Reality Check has created this privacy statement to demonstrate our firm commitment to protecting the privacy of visitors to our site. The following discloses our information gathering and dissemination practices for our site, www.realitycheckny.com.
Visitors can access all sections of this site without registering or providing personal information. Regarding visitors who register or otherwise provide us with personal information, we will not provide any personal contact information to any other organization or individual without the visitor's express consent. We might sometimes use visitors' Internet Provider (IP) addresses to help diagnose problems with our server, and we use them, as necessary, to administer our site.
The registration form on our site requires those visitors who choose to register to give us contact information (such as name and email address) and unidentifiable demographic information (such as county and age). If the registrant chooses, they can give us further demographic information to receive further information in the mail (full mailing address). The contact information is used to contact the visitor when necessary or as requested. Users may opt in or out of receiving future communications by sending an email to lxk03@health.state.ny.us and putting "remove" in the subject header or body of email. We will also use this information to guide our general efforts to supplement, revise, and otherwise improve the content of this web site to better address visitor concerns and interests.
Our site contains links to other sites. Reality Check is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of these other web sites.
Security
This site has security measures in place to help
protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the visitor information
under our control.
Per the privacy guidelines of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, we do NOT collect online contact information from children under the age of thirteen without taking steps to provide prior parental notification or obtain prior parental consent (in which we offer an opportunity for parents to prevent use of their children's information or stop their participation in the activity). Unless we receive a communication providing prior parental consent, online information will be used only to respond directly to the child's request and not for other purposes.
More specifically, with regard to visitors under the age of thirteen, the site:
- Does NOT collect personally identifiable offline contact
information without prior parental notification;
- Does NOT distribute to third parties any personally
identifiable information without prior parental consent;
- Does NOT give the ability to publicly post or otherwise
distribute personally identifiable contact information without prior
parental consent;
- Does NOT entice the prospect by use of a special game,
prize or other activity, to divulge more information than is needed
to participate in the activity;
- Does ALLOW parents to review, change and/or delete
their child's personal information given to Reality Check;
- Does NOTIFY parents if we change the purpose for which we use a child's information (e.g. if we were to begin a chat room).
Unfortunately, given technological and resource limitations, it may be possible for some children under thirteen to evade our efforts to notify parents or obtain prior parental consent especially if their parents do not supervise or monitor their Internet use at home.
Introduction
Thank you for visiting the New York State Department
of Health website. This website is designed to make it easier and more
efficient for individuals and businesses to interact with the New York
State Department of Health. The New York State Department of Health recognizes
that it is critical for individuals and businesses to be confident that
their privacy is protected when they visit the New York State Department
of Health's website.
Consistent with the provisions of the Internet Security and Privacy Act, the Freedom of Information Law, and the Personal Privacy Protection Law, this policy describes the New York State Department of Health's privacy practices regarding information collected from users of this website. This policy describes what information is collected and how that information is used. Because this privacy policy only applies to this website, you should examine the privacy policy of any website, including other state agency websites, that you access using this website. For purposes of this policy, "personal information " means any information concerning a natural person which, because of name, number, symbol, mark, or other identifier, can be used to identify that natural person. The New York State Department of Health does not collect any personal information about you through this website unless you provide that information voluntarily by sending an email, responding to a survey, or completing an online transaction.
Information Collected Automatically
When You Visit this Website
When visiting this website the New York State Department of Health automatically
collects and stores the following information about your visit:
i. User client hostname. The hostname or Internet Protocol address of the user requesting access to a state agency website.
ii. HTTP header, "user agent." The user agent information includes the type of browser, its version, and the operating system on which that the browser is running.
iii. HTTP header, "referrer." The referrer specifies the web page from which the user accessed the current web page.
iv. System date. The date and time of the user's request.
v. Full request. The exact request the user made.
vi. Status. The status code the server returned to the user.
vii. Content length. The content length, in bytes, of any document sent to the user.
viii. Method. The request method used.
ix. Universal Resource Identifier (URI). The location of a resource on the server.
x. Query string of the URI. Anything after the question mark in a URI.
xi. Protocol. The transport protocol and the version used.
None of the foregoing information is deemed to constitute personal information.
The information that is collected automatically is used to improve this website's content and to help the New York State Department of Health understand how users are interacting with the website. This information is collected for statistical analysis, to determine what information is of most and least interest to our users, and to improve the utility of the material available on the website. The information is not collected for commercial marketing purposes and the New York State Department of Health is not authorized to sell or otherwise disclose the information collected from the website for commercial marketing purposes.
Cookies
Cookies are simple text files stored on your web
browser to provide a means of distinguishing among users of this website.
The use of cookies is a standard practice among Internet websites. To
better serve you, we occasionally use "session cookies" to enhance
or customize your visit to this website. Session cookies can be created
automatically on the device you use to access this state agency website.
They do not contain personal information and do not compromise your privacy
or security. We may use the cookie feature to store a randomly generated
identifying tag on the device you use to access this website. A session
cookie is erased during operation of your browser or when your browser
is closed. If you wish, you may complete a registration to personalize
this website and permit a "persistent cookie" to be stored on
your computer's hard drive. This persistent cookie will allow the website
to recognize you when you visit again and tailor the information presented
to you based on your needs and interests. The New York State Department
of Health uses persistent cookies only with your permission. The software
and hardware you use to access the website allows you to refuse new cookies
or delete existing cookies. Refusing or deleting these cookies may limit
your ability to take advantage of some features of this website.
Information Collected When
You E-mail this Website or Complete a Transaction
During your visit to this website you may send an e-mail to the New York
State Department of Health. Your e-mail address and the contents of your
message will be collected. The information collected is not limited to
text characters and may include audio, video, and graphic information
formats included in the message. Your e-mail address and the information
included in your message will be used to respond to you, to address issues
you identify, to improve this website, or to forward your message to another
State agency for appropriate action. Your e-mail address is not collected
for commercial purposes and the New York State Department of Health is
not authorized to sell or otherwise disclose your e-mail address for commercial
purposes.
During your visit to this website you may complete a transaction such as a survey, registration, or order form. The information, including personal information, volunteered by you in completing the transaction is used by the New York State Department of Health to operate New York State Department of Health programs, which include the provision of goods, services, and information. The information collected by the New York State Department of Health may also be disclosed by the New York State Department of Health for those purposes that may be reasonably ascertained from the nature and terms of the transaction in which the information was submitted. The New York State Department of Health does not knowingly collect personal information from children or create profiles of children through this website. Users are cautioned, however, that the collection of personal information submitted in an e-mail will be treated as though it was submitted by an adult, and may, unless exempted from access by federal or State law, be subject to public access. The Agency strongly encourages parents and teachers to be involved in children's Internet activities and to provide guidance whenever children are asked to provide personal information on-line.
Information and Choice
As noted above, the New York State Department of Health does not collect
any personal information about you unless you provide that information
voluntarily by sending an e mail, responding to a survey, or completing
an on-line form. You may choose not to send us an e-mail, respond to a
survey, or complete an on-line form. While your choice not to participate
in these activities may limit your ability to receive specific services
or products through this website, it will not normally have an impact
on your ability to take advantage of other features of the website, including
browsing or downloading information.
Disclosure of Information
Collected Through This Website
The collection of information through this website and the disclosure
of that information are subject to the provisions of the Internet Security
and Privacy Act. Except as provided below or as otherwise authorized by
law, the New York State Department of Health will only collect personal
information through this website or disclose personal information collected
through this website if the user has consented to the collection or disclosure
of such personal information. The voluntary disclosure of personal information
to the New York State Department of Health by the user, whether solicited
or unsolicited, constitutes consent to the collection and disclosure of
the information by the New York State Department of Health for the purposes
for which the user disclosed the information to the New York State Department
of Health, as was reasonably ascertainable from the nature and terms of
the disclosure. However, the New York State Department of Health may collect
or disclose personal information without consent if the collection or
disclosure is:
(1) necessary to perform the statutory duties of the New York State Department
of Health, or necessary for the New York State Department of Health to
operate a program authorized by law, or authorized by state or federal
statute or regulation; (2) made pursuant to a court order or by law; (3)
for the purpose of validating the identity of the user; or (4) of information
to be used solely for statistical purposes that is in a form that cannot
be used to identify any particular person. Further, the disclosure of
information, including personal information, collected through this website
is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Law and the
Personal Privacy Protection Law. The New York State Department of Health
may also disclose personal information to federal or state law enforcement
authorities to enforce its rights against unauthorized access or attempted
unauthorized access to the New York State Department of Health's information
technology assets.
Retention of Information Collected Through this Website The information collected through this website is retained by the New York State Department of Health in accordance with the records retention and disposition requirements of the New York State Arts & Cultural Affairs Law. Information on the requirements of the Arts & Cultural Affairs Law may be found at http://www.archives.nysed.gov/services/recmgmt.htm. In general, the Internet services logs of the New York State Department of Health, comprising electronic files or automated logs created to monitor access and use of Agency services provided through this website, are retained for one (1) year and then destroyed, absent a specific need or obligation to retain it for a longer period. Information, including personal information, that you submit in an e-mail or when you complete a survey, registration form, or order form is retained in accordance with the records retention and disposition schedule established for the records of the program unit to which you submitted the information. Information concerning these records retention and disposition schedules may be obtained through the Internet privacy policy contact listed in this policy. Or when otherwise required by law.
Access to and Correction
of Personal Information Collected Through this Website
Except as otherwise provided by law, any user may submit a request to
the New York State Department of Health privacy compliance officer to
determine whether personal information pertaining to that user has been
collected through this website. Any such request shall be made in writing
and must be accompanied by reasonable proof of identity of the user. Reasonable
proof of identity may include verification of a signature, inclusion of
an identifier generally known only to the user, or similar appropriate
identification. The address of the privacy compliance officer is:
New York State Department of Health
Corning Tower, Room 2348
Albany, New York 12237-0044
Except as otherwise provided by law, the privacy compliance officer shall, within five (5) business days of the receipt of a proper request, provide access to the personal information; deny access in writing, explaining the reasons therefore; or acknowledge the receipt of the request in writing, stating the approximate date when the request will be granted or denied, which date shall not be more than thirty (30) days from the date of the acknowledgment. In the event that the New York State Department of Health has collected personal information pertaining to a user through the state agency website and that information is to be provided to the user pursuant to the user's request, the privacy compliance officer shall inform the user of his or her right to request that the personal information be amended or corrected under the procedures set forth in section 95 of the Public Officers Law, except as otherwise provided by law. Confidentiality and Integrity of Personal Information Collected Through this Website The New York State Department of Health is strongly committed to protecting personal information collected through this website against unauthorized access, use or disclosure. Consequently the New York State Department of Health limits employee access to personal information collected through this website to only those employees who need access to the information in the performance of their official duties. Employees who have access to this information follow appropriate procedures in connection with any disclosures of personal information. In addition, the New York State Department of Health has implemented procedures to safeguard the integrity of its information technology assets, including, but not limited to, authentication, monitoring, auditing, and encryption. These security procedures have been integrated into the design, implementation, and day-to-day operations of this website as part of our continuing commitment to the security of electronic content as well as the electronic transmission of information. For website security purposes and to maintain the availability of the website for all users, the Agency employs software to monitor traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise damage this website.
General Disclaimer
The information provided in this privacy policy should not be construed
as giving business, legal, or other advice, or warranting as fail proof,
the security of information provided through this website.
Links Disclaimer
In order to provide users with certain information, this website may provide
links to local, State and federal government agencies, and websites of
other organizations. A link does not constitute an endorsement of the
content, viewpoint, accuracy, opinions, policies, products, services,
or accessibility of that website. Once you link to another website from
this website, including one maintained by the State, you are subject to
the terms and conditions of that website, including but not limited to
its privacy policy.
Information Disclaimer
Information provided on this website is intended
to allow the public immediate access to public information. While all
attempts are made to provide accurate, current, and reliable information,
the Department of Health recognizes the possibility of human and/or mechanical
error. Therefore, the Department of Health, its employees, officers and
agents make no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, currency,
or suitability of the information provided by this website, and deny any
expressed or implied warranty as to the same.
Contact Information
For questions regarding this Internet privacy policy, please contact:
(via e-mail)
privacy@health.state.ny.us
(via regular mail)
New York State Department of Health
Corning Tower, Room 2348
Albany, New York 12237-0044
Send questions or comments to: privacy@health.state.ny.us
Revised: June 2002