Policies Constitutional documents
Map.ca Policy Constitution
The non-negotiable values of the platform. Policy sits above growth, monetization, convenience, partnerships, and speed.
- Version
- 1.0.0
- Effective
- May 20, 2026
- Last reviewed
- May 20, 2026
- Review cycle
- every 24 months
- Master Policy Index entry
- §4 #1
Policy text
The Policy Constitution is the highest-order document at Map.ca. It exists because most companies write policy after they get in trouble; Map.ca writes policy before power accumulates. The Constitution defines the Policy First Rule, the twelve non-negotiable principles, the five-layer policy hierarchy, the Master Policy Index, the Policy Pledge, and the Policy Impact Review that every major feature must pass before launch.
The Policy First Rule is simple. When growth and trust conflict, Map.ca chooses trust. When revenue and fairness conflict, fairness. When convenience and consent conflict, consent. When automation and human judgment conflict, judgment. When public visibility and personal safety conflict, safety. When AI efficiency and human dignity conflict, dignity. When data value and data ownership conflict, ownership. There are no carve-outs for size, deadlines, partners, or commercial pressure.
The twelve principles are listed in §2 of this Constitution and mirrored in code as NON_NEGOTIABLE_PRINCIPLES. They cannot be reworded, renumbered, or extended without a Constitutional amendment. Every other policy in this library inherits from them. If a policy ever appears to contradict a principle, the principle wins and the policy is the bug.
The Constitution is reviewed every 24 months. Amendments require a written rationale, a public change log, and a 30-day public comment window. The Constitution is the only document at Map.ca where the bar to change is deliberately higher than the bar to ship.
Principles this policy enforces
- People own their presence
- Location is used for presence, not surveillance
- Visibility is not for sale
- AI assists, people remain responsible
- Consent must be meaningful
- Collect less, protect more
- Civic reporting must be useful without becoming a public shaming system
- Public data and personal data are not the same thing
- Indigenous data sovereignty is foundational
- Accessibility is infrastructure
- Pricing must be simple and honest
- Community benefit must survive scale
What it requires
- Read the Constitution before drafting any other policy.
- Map every policy in the library to at least one §2 principle by number.
- Run a Policy Impact Review before launching any major feature.
- Publish a change log and rationale for every Constitutional amendment.
What it forbids
- Do not silently override a Constitutional principle in any subordinate policy.
- Do not reword, renumber, or add a thirteenth principle without an amendment.
- Do not amend the Constitution without a 30-day public comment window.
How it applies
- Everyone using Map.ca
- Map.ca staff
- Pin owners
- Ambassadors
- Municipal partners
- Indigenous communities
- Vendors and AI providers
References
- Map.ca business plan — Platform Integrity
- Map.ca Policy Constitution §1 — Policy First Rule
- Map.ca Policy Constitution §2 — Twelve non-negotiable principles
Related policies
Map.ca's Policy Pledge
The public version of how Map.ca behaves: short, plain, and built so the platform can be held to it.
Indigenous Data Sovereignty Policy
How Map.ca handles Indigenous community data, cultural places, traditional knowledge, names, language, heritage, and map layers.
Policy Review and Versioning Policy
Every policy needs an owner, a version number, a review date, an approval status, and a change log.