The privacy of our customers has always been important to the Railroad
Retirement Board. Our concern for your privacy is no different in the
electronic age. As a Federal Agency, the Privacy Act (U.S.C. 552a)
requires us to protect the information we collect from you.
The privacy policy outlined below applies only to the data we collect from
you over the Internet.
This is our notice to you about why we collect your personal information,
how we use it, and who we share it with; what your choices are for how
we use your information; how we get access to your information; and
how we protect the information we collect and maintain.
Why We Collect Your
Personal Information
- We collect personal data to administer the Railroad Retirement Act
and Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act. We do not use the information
for any other internal secondary purpose.
- You don’t have to give us personal information to visit our website.
- If you do give us your personal information, we treat it very carefully.
- We collect personal information about You (e.g., name, e-mail address,
Social Security number or other unique identifier) only if you specifically
and knowingly give it to us. You should note, however, that when you
send us an email, you automatically furnish us with your e-mail address
even if you don’t furnish any additional personal information.
How We Will Use Your Personal
Information
- We do not sell the information we collect at this site, or any information
we collect.
- The personal information you give us at this site will be used only
in connection with the administration of the Railroad Retirement Act
and the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act. If you use our web site
to apply for benefits, the information that you give us on the application
will be used in the same way as if you had furnished the information
in person to our field office representatives or had completed an application
and mailed it in to us. In both cases the uses of the information is
subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act. The retention period
will be the same. If, however, you send us an email, for example as
to how we can improve our web site, we will use the information you
provide for that purpose only. The identifying information you give
us, such as your email address and your name, will not be retained
in a Privacy Act system of records, where we can retrieve your suggestion
by your name or email address.
- For statistical purposes, we also collect non-personal information
about you. Sometimes we analyze this data to determine customer interest
in different parts of our website. The information we share is in a
format that does not personally identify anyone.
Who We Will Share Your Personal
Information With
We may disclose information you give us (e.g., to the Social Security
Administration, Department of Veteran’s Affairs) if authorized or required
by Federal Law, such as the Privacy Act, Railroad Retirement Act, or
the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act.
Your Choice About Who
We Share Your Personal Information With
If Federal laws (e.g., Privacy Act, Railroad Retirement Act, or the
Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act) does not allow us to share information,
we must get your written authorization before we can furnish your information
to anyone else.
Your Access to the Information We Collect
About You
You may have access to any of the information we collect about you at this site.
We’ll correct any errors you may find. If you need to get or correct information
about you, see
How to Obtain Records about Yourself.
How We Protect the
Security of the Information We Collect
- The Internet was originally designed as an open system with no built in security; however, we are required to protect the information we collect and maintain about you and will not use the Internet to do business with you unless we can do so in a secure manner. We will take reasonable precautions to maintain the security, confidentiality and integrity of the information we collect at this site.
- The RRB sometimes uses contractors to perform various website and
database functions. When we do, we make sure that the agreement language with the contractor ensures the security, confidentiality and integrity of any personal information the contractor may have access to in the course of contract performance.
Our Concern about Personal Information
Via Email
- Electronic mail is not secure. Therefore, we suggest that you don’t
send personal information to us via email. For our part we will send you only general information via email.
- Electronic mail messages that meet the definition of records in the Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) are covered under the same disposition schedule as all other Federal records. This means that emails you send us will be preserved and maintained for varying periods of time if those emails meet the definition of Federal records.
Electronic messages that are not records are deleted when no longer needed.
Our Use of "Cookies" and How It Affects
Your Visit to Our Website
- What is a “cookie”? A cookie is a small piece of text that is sent
to your computer along with a web page when you visit a website. Your
computer will give the information in the cookie only to the computer
that sent it, and no other website can request it. There are three types of
cookies—persistent, third party, and session. We never use
persistent or third party cookies, but sometimes we use session cookies.
- We use session cookies only in some places where you can transact
business. We store the cookie on your computer only during your visit.
The session cookie keeps you from losing information you’ve entered
for a business transaction with us if, during your visit, you leave
our website and return.
- Once you turn off your computer or stop using the Internet, the
cookie is erased.
If You Visit Other Websites
Our website contains session links to other federal agencies and private
organizations. These websites are not within our control and may not follow
the same privacy, security or accessibility policies. Once you link to another
site you are subject to the policies of that site.
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