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Frequently Asked Questions - Notice and Consent Guidelines
What are the Notice and Consent Guidelines in an On-Line
Environment?
- The guidelines explain
how best to inform Government of Canada Web site visitors about what will be
done with any personal information they volunteer over the Internet to a
government program. This includes informing visitors of the purpose for which
their information is collected, how that information will be used, stored and
disclosed, and how long the information will be kept.
- The guidelines also
explain how best to obtain consent from web site visitors to use their
personal information, before they submit it on a Government of Canada Web
site.
Why are these guidelines needed?
- The guidelines assist
government institutions in complying with the federal Privacy Act and
Common Look and Feel Standards for the Internet.
- The federal Privacy
Act protects the right of citizens to be informed about the purposes of
personal information collected about them.
- To support the Privacy
Act within the context of the Internet, Common Look and Feel for the
Internet Standard 5.4 requires that all Government of Canada Web sites include
a specific Privacy Notice Statement before each Web page (or series of pages)
that provides visitors with an opportunity to submit personal information.
In addition to helping government institutions comply with the above
legislative requirements, the guidelines provide direction that can help build
consumer trust and confidence in Government of Canada Web sites.
How do the guidelines help?
- The guidelines provide
definitions for notice and consent, provide answers for frequently asked
questions and provide a clear step-by-step guide for implementation.
- The guidelines include
illustrated examples and a copy-and-paste template to help Web site
developers, administrators, program and service content managers, privacy
coordinators and other relevant Government of Canada officials to provide
proper notice and obtain informed consent in an on-line environment.
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