CanuckDUCK Certification-Claims Policy

Policy statement

CanuckDUCK will not claim certification it does not hold.

This policy applies to CanuckDUCK public articles, issue briefs, outreach material, decks, support language, AI-generated text, and any other communication that could be read as a statement about CanuckDUCK's status, authority, audit posture, or compliance standing.

Why this policy exists

CanuckDUCK may publish analysis on serious policy, security, infrastructure, and compliance-related subjects. That work can be useful without being a certification, audit, legal opinion, or official approval.

Because these subjects are high-stakes, CanuckDUCK must avoid status inflation. A reader should never be left with the impression that CanuckDUCK has a certification, government endorsement, third-party audit, or legal authority that it does not actually have.

What CanuckDUCK may say

When accurate and supported by the work, CanuckDUCK may say that it:

• publishes public-interest analysis;
• uses source tracing and correction practices;
• maps causal relationships and policy impacts;
• explains uncertainty and evidence limits;
• invites scrutiny and corrections;
• is developing or demonstrating an analytical method;
• is preparing for or exploring pilot conversations; and
• is not currently claiming third-party certification unless such certification is actually obtained and documented.

What CanuckDUCK must not say unless it becomes true

CanuckDUCK must not claim or imply that it is:

• certified when it is not;
• third-party audited when it is not;
• government-approved when it is not;
• regulator-endorsed when it is not;
• an official compliance authority when it is not;
• guaranteeing compliance outcomes;
• replacing legal advice, technical audit, or regulated assessment; or
• speaking on behalf of a public body, regulator, client, partner, or affected organization without authorization.

Words that require care

Some words can mislead if they are used loosely. CanuckDUCK should be careful with terms such as:

• certified;
• audited;
• approved;
• endorsed;
• compliant;
• guaranteed;
• official;
• authorized;
• accredited;
• verified; and
• regulator-ready.

These words should be used only when the underlying status is real, current, documented, and relevant to the claim being made.

Analytical capability is not certification

CanuckDUCK may be able to produce careful, source-traced analysis of a compliance-related subject. That analytical capability is valuable, but it is not the same as certification or formal audit status.

A public article can demonstrate method quality without implying that CanuckDUCK has passed an external assessment. If the distinction matters, the article should state it clearly.

AI-generated text

This policy applies to AI-assisted work. If an AI system drafts language that implies certification, approval, audit status, legal authority, or guaranteed compliance without evidence, that text is wrong and must be corrected before publication or external use.

AI assistance does not lower the standard for truthful status claims.

Correction standard for status claims

If CanuckDUCK publishes wording that overstates its certification, audit, approval, or authority status, the wording should be corrected. If the overstatement is material, the correction should be visible to readers.

A correction should identify the misleading claim, replace it with accurate language, and avoid creating a new ambiguity.

Current public boundary

Unless and until CanuckDUCK publicly documents a different status, the conservative public boundary is:

• CanuckDUCK may publish analysis and method-driven explanations.
• CanuckDUCK may seek scrutiny, feedback, pilots, or partnerships.
• CanuckDUCK does not claim third-party certification or official approval.
• CanuckDUCK's analysis is not legal advice, a compliance guarantee, or a substitute for qualified professional review.

Status

Public draft for review and publication. This policy should be linked from public CanuckDUCK articles where certification, audit, compliance, or authority language could otherwise be misunderstood.