Picture it Downtown

Purpose

The purpose of the statement is to inform users of this site with regard to the collection and use of personally identifiable information. The following is not intended and should not be interpreted as a contract of any nature, either stated or implied.

Definition of Personally Identifiable Information

For the purposes of this statement "personally identifiable information" means any information relating to an identified or identifiable individual who is the subject of the information.

Providing Personally Identifiable Information

Citizens do not have to routinely provide personal information to visit the Picture it Downtown portal or to download information. Government agencies may request personally identifiable information from you in order to provide requested specialized services, but such information is handled as it would be on an in-person visit to a government office.

Personally Identifiable Information Available

The IP (Internet Protocol) numbers of computers (servers) used to visit sites are noted as part of our statistical analysis on use of our web sites so we may better design services and improve access to them. However, the site does not attempt to gain personally identifiable information on individual users and associate them with IP addresses.

Restrictions on the disclosure of customer information

Our users are important to us. We do not sell or rent our users' information to any outside company or organization. We do not reveal specific information about users or other personally identifiable data to unaffiliated third parties for their independent use, except if required to do so by law. We endeavor to ensure that we collect only the minimum amount of information needed to meet the purpose for which the network was created – specifically the photo contest.

Other Web Sites

Various Web sites may be linked through the portal. Visitors to those sites are advised to check the privacy statements of these sites and be cautious about providing personally identifiable information without a clear understanding of how the information will be used. Visitors may also wish to consult privacy guidelines such as those recommended by the Online Privacy Alliance.

Use, collection, and retention of customer information at the City of Ottawa Portal

For each visitor, we may collect information about the Internet Protocol (IP) address, type browser used, the date and time of the visit, and the IP addresses of the locations to which the visitor linked during his or her visit to our Web site. This information is strictly used for statistical reporting purposes.

We only collect, retain and use personal information where we believe it is essential (and allowed by law) to administer our business and to provide products, services and other opportunities requested by our customers.

Method of data collection

To collect data for statistical reporting purposes in order to improve our Web site, we are presently using an analytics software package called Google Analytics. We do not tie the data that is gathered by this software to any personally identifiable information and your anonymity and privacy is protected at all times. This data is collected by the Google Analytics software and produces reports that the owners of Picture it Downtown uses to improve its site.The information on Google privacy policies, please review http://www.google.com/analytics/tos.html and http://www.google.com/privacypolicy.html.

We also use session-based cookies on the web site to process requested services (e.g. photo contest registration). A session-based cookie is a small file that stores information, but is discarded when the user exits the browser. The owners of this Web site use this method in order to collect data that is not personally identifiable, ensuring that it is used for statistical reporting purposes only.

Restrictions on the disclosure of customer information

We do not sell or rent our users' information to any outside company or organization. We do not reveal specific information about users or other personally identifiable data to unaffiliated third parties for their independent use, except if required to do so by law.

As outlined in the Picture it Downtown contest Rules and Regulations, contact information of winners will be given to representatives of the Business Improvement Areas so that awarding of prizes may occur.
Protection of information via established security procedures.

Improvements in internet security occasionally cause older browsers to be unable to connect to www.pictureitdowntown.ca. This is for the protection of our users. If your browser is unable to make a secure connection, please consider upgrading your browser if you wish to access protected content.

Limiting employee access to information

Our director limits employee access to personally identifiable information to only those employees who need access in order to perform their assigned duties. The director is instructed to enforce with its staff their responsibilities in protecting subscriber's information.

Freedom of Information (FOI)

The owners of this Web site endeavor to make its information accessible to the public. Some records however contain information that is either privileged or of a personal nature. The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act compels the municipality to review such documents prior to their disclosure. Request to access such records requires a written request.