ARCHIVED - Government of Canada Privacy Notices

Table of Contents

• 1.0 Privacy Notice - Example A
• 2.0 Privacy Notice - Example B

1.0 Privacy Notice - Example A

Note: This example is for a best-case institution that does not automatically collect any personal information; that does not use "cookies" or an outside Webmaster; that uses security-monitoring software; and that participates in Public Key Infrastructure.

The Government of Canada and [Applied Title of the Institution] are committed to providing visitors with Web sites that respect their privacy. This page summarizes the privacy policy and practices on [Applied Title of the Institution] Web sites.

• [Applied Title of the Institution] Web sites do not automatically gather any specific personal information from you, such as your name, phone number or email address. We would only obtain this type of information if you supply it by sending us an email or registering in a secure portion of the site.
• All personal information created, held or collected by this department is protected under the federal Privacy Act. This means that at any point of collection you will be asked for consent to collect your information, and you will be informed of the purpose for which it is being collected and how to exercise your right of access to that information.
• [Applied Title of the Institution] employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. This software receives and records the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer that has contacted our Web site, the date and time of the visit and the pages visited. We make no attempt to link these addresses with the identity of individuals visiting our site unless an attempt to damage the site has been detected.
• [Applied Title of the Institution] does not normally use "cookies" to track how our visitors use this site or to determine sites previously visited. The system will notify you before any cookies are used so that you may refuse them. (A "cookie" is a file that may be placed on your hard drive without your knowledge by a Web site to allow it to monitor your use of the site.)
• Information on individual visitors is used by [Applied Title of the Institution] employees who need to know the information in order to respond to your request or to ensure the security of this system. We only share the information you give us with another government department if your inquiry relates to that department. We do not use the information to create individual profiles, nor do we disclose this information to anyone outside the Government of Canada.
• [Applied Title of the Institution] is a participant in the Government of Canada Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), which gives you the opportunity to communicate with the Department in a confidential manner. You may find additional information on PKI and how to use it here.
• Questions or comments regarding this policy, or the administration of the Privacy Act in [Applied Title of the Institution] may be directed to the Privacy Coordinator by email to [Privacy Coordinator email] or by calling [Privacy Coordinator phone number] or writing to [Privacy Coordinator mailing address]. If you are not satisfied with our response to your privacy concern, you may wish to contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner by e-mail at: info@privcom.gc.ca, by telephone at 1-800-282-1376 or visit the Office of the Privacy Commissioner Web site.

2.0 Privacy Notice - Example B

Note: This example is for an institution that does not automatically collect any personal information; that uses "cookies" in some places; that uses an outside Webmaster; that uses security-monitoring software; and that does not participate in PKI.

The Government of Canada and [Applied Title of the Institution] are committed to providing visitors with Web sites that respect their privacy. This page summarizes the privacy policy and practices on [Applied Title of the Institution] Web sites.

• [Applied Title of the Institution] Web sites do not automatically gather any specific personal information from you, such as your name, phone number or email address. We would only obtain this type of information if you supply it by sending us an email or registering in a secure portion of the site.
• All personal information held or collected by this department is protected under the federal Privacy Act. This means that at any point of collection you will be asked for consent to collect your information, and you will be informed of the purpose for which it is being collected and how to exercise your right of access to that information.
• [Applied Title of the Institution] employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. This software receives and records the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer that has contacted our Web site, the date and time of the visit and the pages visited. We make no attempt to link these addresses with the identity of individuals visiting our site unless an attempt to damage the site has been detected.
• [Applied Title of the Institution] occasionally uses "cookies" to track how our visitors use this site or to determine sites previously visited. The cookies we use do not allow us to identify individuals. They are compiled into statistical information on traffic patterns and are used to assess site efficiency. The system will notify you before any cookies are used so that you may refuse them, and the refusal of cookies will not affect the site performance or restrict your ability to access information from this site. (A "cookie" is a file that may be placed on your hard drive without your knowledge by a Web site to allow it to monitor your use of the site.)
• Information on individual visitors is used by [Applied Title of the Institution] employees who need to know the information in order to respond to your request or to ensure the security of this system. We only share the information you give us with another government department if your inquiry relates to that department. We do not use the information to create individually identifiable profiles, nor do we disclose this information to anyone outside the federal government.
• Any message that you may send to the Webmaster for this site will go to [Webmaster], a corporation that is not part of the Government of Canada. Information concerning the functioning of the site is provided to the Webmaster so that they can propose adjustments to the site to maximize its effectiveness. [Webmaster] is bound by a contract with [Applied Title of the Institution] to treat any personal information it receives in relation to this Web site as though it is covered by the provisions of the Privacy Act. Any questions, concerns or complaints you may have about how [Webmaster] is handling personal information from this site should be directed to the [Applied Title of the Institution] Privacy Coordinator as listed below.
• Questions or comments regarding this policy, or the administration of the Privacy Act in [Applied Title of the Institution] may be directed to the Privacy Coordinator by email to [Privacy Coordinator email] or by calling [Privacy Coordinator phone number] or writing to [Privacy Coordinator mailing address]. If you are not satisfied with our response to your privacy concern, you may wish to contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner by e-mail at: info@privcom.gc.ca, by telephone at 1-800-282-1376 or visit the Office of the Privacy Commissioner Web site.

PKI Notice

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is a framework of policies, services, and encryption software that provides the assurances users need before they can confidently transmit sensitive information over the Internet and other networks.