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Home > Privacy and Security

Privacy and Security

Official information and services from the U.S. government

Política de privacidad: Vea esta tema en español

Thanks for visiting the USA.gov website and reviewing our privacy policy. Our privacy policy is plain and simple. We collect NO personal information, like names or addresses, when you visit our website. If you choose to provide that information to us, it's only used to fulfill your request for information.

We do collect some technical information when you visit to make your visit seamless. The section below explains how we handle and collect technical information when you visit our website.


Information Collected and Stored Automatically

When you browse, read pages, or download information on USA.gov, we automatically gather and store certain technical information about your visit. This information never identifies who you are. The information we collect and store about your visit is listed below:

  • The Internet domain (for example, "xcompany.com" if you use a private Internet access account, or "yourschool.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're surfing the web) from which you access our website;

  • The type of browser (such as Firefox, Netscape, or Internet Explorer) and operating system (Windows, Unix) used to access our site;

  • The date and time you access our site;

  • The pages you visit; and,

  • If you linked to the USA.gov website from another website, the address of that website.

This information is only used to help us make the site more useful for you. With this data, we learn about the number of visitors to our site and the types of technology our visitors use. We never track or record information about individuals and their visits.

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Cookies

When you visit some websites, their web servers generate pieces of information known as cookies. Some cookies collect personal information to recognize your computer in the future.

USA.gov has a permit from the Office of Management and Budget allowing us to use persistent or "blocking" cookies within the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) survey.

The survey is delivered randomly to USA.gov visitors as a pop up questionnaire. Answers to the survey help the staff at USA.gov improve the site -- making it easier to use and more responsive to the needs of our visitors.

Cookies will:

  • Block the repeated delivery of the survey either in the current visit or in any subsequent visit
  • Record only that the visitor had the opportunity to answer the survey questions
  • Expire 45 days after being set
  • Reduce the burden on visitors to the site by avoiding repeated delivery of the pop-up survey


Cookies will not:

  • Collect any information about visitors
  • Track the Web surfing activities of visitors
  • Indicate whether a visitor answered any questions
  • Link a particular visitor to any response or set of responses


You may adjust the settings on your web browser to refuse cookies, or you may delete the cookie whenever you wish. Refusing or removing the cookie will not impact your visit to USA.gov, except that you may experience repeated delivery of the USA.gov ACSI survey.

USA.gov also uses per-session cookies to serve technical purposes, like providing seamless navigation through USA.gov. These cookies do not permanently record data and they are not stored on your computer's hard drive. USA.gov's per-session cookies are stored in memory and are only available during an active browser session. When you close your browser, the per-session cookie disappears.


If You Send Us Personal Information

We do not collect personal information for any purpose other than to respond to you (for example, to respond to your questions or provide subscriptions you have chosen). If you choose to provide us with personal information—like filling out a Contact Us form, with an e-mail address and zip code, and submitting it to us through the website—we use that information to respond to your message, and to help get you the information you've requested. We only share the information you give us with another government agency if your question relates to that agency, or as otherwise required by law. USA.gov never collects information or creates individual profiles for commercial marketing.

While you must provide an e-mail address and zip code for a localized response to any incoming questions or comments to USA.gov, we recommend that you NOT include any other personal information, especially Social Security numbers. The Social Security Administration offers additional guidance on sharing your Social Security number.


Site Security

  • For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, this government computer system employs commercial software programs to monitor network traffic 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 for no other purposes and are scheduled for regular destruction in accordance with National Archives and Records Administration guidelines.

  • Unauthorized attempts to upload information or change information on this service are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act.
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USA.gov Linking Policy

USA.gov links to many websites created and maintained by other public and/or private organizations. USA.gov provides these links as a service to our users. When users link to an outside website, they are leaving the USA.gov site and are subject to the privacy and security policies of the owners/sponsors of the outside website(s). Be sure to review the USA.gov Linking Policy.


Prohibitions

USA.gov will not link to any website that exhibits hate, bias, or discrimination. Furthermore, USA.gov reserves the right to deny or remove any link that contains misleading information or unsubstantiated claims, or is determined to be in conflict with USA.gov's mission or policies.


Disclaimer of Endorsement

The information posted on the USA.gov website includes hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and/or private organizations. USA.gov provides these links and pointers solely for our users' information and convenience. When users select a link to an outside website, they are leaving the USA.gov site and are subject to the privacy and security policies of the owners/sponsors of the outside website.

  • The General Services Administration (GSA) and USA.gov do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of information contained on a linked website.

  • GSA and USA.gov do not endorse the organizations sponsoring linked websites and we do not endorse the views they express or the products/services they offer.

  • GSA and USA.gov cannot authorize the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked websites. Users must request such authorization from the sponsor of the linked website.

  • GSA and USA.gov are not responsible for transmissions users receive from linked websites.

  • GSA and USA.gov do not guarantee that outside websites comply with Section 508 (accessibility requirements) of the Rehabilitation Act.
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Page Last Reviewed or Updated: March 25, 2009