Web Privacy Policy
Thank you for visiting the OCC's Web site and
reviewing our privacy policy. We remind you that if you link to a
site outside of the OCC, you are subject to the policies of the new site.
Privacy
The Privacy Act of 1974 establishes certain controls over any personal information collected by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and how it is used. For additional information on your rights under the Privacy Act, as well as the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), please see Your Right To Federal Records - Questions and Answers on the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act.
The OCC respects your privacy. We do not collect or
store information about members of the public who call or write the agency or
visit our Web site, unless you identify yourself so that we can respond to an
inquiry or request from you.
We do, however, collect and store information about
your Internet connection when you visit our Web site to read or download
information, such as our bulletins, alerts, or press releases. We use this
information to help us stay abreast of technical upgrades that can make our
site more accessible to visitors, and to record the date and time of your visit
to our site.
If you identify yourself when you contact us, various
people may see your information. We adhere to the following principles in
handling information you provide, in accordance with 12 U.S.C. 1 et seq.:
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We use your personally identifying information only for
the purpose for which it is originally collected.
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We maintain your personally identifying information in
secure computer systems and we limit employee access to those with a business
reason to see it.
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We do not disclose your information to anyone outside
the OCC, except where compelled by law or in connection with a criminal
investigation (as explained below).
To understand in greater detail how we handle your
Internet connection and personal identification information, read the sections
below.
When visiting the OCC Web site:
If you visit our site to read or download information, we do not collect
information about you, but we do collect and store information about your
Internet connection and the date and time of your visit. Specifically, we
record:
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The name of the domain from which you access the
Internet (for example, aol.com, if you are connecting from an America Online
account, or princeton.edu, if you are connecting from Princeton University's
domain).
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The IP (Internet Protocol) address from which you
access our site. An IP address is a number automatically assigned to your
computer whenever you are connected to the World Wide Web.
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The Internet address of the Web site from which you
linked directly to our site, if any (for example, www.fdic.gov, if you are
following a link from the FDIC Web site, or www.yahoo.com, if you find us using
the Yahoo search engine).
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The type of Web browsing software you are using to view
our site.
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The date and time you access our site.
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The pages you visit.
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The action that you tried to perform or the item you
requested from the OCC Web site (for example, download a document) and whether
or not you were successful. When we examine this data it is presented in an
aggregate form.
Cookies
"Persistent cookies" collect personal information to recognize your computer in the future. The OCC does not use "persistent cookies" or other technology to collect personally identifiable information about visitors to our website.
"Temporary" or "session" cookies are used on the OCC.gov web pages to support voluntary customer surveys, and to help us accurately analyze how visitors navigate through our website at an aggregated-level. These cookies are stored in memory and are only available during an active browser session. These cookies do not collect personal information on visitors, and they are erased as soon as you close your web browser. No personally identifiable information about you is maintained as a result of a temporary or session cookie.
We use this information to help us make our site
more useful to visitors. We learn what users like and need; what kind of
technology they are using; how often they visit; and other valuable information
that helps us offer our visitors the best site possible.
When calling or sending postal or electronic
mail: You may choose to tell us your name and address or
other identifying information when, for example, you make an inquiry or comment
that requires further correspondence, request that your name or organization be
added to an OCC mailing list or database, or submit a complaint.
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If you make an inquiry or request to be added to a
mailing list, we enter your information into one of our electronic databases
that are used for mailing lists and for tracking correspondence.
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If you respond to a request for public comments on
proposed rulemakings, policy statements, or other regulatory actions, a copy of
your comment letter is placed in the public file and is available to the
general public.
If you are sending electronic mail to the OCC, we
want to remind you that e-mail is not necessarily secure against interception.
If your information is very sensitive, or includes personal or confidential
information -- such as your bank account, charge card, or social security number
-- you may want to send it by postal mail to:
Formal written complaint with the OCC about a national bank or its operating
subsidiary
Customer Assistance Group 1301 McKinney Street Suite 3450 Houston,
TX 77010
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request
Comptroller of the Currency Disclosure Officer Mail Stop 3-2 Washington, DC 20219
General Correspondence
Comptroller of the Currency Administrator of National Banks Washington, DC 20219
When making an inquiry, request
or complaint that requires follow-up: If you are making
an inquiry or request or filing a complaint that warrants supervisory or other
attention, we may need to share your information with others.
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We may need to bring your correspondence to the
attention of our attorneys, examiners, or other staffs as appropriate.
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If necessary to address the issue, we may need to share
your correspondence with other federal, state, or local agencies responsible
for administrating or enforcing laws, rules, or regulations or for
investigating known or suspected violations of laws, rules, or regulations,
such as the Justice Department or state bank regulators.
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Under limited circumstances, such as a request from
Congress or a private individual acting with appropriate legal authority, we
may be required by law to disclose information you submit.
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If you file a complaint about a national bank or its
affiliate, we typically provide your customer identification information along
with the complaint to the affected bank. This information is usually necessary
for the bank to be able to investigate and correct a problem. In turn, a bank
sometimes provides the OCC additional information about you when it responds to
our inquiry. All of this information is securely retained in OCC records.
If you do not want your identity disclosed to the
bank, it may be difficult to resolve your problem, but we will make every
effort to assist you. Please state this clearly in your complaint, and submit
your complaint to us in writing.
Security
For site security purposes
and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, we
employ software programs to monitor network traffic to identify
unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause
damage. Anyone using this system expressly consents to such monitoring and is
advised that if such monitoring reveals evidence of possible abuse or criminal
activity, such evidence may be provided to appropriate law enforcement
officials. Unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise
cause damage, on this server are strictly prohibited and may be punishable by
law, including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National
Information Infrastructure Protection Act of 1996.
Privacy Impact Assessments
Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) are performed on computer systems and applications in order to evaluate any risks systems may pose to personally identifiable information. To view a PIA and/or to print one using your browser, go to our Privacy Impact Assessments page.
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