Policies Public-facing policies
Marketplace Neutrality Policy
How Map.ca stays neutral among similar businesses on the platform and does not pick winners outside the doctrine.
- Version
- 0.1.0
- Effective
- May 20, 2026
- Last reviewed
- May 20, 2026
- Review cycle
- every 12 months
- Master Policy Index entry
- §4 #54
Policy text
Map.ca hosts presence; it does not pick winners. The Marketplace Neutrality Policy defines the neutrality posture: ranking based on the documented criteria (relevance, proximity, accuracy, community signal), no preferential discovery for businesses with Map.ca relationships, no anti-preferential treatment either, and a documented review path for vertical-map situations where doctrine demands explicit non-neutrality (e.g. accessibility-affirmative discovery).
It applies to Map.ca’s product, partnerships, and ranking teams, and to any vertical map maintainer.
Principles this policy enforces
- Visibility is not for sale
- Public data and personal data are not the same thing
- Community benefit must survive scale
What it requires
- Apply the documented ranking criteria uniformly across businesses.
- Document and disclose any doctrine-mandated affirmative discovery.
What it forbids
- Do not give preferential ranking to partners.
- Do not give punitive ranking to non-partners.
How it applies
- Map.ca product team
- Partnerships and ranking teams
- Vertical map maintainers
References
- Map.ca Policy Constitution §2 principle 3
Related policies
No Paid Placement Policy
Map.ca does not sell visibility. Ranking, search position, and category placement are not for sale at any price.
Discovery Fairness Policy
Explains how search and discovery work: no paid ranking, no hidden sponsorship, results based on location, tag relevance, and quality rules.
Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
What sponsorship and advertising Map.ca permits, how it is labelled, and how it stays separate from ranking.