Privacy Policy

This privacy policy explains how the IPC collects, uses and discloses your information when you use our website. The policy also explains how our privacy commitments apply to our website operations.

Privacy Policy Commitments:

  • The only personal information that we collect from your visit is what you voluntarily provide to us for specific purposes.
  • Our website analytics only use non-identifiable data.
  • We do not share data about your visit with third parties except to report malicious attacks or as required by law.
  • We do not allow third parties to track you, with two exceptions – embedded YouTube videos and Google Search.

Personal Information

The only personal information that we collect from your visit is what you voluntarily provide to us for specific purposes, such as to ask questions, provide feedback, or subscribe to our communications.

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) only collects personal information that is necessary for the administration of a lawfully authorized purpose, in accordance with section 38(2) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). At the time of collection, you will be informed of the specific purpose for which it is being collected.

Data Collection

IPC web servers automatically record non-identifiable details about website visits and interactions. Web server log files are generated when visitors view our webpages. IPC web servers log the following data about your visit:

  • Your Internet Protocol (IP) address. For analytics purposes, we retain only the first two octets of your IP address to prevent the possibility of re-identification (e.g. 38.112.93.137 is stored as 38.112.*.*).
  • Your device type, brand, and model.
  • Your operating system.
  • Your browser type, plugins, and version.
  • Pages you viewed on our website and time spent on each page.
  • URL of the page that directed you to our website, and in some instances, the search term(s) you used to find us.
  • Language of your browser.
  • Country (determined by IP address).

Server logs are automatically deleted within 30 days, unless circumstances warrant longer retention, for example, to investigate a bug or malicious attack.

How We Use Your Data

Our website analytics only use non-identifiable data. We host our own web servers, and carry out all website operations in-house, including logging and analyzing transaction data from website visits.

The IPC uses server log data to:

  • fix errors on our website;
  • defend against malicious attacks;
  • generate website usage statistics; and
  • improve service delivery in general.

Cookies

A cookie is a small text file that a website creates and accesses through your browser when you visit the site. Cookies are used for many purposes, such as to track language preferences, provide customized web page content, and display website navigation history.

Cookies used by the IPC do not contain personally identifying information, do not give us access to anything on your device. We only use “session” cookies that expire with each visit (unlike “permanent” cookies that can track visitors across multiple visits, websites, and time). Our session cookie contains a randomized number intended to help your browser interact better with dynamic content on our site, and is not for tracking purposes. Should you opt-out of our web analytics, a cookie will be set to recognize your preference. Data generated from IPC cookies are not used to identify visitors, and are never shared with third parties.

Third Party Cookies

When visiting our site, your browser may receive longer-term “permanent” cookies from Google, a third party. This may happen because some IPC web pages host video content stored on YouTube, and also because our site offers the Google Custom Search function.  Consequently, Google may track your online activities across other websites. We have attempted to limit the privacy impacts of third party Google cookies on our site through technical and contractual means.

You do not have to accept any cookies to access or search the IPC website.  However, there may be minimal loss of functionality if you have disabled or deleted all cookies. Please consult your browser settings (and browser plugins) which allow you to configure whether and how you receive cookies. For additional information and guidance, the following consumer website explains how to delete and control the cookies that are stored on your computer.

Third Parties

The IPC collects and analyzes website usage data strictly for internal purposes. We do not sell, rent, exchange, or otherwise disclose any information that we collect about our website visitors to third parties, except in the case of a malicious attack or as required by law.

We have limited the amount of information that third-party tools can collect about you on our website. However, we may collect data from you when you visit pages that contain embedded YouTube videos or use Google Search on our website.

Email Communications

Any personal information that you give us will only be used to respond to your message and/or provide you with the requested service or product. If you do not wish to receive e-mail communications from the IPC regarding new resources and the work the Office is undertaking, you may unsubscribe at any point or e-mail us at [email protected].

External Sites

This site contains links to external sites. We are not responsible for the content and the privacy practices of sites other than our own. We encourage you to examine each site’s privacy policy and disclaimers and to make your own decisions regarding the accuracy, reliability and completeness of material and information found there.

Important Information

Although we attempt to ensure that all information posted on our site is accurate and complete, we do not represent that it is so, or guarantee it, and accept no liability or obligation for accuracy or completeness. If there is any discrepancy between information posted on our website and in an original paper version, the version that is most current should be considered to be the authoritative version.

We take reasonable precautions to protect your personal information in our possession from loss, misuse and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration and destruction.

Contact Us

For the full menu of contact options, visit our Contact Us page.

Updated: Sep 15, 2014

This post is also available in: French