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Conditions of Use

Thank you for visiting the State of California’s web site and reviewing our Use Policy. You should also be aware that the State has a privacy policy, also available on this web site. The State wants you know about the collection, use, security, and access to information that may be obtained through use of the State’s web portal. By visiting this web site, you are accepting the policies and practices described in this Notice. This notice covers the following topics:

  • Personal Information and Choice
  • A Special Note about Children
  • Information Collected and How it is Used
  • What Happens to Information You Submit to Us
  • Use of Internet Request for Assistance Form Information
  • Surveys
  • If You Send Us E-mail
  • Order Forms
  • Public Disclosure
  • Automatic Collection of Information/Cookies
  • Security
  • Links to Other Sites
  • Limitation of Liability
  • Ownership
  • Non-Copyright Material

Personal Information and Choice

“Personal information” is information about a natural person that identifies or describes an individual, including, but not limited to, his or her name, social security number, physical description, home address, home telephone number, education, financial matters, and medical or employment history, readily identifiable to that specific individual. A domain name or Internet Protocol address is not considered personal information, however, it is considered “electronically collected personal information”.

According to Government Code § 11015.5, “Electronically collected personal information” means any information that is maintained by an agency that identifies or describes an individual user, including, but not limited to, his or her name, social security number, physical description, home address, home telephone number, education, financial matters, medical or employment history, password, electronic mail address, and information that reveals any network location or identity, but excludes any information manually submitted to a state agency by a user, whether electronically or in written form, and information on or relating to individuals who are users, serving in a business capacity, including, but not limited to, business owners, officers, or principals of that business.

“Electronically collected personal information” we automatically collect includes your domain name or Internet Protocol address, and statistical information about which web pages you visit. If you voluntarily participate in an activity that asks for specific information (i.e. completing a request for assistance, personalizing the content of the web site, sending an e-mail or participating in a survey) more detailed data will be collected. If you choose not to participate in these activities, your choice will in no way affect your ability to use any other feature of the web site.

If any type of personal information is requested on the web site or volunteered by the user, state law, including Information Practices Act of 1977, Government Code Section 11015.5, and the federal Privacy Act of 1974 may protect it. However, this information may be a public record once you provide it, and may be subject to public inspection and copying if not otherwise protected by federal or state law.

Additionally, departments and agencies of the State of California are required to adhere to the Privacy Policy which is also accessible on this web site. Please see Department of General Services Management Memo 00-14, effective January 1, 2001.

A Special Note About Children

Children are not eligible to use services that require submission of personal information and we require that minors (under the age of 18) do not submit any personal information to us. This includes submitting personal information to the State as part of a user profile or personalization profile. If you are a minor, you can use these services only if used together with your parents or guardians. If you are a minor you should seek guidance from your parents.

If the state decides to begin collecting personal information from children, it will notify parents that it is being requested, disclose the reasons for collecting it, and disclose our intended use for it. The state will seek parental consent before collecting any personally identifiable information. If it does collect it, parents may request information on the type of data being collected, view their child’s information and, if they choose, prohibit the state from making further use of their child’s information. The state will not provide personal information about children to third parties.