Privacy Policy

Consistent with the provisions of the Internet Security and Privacy Act, the Freedom of Information Law, and the Personal Privacy Protection Law, this policy describes OPDV privacy practices regarding information collected from users of this Web site. This policy describes what information is collected and how that information is used. Because this privacy policy only applies to this Web site, you should examine the privacy policy of any Web site, including other state agency Web sites, that you access using this Web site.

For purposes of this policy, "personal information" means any information concerning a natural person, as opposed to a corporate entity, which, because of name, number, symbol, mark, or other identifier, can be used to identify that natural person. OPDV only collects personal information about you when you provide that information voluntarily by sending an e-mail or by initiating an online transaction, such as a survey, registration or order form.

When visiting this Web site OPDV automatically collects and stores the following information about your visit:

• The Internet Protocol Address but not the e-mail address and domain name used. The Internet Protocol Address is a numerical identifier assigned either to your Internet service provider or directly to your computer.
• The date and time you visited this site.
• If you downloaded a form, the form that was downloaded.
• If you send an e-mail, your e-mail address and the contents of your message will be collected. The information collected is not limited to text characters and may include audio, video, and graphic information formats included in the message. Your e-mail address and the information included in your message will be used to respond to you, to address issues you identify, to improve this Web site, or to forward your message to another State agency for appropriate action. Your e-mail address is not collected for commercial purposes and OPDV is not authorized to sell or otherwise disclose your e-mail address for commercial purposes.
• If you initiate a transaction such as a survey, registration or order form, information, including personal information, volunteered by you in initiating the transaction is used by OPDV to operate OPDV programs, which include the provision of goods, services and information. The information collected by OPDV may be disclosed by OPDV for those purposes that may be reasonably ascertained from the nature and terms of the transaction in connection with which the information was submitted by you.

OPDV does not knowingly collect personal information from children or create profiles of children through this Web site. Users are cautioned, however, that the collection of personal information submitted in an e-mail or through an online transaction will be treated as though it was submitted by an adult, and may, unless exempted from access by federal or State law, be subject to public access. OPDV strongly encourages parents and teachers to be involved in children's Internet activities and to provide guidance whenever children are asked to provide personal information online.

OPDV does not collect any personal information about you during your visit to this Web site unless you provide that information voluntarily by sending an e-mail or initiating an online transaction such as a survey, registration, or order form. You may choose not to send us an e-mail, respond to a survey, or complete an order form. While your choice not to participate in these activities may limit your ability to receive specific services or products through this Web site, it will not prevent you from requesting information, services or products from OPDV by other means and will not normally have an impact on your ability to take advantage of other features of the Web site, including browsing or downloading most publicly available information.

The information collected is retained by OPDV in accordance with the records retention and disposition requirements of the New York State Arts & Cultural Affairs Law. Information on the requirements of the Arts & Cultural Affairs Law may be found at the New York State Archives website.

In general, the Internet services logs of OPDV, comprising electronic files or automated logs created to monitor access and use of Agency services provided through this Web site, are retained for three years and then destroyed. Information, including personal information, that you submit in an e-mail or when you initiate an online transaction such as a survey, registration form, or order form is retained in accordance with the records retention and disposition schedule established for the records of the program unit to which you submitted the information. Information concerning these records retention and disposition schedules may be obtained through the Internet privacy policy contact listed in this policy.

Any user may submit a request to OPDV Privacy Compliance Officer to determine whether personal information pertaining to that user has been collected through this Web site. Any such request shall be made in writing to the address below and must be accompanied by reasonable proof of identity of the user. Reasonable proof of identity may include verification of a signature, inclusion of an identifier generally known only to the user, or similar appropriate identification.

The address of the OPDV Privacy Compliance officer is:

OPDV Privacy Compliance Officer Legal Bureau New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Alfred E. Smith Building 80 South Swan Street, 11th Floor Room Number 1157 Albany, NY 12210

The OPDV Privacy Compliance Officer shall, within five (5) business days of the date of the receipt of a proper request: (i) provide access to the personal information; (ii) deny access in writing, explaining the reasons therefore; or (iii) acknowledge the receipt of the request in writing, stating the approximate date when the request will be granted or denied, which date shall not be more than thirty (30) days from the date of the acknowledgment In the event that OPDV has collected personal information pertaining to a user through the state agency Web site and that information is to be provided to the user pursuant to the user's request, the privacy compliance officer shall inform the user of his or her right to request that the personal information be amended or corrected under the procedures set forth in section 95 of the Public Officers Law.

OPDV is strongly committed to protecting personal information collected through this Web site against unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. Consequently, OPDV limits employee access to personal information collected through this Web site to only those employees who need access to the information in the performance of their official duties. Employees who have access to this information are required to follow appropriate procedures in connection with any disclosures of personal information.

In addition, OPDV has implemented procedures to safeguard the integrity of its information technology assets, including, but not limited to, authentication, monitoring, auditing, and encryption. These security procedures have been integrated into the design, implementation, and day-to-day operations of this Web site as part of our continuing commitment to the security of electronic content as well as the electronic transmission of information.

For Web site security purposes and to maintain the availability of the Web site for all users, OPDV employs software to monitor traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise damage this Web site.

The information provided in this privacy policy should not be construed as giving business, legal, or other advice, or warranting as fail proof, the security of information provided through this Web site.

Linked Site Disclaimer

OPDV provides many links to other Web sites. These links are provided as a convenient way for the public to obtain additional data from other resources. Once you link to another Web site from this Web site, including one maintained by the State, you are subject to the terms and conditions of that Web site, including, but not limited to, its privacy policy. OPDV does not warrant the privacy policies, accessibility, content, or links provided by such sites.

For questions regarding this Internet privacy policy, please contact:

Via E-Mail:

Privacy Compliance Officer at: PrivacyComopdv.ny.gov

Via Mail:

Legal Bureau New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Alfred E. Smith Building 80 South Swan Street, 11th Floor Room Number 1157 Albany, NY 12210