Privacy Policy

Thank you for visiting the Department of Justice's Web site and reviewing our Privacy Policy. We remind you that if you link to a site outside of the Department of Justice, you are subject to the policies of the new site.

PRIVACY

Here is how we handle information about your visit to our Web site:

A. Information Collected and Stored Automatically

If you visit our site to read or download information, we collect and store the following information about your visit:

• The name of the Internet domain (for example, "xcompany.com" if you use a private Internet access account, or "yourschool.edu" if you are connecting from a university's domain) and the IP address (a number that is automatically assigned to your computer when you are using the Internet) from which you access our site;
• The type of browser and operating system used to access our site;
• The date and time you access our site;
• The Internet address of the Web site from which you linked directly to our site; and
• The pages you visit and the information you request.

This information is primarily collected for statistical analysis and technical improvements to the site. This government computer system uses software programs to create summary statistics, which may be used for such purposes as assessing what information is of most and least interest, determining technical design specifications, and identifying system performance or problem areas. In certain circumstances, however, we may take additional steps to identify you based on this information and we may share this information, including your identity, with other government agencies.

B. If You Send Us Personal Information

You do not have to provide any personal information to visit this Web site. If you choose to provide us with personal information, such as by sending a message to an e-mail address on this Web site or by filling out a form and submitting it through our Web site, we will use that information to respond to your message or to fulfill the stated purpose of the communication. If you submit your resume to us electronically we will use your personal information to consider your application for employment. The Department of Justice does not collect or use information for commercial marketing.

We may share information you give us with contractors acting on our behalf or with another government agency if your inquiry relates to that agency. In other limited circumstances, such as responses to requests from Congress and private individuals, we may be required by law to disclose information you submit. If you provide comments in response to a request for public comments we may make those comments as well as your identity available to the public in a publication or by posting them on our Web site. Where possible we may give you more specific guidance at the point of collection regarding how your personal information may be used or disclosed.

Electronically submitted information is maintained and destroyed according to the principles of the Federal Records Act and the regulations and records schedules of the National Archives and Records Administration, and in some cases may be covered by the Privacy Act and subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). A discussion of the FOIA can be found at http://www.justice.gov/oip/foia_guide09.htm and a discussion about the Privacy Act can be found at http://www.justice.gov/opcl/privacyact1974.htm.

Remember that e-mail is not necessarily secure against interception. If your communication is sensitive or includes personal information you may prefer to send it by postal mail instead.

C. Children and Privacy on Forfeiture.Gov

The Department of Justice is especially concerned about protecting children's privacy. We hope parents and teachers are involved in children’s Internet explorations. It is particularly important for parents to guide their children when children are asked to provide personal information online. The Department’s Kids' Page does not require children to reveal any information that could personally identify them. If a child chooses to provide personally identifying information to us, through an e-mail or otherwise, it will only be used to enable us to respond to the writer, and will not be retained.

D. Website Measurement and Customization Technologies (e.g. Cookies)

Website measurement and customization technologies (commonly called "cookies") are small bits of text that are either used for the duration of a session ("session cookies"), or saved on a user's hard drive in order to identify that user, or information about that user, the next time the user logs on to a Web site ("persistent cookies"). The Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-10-22, Guidance for Online Use of Web Measurement and Customization Technologies defines conditions under which Federal agencies may use session and persistent cookies and categorizes them in "tiers" to identify their characteristics. You may control permissions for cookies on this or any other website by adjusting your individual browser settings for customized privacy protection – see http://www.usa.gov/optout-instructions.shtml for helpful guidance. You can still use our Web site if you do not accept the cookies, but you may be unable to use certain cookie-dependent features.

Session cookies
Session cookies are not stored on your computer's hard drive, and are removed when you complete your session or exit the site. Some Department websites use these "Tier 1" session cookies to provide streamlined navigation and statistical analysis. No personally identifying information is gathered.

Persistent cookies
Certain Department websites use "Tier 2" persistent cookies that remain on your computer's hard drive after you complete an activity. For example, some Department websites use persistent cookies in association with a voluntary customer satisfaction survey conducted by a third party, Foresee ResultsTM. These surveys obtain feedback and data regarding visitors' satisfaction with our websites, but they do not collect any personally identifying information. If you are randomly selected to participate in this survey, a persistent cookie is stored on your computer's hard drive for 90 days to preclude a new invitation during that time. Some Department websites also use persistent cookies to enable a Google Analytics or Webtrends program to measure how new and returning visitors use our websites over time. These persistent cookies do not collect any personally identifying information, and the information that is collected is only used to improve our websites.

E. Visiting Official Department of Justice Pages on Third-Party Websites

The Department of Justice is pleased to participate in open, un-moderated forums offered by third-party websites in order to increase government transparency, promote public participation and encourage collaboration with the Department. We currently maintain official Department of Justice accounts on several third-party websites (e.g., Facebook, YouTube and Twitter).

Your activity on third-party websites is governed by the security and privacy policies of the third-party sites. You may wish to review the privacy policies of the sites before using them in order to understand how the information you make available on those sites will be used. Please note that the Department does not control, moderate or endorse the comments or opinions provided by visitors to these sites. In addition, the Department does not collect or maintain information posted there. Visit our Contact Page for information on how to send official correspondence to the Attorney General or the Department of Justice.

F. Links to External Sites

The Department’s websites may contain links to websites created and maintained by other public and/or private organizations. We provide these links as a service to visitors to our site. When you follow a link to an external site, you are leaving the Department of Justice and are subject to the privacy and security policies of the external site.

SECURITY

For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, this Government computer system employs 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 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.

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