Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 18, 2026

Golden Shovel ("https://www.goldenshovel.ca") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard information when you visit our website. By using Golden Shovel, you agree to the terms described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

Golden Shovel is a read-only news publication. We do not require account registration to read articles. The information we collect is limited to:

  • Usage Data: Anonymous page view data including pages visited, time on site, referring URLs, browser type, and general geographic region (country/province level). This data is collected in aggregate and cannot be used to identify individual visitors.
  • Cookies: We use cookies to maintain session state and to support third-party advertising and analytics services (see Section 4). You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though some site features may not function correctly.
  • Admin Users: If you sign in to the admin dashboard using Google (Better Auth), we store your name, email address, and login timestamp solely for authentication purposes.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect solely to operate and improve the Golden Shovel website. Specifically, usage data is used to understand which articles and topics are most valuable to our readers, to monitor site performance, and to detect and prevent abuse. We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.

3. Affiliate Links

Golden Shovel participates in affiliate programs with precious metals dealers including Silver Gold Bull Canada and The Royal Canadian Mint. When you click an affiliate link on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate links are clearly identified on the pages where they appear. Our editorial content is independent of these affiliate relationships — we do not allow affiliate partners to influence our article topics, tone, or conclusions.

4. Third-Party Services

Golden Shovel uses the following third-party services that may collect data independently:

  • Google AdSense: We display advertisements served by Google AdSense. Google may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to our site or other websites. You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings.
  • Gold-API.com: We fetch live precious metals price data from gold-api.com. No personal data is transmitted in these requests.
  • Commission Junction (CJ Affiliate): Used to track affiliate referrals to Silver Gold Bull Canada. CJ may set cookies on your device when you click affiliate links.
  • Partnerize: Used to track affiliate referrals to The Royal Canadian Mint. Partnerize may set cookies on your device when you click affiliate links.

5. Data Retention

Anonymous page view data is retained for up to 12 months for analytics purposes and then deleted. Admin user account data is retained for as long as the account is active. You may request deletion of your admin account data at any time by contacting us.

6. Your Rights (Canadian Residents)

Under Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy legislation, you have the right to access personal information we hold about you, request corrections to inaccurate information, and withdraw consent for the collection or use of your personal information (subject to legal or contractual restrictions). To exercise these rights, please contact us at the address below.

7. Children's Privacy

Golden Shovel is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of the site after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Golden Shovel

https://www.goldenshovel.ca

contact@goldenshovel.ca

Advertising

We use Google AdSense to show ads on Golden Shovel.

  • Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your previous visits to this website or other websites.
  • Google's use of advertising cookies lets Google and its partners serve ads to you based on your visits to this site and/or other sites on the internet.
  • You can opt out of personalized advertising in Google Ads Settings. You can also opt out of some third-party vendors' cookies for personalized advertising at aboutads.info or, in Canada, at youradchoices.ca.
  • Learn more in how Google uses information from sites that use its services.

Your consent choices (EU, EEA, UK and Switzerland)

If you visit from the European Economic Area, the UK or Switzerland, a consent message from Google asks you to agree to or refuse advertising cookies before personalized ads are shown. You can change your choice at any time with the "Privacy and cookie settings" link at the bottom of every page. If you refuse, you may still see non-personalized ads, which use cookies only for things like frequency capping and fraud prevention.

Analytics

We use Umami, a privacy-focused analytics tool, to count page views and see which articles readers find useful. It does not use cookies, and it does not collect personal information or track you across other websites. We also use Google Search Console, which shows us how our pages appear in Google Search. It doesn't place anything on your device.

How articles are made

Our articles are drafted with AI tools from cited sources and checked against those sources before they're published. See How we fact-check. This doesn't involve any of your personal information.