Scope

This privacy policy describes the information we collect via the website of BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner (BCOHRC), and how we collect and use that information.

Personal information

Personal information is recorded information about an identifiable individual. Personal information includes things such as an individual’s name, address, birth date, email address and phone number.

Collection

BCOHRC is responsible for promoting and protecting human rights through education, research, policy development and public investigations into issues of systemic discrimination in the province. BCOHRC collects personal information for the purpose of operating its programs in support of its legislated mandate, particularly for the purpose of assisting individuals, public bodies and organizations. BCOHRC is authorized to collect personal information via this web site under section 26(c) of Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), for the purposes described above.

When you send us electronic mail, we collect your email address and your message so that we may reply to you. We recommend that sensitive personal information not be sent unencrypted over the Internet or by e-mail.

When you visit our website, the web server collects a small amount of information to facilitate its operation. For example, the website search function collects information to remember the information you submitted for the search. IP addresses are collected to identify unauthorized attempts to change information or damage our systems. We do not capture or store personal information such as your name or home address while you visit and use our website.

BCOHRC may collect the following information to assist us with improving the website:

  • The pages accessed on our site and links you clicked on
  • The date and time you visited the site
  • If you use our search tool, the search terms you used
  • The referring site (if any) through which you arrived at this site
  • Your operating system (e.g. Windows XP, Mac OS X)
  • The type of web browser you use (e.g. Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome)

IP addresses are anonymized so that they cannot be used to identify individuals. Our web analytics will also respect any “do not track” setting you might have set on your browser.

Our website may use session cookies which are stored in temporary memory and are not retained after you sign out or close the browser session.

Cookies

A cookie is a small file containing certain pieces of information that a website creates when you visit the site. It can track how and when you use a site, which site you visited immediately before, and it can store that information about you. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. There are two types of cookies, session cookies and persistent cookies. Our website may use session cookies which are stored in temporary memory and are not retained after you sign out or close the browser session.

Use

The BCOHRC only uses the personal information collected from the Web site for the same purpose that it was collected. The BCOHRC will not use your personal information for another purpose without your consent.

Sharing

BCOHRC may only disclose your personal information if it is done for the same purpose that it was collected. BCOHRC will not share your personal information for another purpose unless BCOHRC has your consent to do so. In limited circumstances that are outlined in section 33 of FIPPA, BCOHRC may be required, or authorized, by law to disclose your personal information to another party.

Links

Our website contains links to other sites. When clicking on a link, we encourage you to examine the site’s privacy policy and make your own decision regarding the information provided.

How to contact us

If you have questions about this privacy policy, you can contact our Privacy Officer Carly.Hyman@bchumanrights.ca or toll free via Enquiry BC at 1-800-663-7867. You can also email us at info@bchumanrights.ca.