Introduction

Thank you for visiting the Delaware County Web site and reviewing our privacy policy. This policy explains how Delaware County handles the information collected from you during your visit to our web site.

We will collect no personal information about you when you visit our Web site, unless you choose to provide that information to us. We do not give, share, sell, or transfer any personal information for commercial purposes.

Delaware County may amend this policy from time to time. We will prominently display on this website any substantial changes in the way we use your personal information.

Here is how we handle information about your visit to our website:

 

The Collection and Use of Information / Traffic Analysis

If you only browse through the website, read pages, or download information, we will gather and store certain information about your visit automatically. This information does not identify you personally. Only the following information is automatically collected and stored about your visit:

  • The Internet domain (for example, “somewhere.com” if you use a private Internet access account, or “someschool.edu” if you connect from a university’s domain) and IP address (an IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to your computer whenever you are surfing the Web) from which you access our website;
  • The type of web browser and operating system used to access our site;
  • The date and time you access our site;
  • The pages you visit;
  • If you linked to our website from another website, the address of that website;

We use this information to help us make the site more useful to visitors — to learn about the number of visitors to our site and the types of technology our visitors use.

 

Personal Information / Electronic Government

You may choose to provide us with personal information, by sending us an e-mail message containing your comments or questions or by filling out a form with your personal information. We use this information to improve our service to you or to respond to your request. Your message may be forwarded, as e-mail, to other Delaware County agencies and employees who may be better able to help you. We only share the information you give us with another government agency if your inquiry relates to that agency, or as otherwise required by law. Delaware County does not use personal data you provide for commercial marketing.

 

Public Access Information & Disclosure of Information to Third Parties

Several state and federal laws protect the privacy of the information we collect about you. Delaware County does not disclose personally identifiable information you provide online unless authorized by State, federal law or with your (written) permission.

You may decline to participate in any activity that asks for information (for example, surveys or emails). Your choice to not participate will have no effect on your ability to access information on the County’s Web sites.

 

Use of Cookies

To better serve you, we occasionally use “cookies” to customize your browsing experience. Cookies are simple text files stored by your web browser when you first visit a Web site. They provide a method of distinguishing among visitors to the Web sites. Cookies are used to identify a web user and may also be used to track a user’s browsing habits. Web browsers normally accept cookies, unless the user has specifically turned the capability off.

 

Online Services – Electronic Government

Increasingly, site visitors have the option to do business with Delaware County via the web such as making electronic payments.

Delaware County operates a state-of-the art secure web server that encrypts the information you submit about your bank account. The secure server software (SSL) encrypts information before it leaves your computer to be sent across the Internet. The encrypted information is shared only with Verisign Inc., which also operates secure servers.

Delaware County will not share bank account information with anyone, except authorized personnel. Bank account information from payment applications will not be sold, transferred, marketed, disclosed or otherwise shared with any outside entity other than your bank and Verisign Inc., except as may be required by law or valid court order.

 

Disclaimers

Delaware County shall not be liable to any person or entity for any loss or injury arising, directly or indirectly, out of or caused in whole or in part by Delaware County’s errors, acts, or omissions in procuring, compiling, collecting, interpreting, reporting, communicating, delivering, or assembling the information, data, or records displayed on this Web site.

 

Information Accuracy

The information contained in this Web site was accurate and complete for the purposes for which it was collected at the time of publication. Delaware County reserves the right to make changes and improvements at any time and without notice and assumes no liability for damages incurred directly or indirectly as a result of errors, omissions, discrepancies, unauthorized modification of electronic data, errors in transmission, Web browser incompatibilities, and other aspects of electronic communications that are beyond our control.

 

External Links

The Delaware County Web site has many links to other Web sites including links to Web sites operated by other government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private businesses. Inclusion of a Web site implies no endorsement or claim of its accuracy.

When you follow a link to another site, you are no longer on the County’s Web site and this privacy policy will not apply. You are subject to the privacy policy of that new site, if one exists. You are encouraged to examine the privacy policy of that site.

 

Unauthorized Access / Site Security

Unauthorized attempts to upload information or change information on this Web site are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act.

To ensure that this service remains available to all users, the Delaware County Web site employs commercial software programs to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise cause damage.

Except for authorized law enforcement investigations, no other attempts are made to identify individual users or their usage habits. Raw data logs are used and destroyed according to County guidelines for records management and retention.