Version 1.0
September 14, 2009
Purpose
The Oregon Secretary of State is committed to protecting the privacy of those accessing its Web sites. The purpose of this policy is to inform those accessing State Web sites about the collection and use of the personally identifiable information of its users.
Scope
Definition of Personally Identifiable Information
For the purposes of this policy “personally identifiable information” means any information collected online that could serve to identify an individual, such as:
* First and last name
* Physical address
* Email address
* Telephone number
* Any combination of personal information that could be used to determine identity
Collection and Use of Information
Collection of Information
The following information may be automatically collected and retained if you look or search through our web pages, or download information:
1. The Internet Protocol (IP) address used for your connection (but not your e-mail address). The IP address is a numerical identifier assigned either to your Internet service provider or directly to your computer. We use the Internet IP to respond to your browser request. Example: 122.125.36.42;
2. The domain name assigned to your IP Address (if there is one). Example: somename.com;
3. The type of browser and operating system you used. Example: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 4.01; Windows NT; IE4WDUS-1998101501);
4. The date and time you visited this site;
5. The web pages or services you accessed at this site; and
6. The web site you visited prior to coming to this web site. (Note: this is included so that summary analysis can be done on how visitors get to our site, i.e., from a search engine, from a link on another site, etc.)
We do not track individual user navigation choices. We do, however, summarize the information listed above to determine:
* What organizations are our most frequent users (item 2 above) to better target our content for the audience.
* What browsers are being used on our site to determine what techniques we should use to develop pages that will work with different browsers (item 3 above)?
* How often our pages are being visited (item 5 above).
* The traffic from organization names such as search engines that direct people to the site (item 6 above)
For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, this site may monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. If security monitoring reveals evidence of possible abuse or criminal activity, system personnel may provide the results of such monitoring to appropriate officials. Except for authorized law enforcement investigations, no attempts are made to identify individual users or their usage habits. Unauthorized attempts to upload information or change information on this service are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the state law and federal statutes including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act of 1996.
Except where specified, you do not have to provide personally identifiable information to visit or download information from Agency Web sites. Unless you choose to make your personally identifiable information available to us, the State does not collect such information from you. The Oregon Secretary of State does not use or place spyware on your computer. Be aware that Secretary of State Divisions may request personally identifiable information from you in order to perform requested specialized services.
How Personally Identifiable Information Is Used by the Governmental Entity
Email or other information requests sent to a Secretary of State Web site may be saved and used to respond to the request, forward the request to the appropriate agency division, communicate updates to the Secretary of State site that may be of interest to citizens, or provide the State web designer with valuable customer feedback to assist in improving the Web site.
Children’s Personally Identifiable Information
Except as otherwise permitted by law, the State does not knowingly collect and use or disclose the personally identifiable information of a child under the age of 13.
Data Security and Quality
The Oregon Secretary of State is committed to data security and the data integrity of Personally Identifiable Information available from or collected by the Agency’s Web sites. The State has taken precautions to protect personally identifiable information from loss, misuse, or alteration. Visitors should be aware, however, that even though protections are in place, the State cannot guarantee against the occurrence of hardware failure, unauthorized intrusion, or other technical problems.
Public Disclosure
All information on this site is a public record unless an exemption in law exists. ORS Chapter 192 contains the Oregon Public Records Law.
In the State of Oregon, laws exist to ensure that government is open and that the public has a right to access appropriate records and information possessed by state government. At the same time, there are exceptions to the public’s right to access public records based on the privacy of individuals. Both state and federal laws provide exceptions. We may request personally identifiable information from you in order to provide requested services, but such information is handled as it would be for an in-person visit to a governmental office.
Personal Information and Nondisclosure
“Personal information” is information about a person that is readily identifiable to that individual, such as an individual’s name, address and telephone number. Such personal information may be exempt from disclosure if disclosure would constitute an unreasonable invasion of privacy under the circumstances. A domain name or Internet Protocol (IP) address is not considered personal information. Most information collected by state government is assumed to be open to the public unless specifically exempted. ORS Chapter 192 contains the Oregon Public Records Law. Under this law, individuals are permitted to request that public officials not disclose a public record that contains their home address and telephone number under certain circumstances. ORS 192.445 specifies how to request non-disclosure.
All information collected at this site becomes a public record unless an exemption in law exists. ORS Chapter 192 contains the Oregon Public Records Law.
Requesting Personal Information Inspection
You have the right to review information collected about you by this site. Contact the agency that provides the service you requested.
Linking Policy and Disclaimer of Endorsement
The Secretary of State’s blog (SoS 2.0) includes useful hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations and individuals’ blogs. SoS 2.0 provides these links and pointers solely for our users’ information and convenience.
When you select a link to an outside website, you are leaving the SoS 2.0 blog and are subject to the privacy and security policies of the owners/sponsors of the outside website.
The Oregon Secretary of State does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of information contained on a linked website.
The Oregon Secretary of State does not endorse the organizations sponsoring linked websites, and we do not endorse the views they express or the products/services they offer.
The Oregon Secretary of State cannot authorize the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked websites. Users must request such authorization from the sponsor of the linked website. Those who provide comments are responsible for the copyright of the text they provide.
The Oregon Secretary of State is not responsible for transmissions users receive from linked websites.
Visitors may link to various Web sites from State Web pages. The State is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of external sites. Those visiting external sites are advised to check the applicable privacy statement and be cautious about providing personally identifiable information without a clear understanding of how the information will be used.
Changes to and Versions of the Privacy Policy
This privacy policy may be changed at any time; any changes will be posted on this web page. The version number and date the policy was last revised will be noted on the policy. Information collected while a particular version of this policy is in effect will be handled in accordance with that version. If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please contact us.
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