Cookie Policy

Last Updated: April 28, 2026 | Website: acu-guide.com

1. Introduction

Welcome to ACU Guide. We are committed to being transparent about how we collect and use data relating to you. This Cookie Policy forms part of our broader Privacy Policy and explains in detail what cookies are, how we use them, the types of cookies we deploy on our website, and how you can manage or disable them.

This policy applies to all users of the website acu-guide.com (the "Website") and is governed by applicable Canadian privacy legislation, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy laws. We also align our practices with internationally recognized standards, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), as a global best practice benchmark.

By accessing or using our Website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the use of cookies as described herein. If you do not agree to our use of cookies, please refer to Section 7 of this policy for instructions on how to disable or manage cookies, or discontinue using our Website.

2. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, tablet, smartphone, or other internet-enabled device) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, to provide a better browsing experience, and to supply website owners and third parties with information about how users interact with websites.

Cookies do not typically contain personally identifiable information on their own, but in some cases, they may be combined with other data that does identify you. Cookies can be created by the website you are visiting (known as "first-party cookies") or by third-party organizations whose services are embedded in or used by that website (known as "third-party cookies").

2.1 How Cookies Work

When you visit acu-guide.com for the first time, our server sends a cookie to your browser, which stores it on your device. Each time you return to our Website or navigate between pages, your browser sends the cookie back to our server. This allows the Website to recognize your device and remember certain information about your visit, such as your preferences or login status.

Cookies can be either session cookies or persistent cookies:

• Session Cookies: These are temporary cookies that exist only during a single browsing session. They are deleted from your device as soon as you close your browser. Session cookies are essential for many website features, such as maintaining your login status as you navigate between pages.
• Persistent Cookies: These cookies remain on your device for a set period of time (or until you manually delete them). They are used to remember your preferences and settings across multiple visits to a website.

2.2 Similar Tracking Technologies

In addition to traditional cookies, we may also use similar tracking technologies on our Website, including:

• Web Beacons (Pixel Tags): Tiny graphic images embedded in web pages or emails that allow us to track whether a page has been viewed or an email has been opened.
• Local Storage: A browser-based storage mechanism that allows data to be stored locally on your device, similar to cookies but with a larger storage capacity and no expiration date unless explicitly cleared.
• JavaScript Tags: Small pieces of code embedded in our Website that collect data about user behavior and interactions.

For the purposes of this Cookie Policy, all of these technologies are collectively referred to as "cookies."

3. Types of Cookies We Use

We use four main categories of cookies on acu-guide.com. Each category serves a specific purpose, as described below.

3.1 Essential Cookies (Strictly Necessary)

Essential cookies are absolutely necessary for our Website to function properly. Without these cookies, certain features of the Website would not work, and you would not be able to navigate the site or use its core services. These cookies do not collect any personal information that could be used for marketing or to track your browsing activity on other websites.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary for the Website to function, they do not require your consent under applicable Canadian and international privacy laws. However, you can still choose to disable them through your browser settings, but doing so may significantly impact the functionality of the Website.

Examples of what essential cookies do:

• Enable secure login and authentication
• Remember items in your shopping cart or form entries
• Balance load across servers for optimal performance
• Remember your cookie consent preferences

3.2 Analytics and Performance Cookies

Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our Website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. This data allows us to improve our Website's structure, content, and user experience. We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC, to collect this information.

The data collected by analytics cookies includes information such as which pages you visit, how long you spend on each page, how you arrived at the Website, and what actions you take. This information is aggregated and does not identify you personally.

Examples of what analytics cookies do:

• Track the number of visitors to our Website
• Measure which pages are most and least popular
• Monitor how users navigate through the Website
• Identify technical issues and errors

3.3 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies allow our Website to remember choices you make (such as your language preference, region, or login details) and provide enhanced, personalized features. They may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages.

If you disable functional cookies, some or all of these services may not function properly, and you may need to re-enter your preferences each time you visit the Website.

Examples of what functional cookies do:

• Remember your language and regional settings
• Store your login credentials for convenience
• Enable embedded content such as videos or maps
• Customize the Website layout based on your preferences

3.4 Advertising and Targeting Cookies

Advertising cookies are used to deliver advertisements that are relevant and meaningful to you. They track your browsing activity across websites and build a profile of your interests, which is then used to display targeted advertisements. These cookies may be placed by us or by advertising partners, including Google Ads.

Advertising cookies also help us measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns by tracking conversions and other user interactions with our advertisements.

Examples of what advertising cookies do:

• Track which advertisements you have seen
• Measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns
• Limit the number of times you see the same advertisement
• Build interest profiles for targeted advertising

4. Specific Cookies We Use

The table below provides detailed information about the specific cookies used on acu-guide.com, including their name, purpose, type, and duration.

5. Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies on our Website are placed by third-party organizations. These third parties have their own privacy and cookie policies which govern how they use the data collected through these cookies. ACU Guide does not have control over third-party cookies and is not responsible for the practices of these third parties.

The main third parties that place cookies on our Website include:

• Google LLC — for Google Analytics, Google Ads, and Google reCAPTCHA. Google is headquartered in the United States and is subject to U.S. data protection laws. Data transfers to Google are governed by Standard Contractual Clauses and Google's Privacy Policy.
• Meta Platforms, Inc. (Facebook) — for Facebook Pixel, which enables advertising and conversion tracking through the Facebook Ads platform.
• YouTube (Google LLC) — if our Website embeds YouTube videos, YouTube may set cookies when you interact with embedded video content.

We encourage you to review the privacy and cookie policies of these third-party organizations for more information about how they use your data.

6. Legal Basis for Using Cookies

Under PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act) and applicable provincial privacy legislation in Canada, we are required to obtain your meaningful consent before using non-essential cookies. Our legal bases for using cookies are as follows:

• Consent: For analytics, functional, and advertising cookies, we rely on your consent, which you provide when you accept cookies through our cookie consent banner. You may withdraw your consent at any time.
• Legitimate Interest: For essential cookies that are strictly necessary for the operation of our Website, we rely on the legitimate interest of providing a functional and secure website service.

We align our cookie consent practices with GDPR standards as an internationally recognized best practice, ensuring that consent is freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous.

7. How to Manage and Disable Cookies

You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject non-essential cookies. There are several ways you can manage your cookie preferences:

7.1 Cookie Consent Banner

When you first visit acu-guide.com, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner that allows you to accept all cookies, reject non-essential cookies, or customize your cookie preferences by category. You can update your preferences at any time by clicking the "Cookie Settings" link in the footer of our Website.

7.2 Browser Settings

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can configure your browser to block or delete cookies, or to alert you when a website attempts to place a cookie on your device. The process for managing cookies varies depending on the browser you use. Please refer to the help documentation for your specific browser:

• Google Chrome: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647
• Mozilla Firefox: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/cookies-information-websites-store-on-your-computer
• Apple Safari: https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/safari/sfri11471/mac
• Microsoft Edge: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/delete-cookies-in-microsoft-edge-63947406
• Opera: https://help.opera.com/en/latest/web-preferences/#cookies

7.3 Opt-Out Tools Provided by Third Parties

In addition to browser-level controls, many third parties provide their own opt-out mechanisms for their cookies and tracking technologies. You can use the following tools to opt out of specific third-party cookies:

• Google Analytics Opt-Out: You can prevent Google Analytics from collecting your data by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, available at: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
• Google Ads Personalization: You can control Google's use of your data for advertising personalization at: https://adssettings.google.com
• Facebook (Meta) Ad Preferences: You can manage your Facebook advertising preferences at: https://www.facebook.com/adpreferences/ad_settings
• Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) Opt-Out: You can opt out of interest-based advertising from NAI member companies at: https://optout.networkadvertising.org
• Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) Opt-Out: Available at: https://optout.aboutads.info
• Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada (DAAC): Available at: https://youradchoices.ca

7.4 Mobile Device Settings

If you access our Website through a mobile device, you can manage cookies and tracking through your device's operating system settings. Both iOS and Android devices provide options to limit ad tracking and reset your advertising identifier.

8. Impact of Disabling Cookies

While you have the right to disable or restrict cookies, please be aware that doing so may affect your experience on our Website. The potential impacts are as follows:

9. Data Transfers and International Considerations

Some of the cookies used on our Website are operated by companies based outside of Canada, including in the United States (e.g., Google LLC, Meta Platforms, Inc.). When data collected through these cookies is transferred outside of Canada, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with PIPEDA and other applicable Canadian privacy laws.

These safeguards may include Standard Contractual Clauses, adequacy decisions, or other legally approved mechanisms that ensure your personal information receives a comparable level of protection regardless of where it is processed.

10. Children's Privacy

Our Website is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly use cookies to collect personal information from children under this age. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided personal information through our Website, please contact us using the details provided below, and we will take steps to remove that information and disable any associated cookies.

11. Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, the cookies we use, applicable laws, or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. When we make changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you through a banner or other prominent notice on our Website.

We encourage you to review this Cookie Policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies. Your continued use of our Website after any changes to this policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated terms.

12. Your Rights Under Canadian Privacy Law

As a resident of Canada, you have certain rights regarding your personal information collected through cookies, as protected by PIPEDA and applicable provincial privacy legislation. These rights include:

• Right to Access: You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, including information collected through cookies.
• Right to Correction: You have the right to request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: You may withdraw your consent to the use of non-essential cookies at any time. Please note that withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.
• Right to Lodge a Complaint: If you believe that your privacy rights have been violated, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) at www.priv.gc.ca or call 1-800-282-1376.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are committed to addressing your inquiries promptly and transparently.