the contents of email. We do not receive, see or have access to this information. It includes:

• Documents and files you create, open or save, and the Software's automatic recovery copies of them.
• Settings and preferences, such as appearance, language input and the list of recently used files.
• Mail account settings (server names, user names) and the messages Mail downloads.

The Software stores this information in your user account's application-data folder: on macOS, in Library/Application Support/BureauFoundations in your home folder; on Windows, in the BureauFoundations folder in your roaming application-data folder (%APPDATA%). Your organisation controls these devices and is responsible for their security and backups.

Mail stores passwords only in your operating system's secure credential store (the macOS Keychain). It never writes them to its own files, settings or logs.

2. The update check: the only information sent to us

When automatic update checks are on (the default), the Software requests a small public file from our update server, at most once a day, and when you choose "Check now". The file says which version is the latest. If a newer version exists, the Software tells you, with a link to our download page. The Software never downloads or installs anything itself.

Each request reveals to our server:

• your device's public IP address (as any connection over the internet does);
• the Software's name and version, and your platform and processor type (for example "BureauFoundations-Writer/0.19.0 (macos; aarch64)"), which the Software sends so that the right version is offered; and
• the date and time of the request.

The request carries no cookies, no account or device identifier, and none of your content or settings. We use these server records only to operate and secure the update service (for example, to detect abuse) and to count, in aggregate, how many copies of each version check for updates. We do not combine them with other information to identify you. Our server keeps them for 90 days and then deletes them.

You can turn off automatic update checks at any time in the Software's About window by unticking "Check for updates automatically". When they are off, the Software contacts us only if you choose "Check now".

3. Information sent to others at your direction

Some features exchange information with third parties because you ask them to. Those third parties handle it under their own privacy policies, not this one:

• Mail connects directly to the incoming (IMAP) and outgoing (SMTP) email servers you configure, using encrypted connections, to download, send and organise your email. We are not involved in these connections and do not receive this information.
• Mail does not load remote images or other remote content embedded in messages.
• When you open a link, the Software passes it to your web browser, which then connects to that website.
• When you print or open a file in another application, the Software passes it to your operating system or that application.

4. Information we collect outside the software

When your organisation buys, licenses or seeks support for the Software, we collect the business contact information of the people we deal with (such as names, work email addresses and telephone numbers) and the information needed for billing and support. We use it to provide the Software and support, to manage our business relationship with your organisation, and to meet legal obligations. If you send us a file for support, we use it only to resolve that request and delete it when the request is closed, unless you ask otherwise.

5. How we protect, limit and disclose information

We collect only the information described in this policy, for the purposes described in it. We protect the personal information in our custody with safeguards appropriate to its sensitivity, including encrypted connections to our update server and restricted access to its records.

We do not sell personal information. We disclose it only:

• to service providers who host our update server or support our business, under contracts that require them to protect it and use it only on our behalf;
• where required or permitted by law, for example in response to a valid legal order; or
• as part of a sale or reorganisation of our business, subject to the protections in this policy.

Our update server and service providers may be located, and personal information may be processed, in Canada. Information processed outside Canada may be accessible to that jurisdiction's courts and authorities under its laws.

If a breach of security safeguards involving personal information under our control creates a real risk of significant harm, we will notify the affected individuals and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada as the law requires.

6. Retention

We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purposes in this policy or as required by law. Update-server records are deleted after 90 days. Business contact and billing information is kept for the duration of our relationship with your organisation and as required by tax and accounting laws afterwards.

7. Your choices and rights

You can turn off automatic update checks, as described in section 2.

You may ask for access to, or correction of, personal information we hold about you, and ask questions about how we handle it, by contacting our Privacy Officer (section 9). We will respond within the time required by law. Because the Software keeps your documents and email on your device, we hold none of that information and cannot access, correct or delete it; you and your organisation control it directly.

8. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy, for example when the Software changes. The version that applies to a copy of the Software is included in it (About, then Privacy Policy). Significant changes will be described in the release notes of the version that introduces them.

9. Contact and complaints

Questions, requests and complaints about this policy or our handling of personal information can be sent to our Privacy Officer:

James Maiangowi, Privacy Officer
Fortitude North Ltd.
#4800-1 King St W, Toronto, Ontario
privacy@fortitudenorth.com

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (www.priv.gc.ca).