Ocean County's Privacy Statement

SITES COVERED BY THIS STATEMENT

This Privacy Statement covers the collection and use of data on the Ocean County Website and any affiliated sites managed by Ocean County.

PRIVACY STATEMENT

The County of Ocean analyzes server logs for statistical purposes only and does not use this information to personally identify users. The information we collect is used to improve the content of our web services and help us understand how people are using our services. We analyze our website logs to continually improve the value of the materials available on our site. The information in our website logs is not personally identifiable, and we make no attempt to link it with the individuals that browse our website.

The site does not use cookies nor does it collect information through additional technologies or processes. Note: A cookie file contains text information that is sent to your browser - along with a Web page - when you access a web site. It can be used to track such things as passwords, lists of pages you've visited, and the date when you last looked at a specific page.

Personally Identifiable Information

"Personally identifiable information" is information about a person that is readily identifiable to that specific individual. It includes, for example, an individual's name, street address, e-mail address, or phone number.

Personally identifiable information will not be collected unless you voluntarily send an e-mail message, fill out and send an online form, or fill out personal information and send in a survey. Your choice not to participate in these activities will not impair your ability to access certain information or obtain a service online. Unless specifically protected under state law, any information provided may be inspected by the public or disclosed in a legal proceeding.

E-mail Messages

E-mail messages, sent to any Ocean County Government address, will be treated the same as any other written communication. They may be subject to public inspection or legal disclosure and may be saved for a period of time before they are destroyed. E-mail or other information requests sent to the County web site may be maintained in order to respond to the request, forward that request to the appropriate agency, or to provide the web designer with valuable customer feedback to assist in improving the site. E-mail addresses obtained as a result of a request to the county site will not be sold or given to private companies for marketing purposes.

Electronic Forms

Any other information provided by a visitor at the request of an agency of Ocean County Government, such as the completion and electronic filing of a form, will be considered to be voluntarily provided by the visitor and will be treated in the same manner as information provided in written form or in person during a visit to the agency. Information provided may be subject to public inspection and legal disclosure and may be saved for a period of time before it is destroyed. It may be shared with another public agency or contracted service provider for appropriate action.

Surveys

Surveys will be used for the purpose stated. If personally identifiable information is collected it may be subject to public inspection and legal disclosure and may be saved for a period of time before it is destroyed.

External Links

The County of Ocean links to external web sites in the hope that users will find reference material and information related a particular subject. www.aclink.org is a portal of information about the County of Ocean. We feel that providing external links using the guidelines below will assist the County of Ocean's citizens in finding information that is as comprehensive as possible.

The County's Web site is not intended to function as a public forum. The inclusion of these links should not be construed as an endorsement or sponsorship of these external Web sites, their content, viewpoints, products, services, or their hosts. Additionally, the County shall not be liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of such information. The County specifically disavows legal responsibility for what a user may find on another site or for the personal opinions of individuals posted on any site, whether or not operated by the County. The views and opinions of the authors of documents published on or linked to the County's Web site do not necessarily state or reflect the opinion, policy, or position of the County of Ocean.

When you link to another site, you are subject to the privacy policy of that new site. As stated above, the County of Ocean is not responsible for the content, quality, accuracy or completeness of any off-site materials referenced by or linked through the County's Web site. By using the County's Web site, the user acknowledges and accepts that the County is not responsible for any materials stored on other Web sites, nor is it liable for any inaccurate, defamatory, offensive, or illegal materials found on other Web sites, and that the risk of injury or damage from viewing, hearing, downloading or storing such materials rests entirely with the user.

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.

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.

Disclaimer

The County of Ocean makes every effort to ensure that published information is accurate and current. Neither the County of Ocean, nor any agency, officer, or employee of the County of Ocean warrants the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information published on the County of Ocean website, nor endorses any products or services linked from this system, and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of such information. Portions of the information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at their own risk.

Various websites may be linked through the County of Ocean website. Visitors to those sites are advised to check the privacy statements of those sites and be cautious about providing personally identifiable information without a clear understanding of how the information will be used. This Privacy Statement does not apply to non-County of Ocean websites linked to the County of Ocean website.