• The USITC posts on its World Wide Web site a “Privacy Policy” in accordance with Section 208 of the E-Government Act of 2002, 44 U.S.C. § 3501 note. USITC Privacy Policy.
• The USITC publishes in the Federal Register descriptions of the systems of records it maintains under the Privacy Act, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 552a(e)(4). USITC System of Records Notice, published June 19, 2006 (71 Fed. Reg. 35294). USITC Revised System of Records Notice, published June 26, 2007 (72 Fed. Reg. 35068).
• The USITC prepares Privacy Impact Assessments in accordance with Section 208 of the E-Government Act of 2002, 44 U.S.C. § 3501 note. USITC Privacy Impact Assessments.
• The USITC informs individuals whom it asks to provide information subject to the Privacy Act about how it will gather and use such information, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 552a(e)(3). Most of the Privacy Act information gathered by the agency relates to agency employees, and its handling is described internally within the agency. The following describes how information from non-USITC individuals is gathered and used. Gathering and Using Privacy Act Information.
  
  

Your Visit to the USITC Website

Your visit to the USITC website is private and secure. When you visit the USITC website, we do not collect any personally identifiable information (PII) about you, unless you choose to explicitly provide it to us. We do, however, collect some data about your visit to our website to help us better understand public use of the site and to make it more useful to visitors. This page describes the information that is automatically collected and stored.

How USITC Collects Information

When you browse through any website, certain information about your visit can be collected. USITC uses the WebTrends Web Analytics programs to collect information automatically and continuously. We use this information to measure the number of visitors to our site and its various sections and to distinguish between new and returning visitors to help make our site more useful to visitors. However, no personally identifiable information (PII) is collected.

The USITC staff conducts analyses and reports on the aggregated data from the analytics. The reports are only available to USITC website managers, and members of their Web Teams, and other designated staff who require this information to perform their duties.

USITC also uses online surveys to collect opinions and feedback from a random sample of visitors. USITC uses the Foresee Results’ American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) online survey to obtain feedback and data on visitors’ satisfaction with the USITC website. This survey does not collect PII. Participation in the survey is voluntary. If you decline the survey, you will still have access to the identical information and resources on the USITC website as those who take the survey. Answers to the survey help USITC improve its website to make it easier to use and more responsive to the needs of our visitors.

USITC retains the data from WebTrends, and ACSI survey results only as long as required by law or needed to support the mission of the USITC website.

How USITC Uses Cookies

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memo M-10-22, Guidance for Online Use of Web Measurement and Customization Technologies allows Federal ageUSITCesagencies to use session and persistent cookies.

When you visit any website, its server may generate a piece of text known as a "cookie" to place on your computer. The cookie allows the server to "remember" specific information about your visit while you are connected. The cookie makes it easier for you to use the dynamic features of webpages. Requests to send cookies from USITC's webpages are designed to collect information about your browser session only; they do not collect personal information about you.

There are two types of cookies, single session (temporary) and multi-session (persistent). Session cookies last only as long as your Web browser is open. Once you close your browser, the cookie disappears. Persistent cookies are stored on your computer for longer periods (i.e., they are not tied to a single visit to a website).

How Are Temporary "Session” Cookies Used?

We use session cookies for technical purposes such as improving navigation through our website. These cookies let our server know that you are continuing a visit to our website. The "session" cookie is not permanently stored on your computer. The cookie and the information about your visit are automatically destroyed shortly after you close your browser to end the session.

The OMB Memo 10-22 Guidance defines our use of session cookies as "Usage Tier 1—Single Session." The policy says, "This tier encompasses any use of single session Web measurement and customization technologies."

How Are "Persistent Cookies" Used?

The OMB Memo M-10-22, Guidance for Online Use of Web Measurement and Customization Technologies allows Federal agencies to use persistent cookies in addition to temporary session cookies.

We use persistent cookies to help us recognize new and returning visitors to the USITC website. Persistent cookies remain on your computer between visits to the USITC website until they expire. We do not use this technology to identify you or any other individual website visitor.

USITC is running the American Customer Satisfaction Survey (ACSI) on the website, which uses "persistent" cookies to block repeated invitations to take the ACSI survey.

The OMB Memo 10-22 Guidance defines our use of persistent cookies as “Usage Tier 2 – Multi-session without Personally Identifiable Information (PII).” The policy says, “This tier encompasses any use of multi-session Web measurement and customization technologies when no PII is collected.”

How to Opt Out or Disable Cookies

If you do not wish to have session or persistent cookies placed on your computer, you can disable them using your Web browser. If you opt out of cookies, you will still have access to all information and resources the USITC website provides.

Instructions for disabling or opting out of cookies in the most popular browsers are located at http://www.usa.gov/optout_instructions.shtml. Please note that by following the instructions to opt out of cookies, you will disable cookies from all sources, not just those from USITC's website.