Privacy statement
The Region of Peel is committed to respecting your privacy and protecting your personal information. This Privacy Statement explains the current information management practices on our websites.
Our commitment
We are committed to protecting your privacy whether you are browsing for information or conducting business with the Region of Peel through electronic channels. The handling of all personal information by Region of Peel programs is governed by the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA).
Health Information Custodians under the Region of Peel also ensure that your personal health information is private, confidential and secure through the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA).
When you visit our websites, we will not collect your personal information unless you choose to use and receive online products and services that require it. For transactions with Region of Peel programs involving credit cards, Region of Peel systems use up-to-date security protocols to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of information and systems.
As a Region of Peel website visitor, you will not receive phone calls, correspondence or e-mails from the Region on any subject other than those for which you asked to be contacted.
You have a choice
If you choose not to use the Internet to provide personal information to a Region of Peel program, you can contact the program telephone, fax, mail or in person. (Not all options may be available in every situation.)
Cookies
Some Region of Peel websites use cookies. Cookies are generally used to make it more convenient for users to move around our websites. If you choose, they may be used to 'remember' your password and make it easier and faster to log-in to certain sites. These types of cookies need to be stored on your computer's hard drive. Cookies used by the Region of Peel are encrypted to make the information in cookies unreadable to anyone except the Region of Peel program with which you are dealing.
Web analytics
In order to serve you better, we use web analytics services including Google Analytics and Webtrends to help analyze the use of our websites. These tools use cookies to collect and generate information about your visits to our sites (including your IP address) that is transmitted to their servers in an anonymous form for processing. We study patterns of website activity so we can improve the experience of visitors to our sites.
The use of these tools does not allow us or our analytics service providers to identify individuals.
You can opt-out of analytics activity by setting your browser to notify you when a cookie is sent and block analytics cookies if desired. Please consult your browser's Help Menu for instructions. Visiting our website with analytics cookies disabled will have no significant impact on your browsing experience.
Google currently offers a free Google Analytics opt-out tool for Internet Explorer (versions 7 and 8), Google Chrome (4.x and higher), and Mozilla Firefox (3.5 and higher).
Privacy statement details
Thank you for visiting a Region of Peel website and reviewing our online Privacy Statement in detail. Respecting your privacy and protecting your personal information in an online environment is a priority for us. The Region of Peel's management of personal information is governed by the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Service providers under contract to provide online services on behalf of the Region of Peel must follow the practices required of Region of Peel programs.
This Privacy Statement explains our current practices regarding what Region of Peel programs may collect, use, and secure when you visit our websites. In addition, some Region of Peel programs may post further detailed statements related to their specific programs. Those statements supplement this Privacy Statement.
Our privacy statement covers the following topics:
What kind of information is collected when you visit our websites?
When you browse or download information from Region of Peel websites, our servers automatically collect limited amounts of standard information for traffic monitoring and statistical purposes. The information is analyzed for operational trends, performance, and for ways to improve our sites. The Region of Peel cannot identify you from this information.
We collect the following standard types of information:
- Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of the computers being used to access our sites
- operating systems and the types and versions of browsers used to access our sites
- Internet Service Providers used by visitors to our sites
- dates and times users access our sites
- pages visited
- keywords users enter into our search engine
- names and sizes of files requested
Region of Peel websites collect the above noted information to provide citizens with access to information and services available on our websites. The Region of Peel's computer systems use hardware and software to anonymously monitor unauthorized attempts to upload or change information at Region of Peel websites, disrupt service, or otherwise cause damage. As a general practice, we make no attempt to link this information with the identity of individuals visiting our sites. If an attempt to damage our site has been detected, we can take further actions.
What happens when you send us personal information online?
You may choose to provide us with personal information such as your name, address, phone number, e-mail address and credit card number, if you wish to:
- submit an e-mail, comment, question or request or subscribe for information online
- request a service, or fill out a registration or form online
- provide feedback, participate in consultations or surveys online
- conduct e-commerce transactions with a program
When you visit a Region of Peel program's website, any personal information you provide will be used to respond to your message and/or provide you with the requested service. The collection of personal information by Region of Peel programs must be in accordance with section 28(2) of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. This section of the Act requires Region of Peel programs to collect only the personal information that is necessary for the administration of a Region of Peel program. At the time the information is collected, you will be informed of the specific purpose for which it is being collected.
How do we use cookies?
Some Region of Peel websites use cookies. A cookie is a small text file sent from a Web server and placed on your computer's hard drive. A cookie is generally used to enhance your browsing experience. You can choose to set your browser to detect and reject cookies, to accept cookies from all sites, or to prompt you whenever a site wants to send you a cookie. Check your browser's "Help" files to learn how to do this. If you choose to refuse cookies, you may not be able to access some of the interactive features on our websites.
Cookies used by the Region of Peel, do not give us access to anything on your hard drive and cannot do anything to your computer. Cookies used by the Region of Peel are encrypted for security purposes to make any information in the cookie unreadable to anyone except the Region of Peel program with which you are dealing. Region of Peel programs use two types of cookies: session cookies (temporary) or persistent cookies (longer-term continuing use).
- session cookies may be used to support on-line feedback/discussion, forms and registration and 'e-commerce/shopping cart' transactions - they are used only during your online session and expire when you close your browser. Without session cookies, moving around our Web sites could be much slower
- persistent cookies are different from session cookies because they are stored on your computer's hard drive for some length of time - they are usually used if you want us to remember information about your Web preferences (e.g. large font) and passwords for automatic log-in purposes
Further information on 'cookies' is at the website of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario: If you wanted to know…What to do about Cookies.
Who is accountable for the protection of privacy?
Council has appointed the Regional Clerk as the "head" of the institution for the purposes of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act . The Clerk has delegated the responsibilities of the day-to-day administration of MFIPPA to the Access to Information and Privacy program. The Act requires the Region of Peel to protect the personal information in its possession. The Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) oversees whether Region of Peel complies with the access and privacy provisions of MFIPPA by investigating privacy complaints and hearing appeals regarding access decisions made by the Region of Peel.
Security
The Region of Peel's security practices are continually evolving to ensure that the integrity and confidentiality of information and systems are maintained. The Region of Peel uses up-to-date security safeguards to protect its networks and websites from misuse, alteration, copying, disclosure, destruction, monitoring or unauthorized sharing of information and damage. The Region of Peel's safeguards include the use of security software and encryption protocols and involve physical, technical and procedural controls to protect information behind the Region of Peel firewall.
How can I access and correct my personal information?
Some Region of Peel online services may provide the ability for Internet users to correct their own information online. Individuals also have a right to access their personal information that is held by a Region of Peel program by making an access request under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Access is subject to limits and exceptions outlined in MFIPPA.
For more information on the process for accessing your personal information, you may wish to view the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) website: Accessing Personal Information. You can request that Region of Peel programs correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
What steps can I take to protect my online activities?
Users are encouraged to learn about protecting their own computers to ensure that their online activities remain private. One place to start for tips on home network security is a Question and Answer sheet produced by the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute – CERT Coordination Center.
Who can I contact if I have received an email that I do not want, or if I want more information?
If you receive email from the Region of Peel that you do not want, you may withdraw your consent at any time. Email our digital team or contact us by mail via the address below.
Questions or comments regarding these practices or the administration of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act in Region of Peel programs, may be directed to the Manager, Access to Information and Privacy Region of Peel, by calling 905-791-7800 or writing to:
Office of the Regional Clerk,
Access to Information and Privacy
10 Peel Centre Drive, Suite A, 5th Floor,
Brampton, ON L6T 4B9