Web Policy

Thank you for visiting the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission website. Our website policies are made available here. If you have any questions, please contact us.

Accessibility 
Copyright
Information Quality
Linking
Privacy
Small Business Regulatory and Enforcement Fairness Act
Use of CFTC Seal
Web Content Inventory
Website Security

Accessibility

The CFTC is committed to making the information it delivers via the Internet accessible to the widest possible audience, including those with disabilities. We make every attempt to ensure that our website meets or exceeds the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

Limited English Proficiency. If you have difficulty reading or understanding any material on our website, please contact us.

Except for the Home Page, all pages on our website that contain our standard navigation links include a skip navigation feature that allows those using a screen reader to skip over repetitive navigation links. Using this skipping technique allows users to move directly to the main content of the page.

All graphics on our site include alt tags that enable a screen reader to access a title or complete description of a graphic.

Many documents on the CFTC website are in HTML or plain text (ASCII) formats, which are usually accessible to screen-reading software. A large number of documents are in portable document format (PDF) and are displayed through Adobe’s free Acrobat Reader.

Reading PDF Format Files with a Screen Reader
PDF documents displayed through the Acrobat Reader may require additional steps to become accessible to screen readers. PDF documents found on this site may be accessible to some screen readers (except for some complex formatting such as graphics and some tables). We follow software developments related to PDF accessibility and will make all elements of PDF documents accessible to screen readers as soon as possible.

PDF Translation Service
If a PDF is not accessible to your screen reader, you can use a free translation service provided by Adobe through its Access Web Pages, which will translate PDF documents to HTML pages or to plain text (again, except for some complex formatting).

To use the Adobe PDF translation service, visit the Adobe website and use the form to provide the URL of the document you need translated.  Adobe will convert that PDF document to an HTML page and return it to you by email.

Alternatively, you can email Adobe (from the Adobe website) and list the URLs to be translated. You may select whether you want conversion to HTML or to plain ASCII text.

Procedure for Filing a Complaint under Section 508
Any individual with a disability may file a complaint alleging that the CFTC has failed to comply with the Section 508 requirements in providing electronic and information technology.

Direct any complaints under Section 508 to:

Director, Equal Employment Opportunity
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
1155 21st Street, NW
Washington, DC 20581

Copyright

Government information at the CFTC website is in the public domain. Public domain information may be freely distributed and copied, but it is requested that in any subsequent use the CFTC be given appropriate acknowledgement. When using the CFTC website, you may encounter documents, illustrations, photographs, or other information resources contributed or licensed by private individuals, companies, or organizations that may be protected by U.S. and foreign copyright laws. Transmission or reproduction of protected items beyond that allowed by fair use as defined in the copyright laws requires the written permission of the copyright owners.

Information Quality

The CFTC's information quality guidelines are intended to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information, including statistical information, disseminated by the CFTC.

The guidelines detail how affected persons may seek and obtain appropriate correction of information maintained and disseminated by the CFTC that does not comply with the Office of Management and Budget or agency guidelines.

• CFTC Information Quality Guidelines
• Request for Correction of Information Form
• OMB Guidelines
• Requests for Correction of Information and Agency Responses
• Bulletin for Peer Review

Questions regarding the CFTC Information Quality Guidelines may be directed to:

CFTC Information Quality
Office of the Chief Information Officer
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
1155 21st Street, NW
Washington, DC 20581

fax: 202-418-5534
email: informationquality@cftc.gov

Linking

We provide links to Federal and non-Federal websites if we think they may be useful to our visitors or necessary for the performance of agency functions.

When you follow a link to a non-Federal website, you will first be directed to a web page that reminds you that you are leaving CFTC.gov and that the website you are about to visit is not endorsed by the CFTC. The CFTC does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information on these sites.  Be aware that the privacy protection provided to you on CFTC.gov may not be available at the external link.

The CFTC welcomes links to our website, CFTC.gov. We prefer that you link to the Home Page; however, you may create links to specific pages within our website.  Our Home Page address is http://www.cftc.gov. When linking to our website, we recommend you use the following descriptive text: The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, an independent agency of the U.S. government, oversees futures and option markets and protects market users.

If you have any questions about this policy or if you notice that one of our links is broken, please let us know by emailing us at questions@cftc.gov.

Privacy

Our privacy policy is intended to describe how the CFTC handles information that we learn about you when you visit our website.  The information we receive depends on how you use the website.  You are not required to give us personal information to visit our website.

If you visit the CFTC website to read or download information, such as press releases or publications, we will collect and store the following information:

• the name of the domain (the machine or website) from which you access the Internet (for example, aol.com if you are connecting from an America Online account) and/or the name and Internet Protocol (IP) address of the server you are using to access the CFTC website;
• the name and IP address of the CFTC server that received and logged the request;
• the date and time the request was received;
• the information which you are accessing (for example, which page or image you choose to read or download);
• the name and version of the web browser used to access the web page.

We use the information collected to measure the number of visitors to the different sections of our website and to help us make the website more useful to our visitors.

We do not enable "cookies." A "cookie" is a text file placed on your hard drive by a website that is used to monitor your use of the site.

If you complete a form, send a comment, or email the CFTC, you may be choosing to send us information which personally identifies you. In general, such information is used to respond to your request; it may have other uses that are identified on each form.

For example, if you send us a comment letter on a proposed rule, that letter becomes part of the CFTC’s comment file and is available to the public. The comments help the CFTC and other members of the public evaluate proposed Commission actions.

You may submit other forms to us, such as Freedom of Information Act requests or requests for correction of information.  Such forms may contain information that CFTC staff uses to track and respond to your request. Information you provide to the CFTC Division of Enforcement on our Report Suspicious Activities or Information form may be shared with other law enforcement agencies when appropriate.

If you have questions about CFTC’s privacy policy and information practices, you can email us at questions@cftc.gov.

The CFTC regularly publishes information in the Federal Register on its systems of records maintained under the Privacy Act of 1974. See CFTC Privacy Act Systems of Records Compilation.

CFTC Privacy Impact Assessments

Small Business Regulatory And Enforcement Fairness Act

If you wish to comment on the enforcement or regulatory actions of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, please call the Small Business Liaison in the Office of General Counsel at 202-418-5120.

You may also wish to contact the Small Business and Agriculture Regulatory Enforcement Ombudsman, or one of the ten Regional Fairness Boards, established by the Small Business Regulatory and Enforcement Fairness Act, 5 USC 801, et seq. The Ombudsman and Regional Fairness Boards receive comments from small businesses about Federal agency enforcement actions. The Ombudsman annually evaluates enforcement activities and rates each agency’s responsiveness to small business.

If you wish to contact the Ombudsman to comment on the CFTC’s enforcement actions, please call 888-REG-FAIR (888-734-3247).

CFTC policy is that the Commission and members of its staff are responsible for ensuring that small businesses are provided a non-retaliatory environment in which to exercise their right to comment to the Small Business Administration's Office of the National Ombudsman.

Use of CFTC Seal

The CFTC seal is intended for the official use of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission only. It is expressly excluded from use to imply endorsement of a commercial product or service. The CFTC seal may not be used by anyone outside of the CFTC.

Web Content Inventory

Section 207(f)(2) of the E-Government Act of 2002 requires Federal agencies to develop an inventory of information to be published on their websites, establish a schedule for publishing information, make those schedules available for public comment, and post the schedules and priorities on the website.

Website Security

The CFTC uses software programs to monitor this website for security purposes to ensure it remains available to all users and to protect information in the system.  By accessing this website, you are expressly consenting to these monitoring activities. Unauthorized attempts to defeat or circumvent security features; to use the system for other than intended purposes; to deny service to authorized users; to access, obtain, alter, damage, or to destroy information; or otherwise to interfere with the system or its operation are prohibited. Evidence of such acts may be disclosed to law enforcement authorities and result in criminal prosecution under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act of 1996, 18 USC 1030, or other applicable criminal laws.