Details of Privacy Statement

Thank you for visiting a Government of Ontario Web site and reviewing our online Privacy Statement in detail. Respecting your privacy and protecting your personal information in an online environment is a priority for us. The Ontario government's management of personal information is governed by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). Service providers under contract to provide online services on behalf of the government must follow the practices required of Government of Ontario organizations.

This Privacy Statement explains our current practices regarding what information government ministries and agencies may collect, use, and secure when you visit our Web sites. In addition, some government organizations may post further detailed statements related to their specific programs. Those statements supplement this Privacy Statement.

Our Privacy Statement covers the following topics:

• What Kind of Information is Collected When You Visit Our Web Sites?
• What Happens When You Send Us Personal Information Online?
• How Do We Use Cookies?
• Who is Accountable for the Protection of Privacy?
• Security
• How Can I Access and Correct My Personal Information?
• What Steps Can I Take to Protect My Online Activities?
• Who Can I Contact for Further Information?
• Information on P3P Compliance

What Kind of Information is Collected When You Visit Our Web Sites?

When you browse or download information from Government of Ontario Web sites, our servers automatically collect limited amounts of standard information for traffic monitoring and statistical purposes. The information is analyzed for operational trends, performance, and for ways to improve our sites. The government cannot identify you from this information. We collect the following standard types of information:

• Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of the computers being used to access our sites;
• the operating systems and the types and versions of browsers used to access our sites;
• the Internet Service Providers used by visitors to our sites;
• the dates and times users access our sites;
• the pages visited;
• the key words users enter into our search engine; and
• the names and sizes of files requested.

The Government of Ontario's computer systems use hardware and software to anonymously monitor unauthorized attempts to upload or change information at government Web sites, disrupt service, or otherwise cause damage. As a general practice, we make no attempt to link this information with the identity of individuals visiting our sites. If an attempt to damage our site has been detected, we can take further actions.

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You may choose to provide us with personal information such as your name, address, phone number, e-mail address and credit card number, if you wish to:

• submit an e-mail, comment, question or request or subscribe for information online;
• request a service, product, or fill out a registration or licence form online;
• provide feedback, participate in consultations or surveys online; or,
• conduct e-commerce transactions with a ministry or agency.

When you visit a government organization's Web site, any personal information you provide will be used to respond to your message and/or provide you with the requested service or product. The collection of personal information by government organizations is in accordance with section 38(2) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). This section of the Act authorizes government organizations to collect only the personal information that is necessary for the administration of a government program. At the time the information is collected, you will be informed of the specific purpose for which it is being collected.

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Some government Web sites use cookies. A cookie is a small text file sent from a Web server and placed on your computer's hard drive. A cookie is generally used to enhance your browsing experience. You can choose to set your browser to detect and reject cookies, to accept cookies from all sites, or to prompt you whenever a site wants to send you a cookie. Check your browser's "Help" files to learn how to do this. If you choose to refuse cookies, you may not be able to access some of the interactive features on our Web sites.

Cookies used by the Government of Ontario, do not give us access to anything on your hard drive and cannot do anything to your computer. Cookies used by the Government are encrypted for security purposes to make any information in the cookie unreadable to anyone except the government organization with which you are dealing. Ontario government organizations use two types of cookies: session cookies (temporary) or persistent cookies (longer-term continuing use).

• Session cookies may be used to support on-line feedback/discussion, forms and registration and 'e-commerce/shopping cart' transactions. They are used only during your online session and expire when you close your browser. Without session cookies, moving around our Web sites could be much slower.
• Persistent cookies are different from session cookies because they are stored on your computer's hard drive for some length of time. They are usually used if you want us to remember information about your Web preferences (e.g. large font) and passwords for automatic log-in purposes.

A place to start for further information on 'cookies' is at the Web site of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.

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The ministers of government ministries and agencies are responsible for the administration of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). The Act requires government organizations to protect the personal information in their possession. The Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) oversees whether government organizations comply with the access and privacy provisions of the Act by investigating privacy complaints and hearing appeals regarding access decisions made by ministers.

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The government's security practices are continually evolving to ensure that the integrity and confidentiality of information and systems are maintained. The government uses up-to-date security safeguards to protect its networks and Web sites from misuse, alteration, copying, disclosure, destruction, monitoring or unauthorized sharing of information and damage. The government's safeguards include the use of security software and encryption protocols and involve physical, technical and procedural controls to protect information behind the government firewall.

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Some government online services may provide the ability for Internet users to correct their own information online. Individuals also have a right to access their personal information that is held by an Ontario government organization by making an access request under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). Access is subject to limits and exceptions outlined in FIPPA.

For more information on the process for accessing your personal information, you may wish to view the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) Web site: Access FAQ. You can check what types of personal information may be held by government ministries and agencies by browsing the Directory of Records. You can request that government organizations correct inaccurate or incomplete information.

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Users are encouraged to learn about protecting their own computers to ensure that their online activities remain private. One place to start for tips on home network security is a Question and Answer sheet produced by the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute - CERT Coordination Center.

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Questions or comments regarding these current practices or the administration of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) in Government of Ontario ministries and agencies, may be directed to the Freedom of Information Coordinator, MBS Information and Privacy Office by e-mailing web.foi@mgs.gov.on.ca or calling (416) 327-0002 or writing to:

Access and Privacy Office
Ministry of Government Services
Government of Ontario
77 Wellesley Street West
5th floor, Ferguson Block
Toronto ON  M7A 1N3

If you want more information about how to protect your privacy, you may wish to contact the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.

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This Privacy Statement is available in Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P) format. P3P is an industry standard providing a simple, automated way for Internet users to gain more information about, and control over, the use of their personal information at Web sites. The government's use of P3P will promote greater transparency of our privacy practices. If you currently use browsers such as Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6, or Netscape Navigator version 7, you can set your privacy preferences in your browser. When you visit our Web sites, your browser can download the P3P machine-readable format of our Privacy Statement, compare the contents of the Statement to your preferences, and automatically let you know if our practices align with your preferences.

NOTE: If this Privacy Statement changes in any way, we will place an updated version on this page. Last update to this policy: March 31, 2003

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