Privacy policy.

Last updated: 29 June 2026

Overview

ELM Investigations ("we", "us", "our") is a licensed and insured private investigation firm based in Ottawa, Ontario (Ontario PSISA licence #30000405). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This policy explains how we handle information collected through our website, www.elminvestigations.com, in a manner consistent with Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

Scope — website only

This policy applies to information collected through this website. It does not govern information handled during an actual investigation or client engagement — that information is treated as strictly confidential and is governed by your engagement agreement with us and by Ontario's investigative-services laws, not by this website policy.

Information we collect

Information you provide. When you submit our contact form or email us, we collect the details you choose to share: your name, email address, phone number (optional), the type of matter, and the contents of your message.

Information collected automatically. Like most websites, our hosting and security provider records basic technical data (such as IP address, browser type, and pages visited) in server logs for security, fraud prevention, and performance. We do not use this to build advertising profiles.

Our on-site assistant. Our website assistant currently answers common questions directly in your browser using pre-set information; the questions you type are not sent to or stored on our servers in this mode.

How we use your information

• To respond to your inquiry and provide the information or services you request;
• To communicate with you about a potential or existing engagement;
• To maintain the security, integrity, and performance of our website; and
• To meet legal or regulatory obligations.

We collect only what we need for these purposes, and we do not sell your personal information.

Consent

By submitting information through our contact form or by emailing us, you consent to our collecting and using that information for the purposes described above. You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions, by contacting us (see below).

Service providers we share with

We share information only with trusted service providers who help us operate the website and communicate with you, and only to the extent needed to provide their service:

• Cloudflare — website hosting, content delivery, and security;
• Resend — delivery of contact-form submissions to our inbox;
• Google Workspace — our business email.

These providers may process and store data outside Canada (e.g., in the United States), where it may be subject to the laws of those jurisdictions. We may also disclose information where required to do so by law, or to protect our legal rights.

Data retention

We keep the information you submit only as long as necessary to respond to your inquiry, fulfil the purpose for which it was provided, or meet legal requirements, after which it is securely deleted or anonymized.

Security

Information submitted through our website is encrypted in transit (HTTPS), and we apply reasonable administrative and technical safeguards to protect it. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, however, so we encourage you not to include highly sensitive details in a website message — we will gather those securely once we connect.

Cookies and analytics

Our website uses minimal cookies. Our security provider may set essential cookies needed to protect the site, and we may use privacy-respecting analytics that do not track you across other websites or build personal advertising profiles.

Your rights

Under PIPEDA, you may request to access the personal information we hold about you, request a correction of it, or withdraw your consent to our use of it. To make a request, email us at the address below and we will respond within a reasonable time.

Links to other websites

Our website may link to third-party sites we do not control. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites; please review their policies separately.

Children

Our website and services are intended for adults and are not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The "last updated" date above reflects the most recent version, and any changes take effect when posted on this page.

Contact us

For any privacy question or request, contact us at info@elminvestigations.com. We are based in Ottawa and serve clients across Ontario.