Policy on privacy
Thank you for visiting the site of the Directeur de l'état civil and for reading its confidentiality policy.
This site places no permanent cookies on the hard disks of visitors’ computers. It places only temporary cookies required for the navigation session under ASP (Active Server Pages). The temporary cookie entered in read-write memory is automatically erased when the visitor leaves the site. Moreover, no personal information is collected without prior consent of the site visitor.
Information sent automatically between computers does not identify you. It is gathered only for technical reasons inherent to navigation on the Internet and is used only for statistical purposes.
Information sent automatically
As soon as you access the www.etatcivil.gouv.qc.ca site, information is exchanged automatically between your computer and the site server without you having to intervene. The following information, which does not identify you personally, is exchanged:
- name of the Internet domain (for example, “xyzcompany.com” if you use a private Internet access account, or “university.edu” if you access through a university, and your IP address (an IP address is the number automatically assigned to your computer by your Internet access provider every time you navigate on the Web) with which you access our site
- type of browser and operating system used to access our site
- date and time that you accessed our site
- pages you visited
- if you reached our site from another site, the address of that site (referring site).
This information exchange is necessary for the server to send you a file compatible with the computer equipment you are using. The Ministère also keeps information needed to record the number of visitors, pages most often visited, technology used by site customers, referencing sites, and countries of origin of site visitors.
If you send us personal information
Under the Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information, the Ministère or public body seeking personal information from you must make sure it is necessary to collect the information (Section 64), identify itself and tell you (extract from Section 65):
- the name and address of the public body on whose behalf the information is being collected
- the use to which the information will be put
- the categories of person who will have access to this information
- whether a reply is compulsory or optional
- consequences of a refusal to reply for the person concerned or, where applicable, for the third party
- the rights of access and correction provided by law.
If you choose to send us personal information – by e-mail or by completing a form – we will use only the information required to answer your mail and take action on it. Electronic mail is handled with the same confidentiality measures as postal mail.
The personal information that you send is communicated to another government body only in cases where your request is addressed to this body or if such communication is required by law. The information is in no way used to build up user profiles nor is it sent to any private body.
Links to other sites
Our site provides links to QuÉbec and other government sites as well as to private bodies. The linked site is displayed in a new window. Be advised that the information exchanged is no longer subject to our confidentiality policy but rather to that of the linked site, where applicable.
If you have any comments or questions, you may use the mail box appearing on all pages of our site.
Reviewed: 2007-05-01
