Terms and Conditions

Privacy Policy

The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP is committed to providing a website that respects the privacy of visitors. This privacy notice summarizes the privacy practices for the Commission's online activities.

All personal information collected by this institution is governed by the Privacy Act. This means that you will be informed of the purpose for which your personal information is being collected and how to exercise your right of access to that information.

Your Privacy and the Internet

The nature of the Internet is such that Web servers automatically collect certain information about a visit to a website, including the visitor's Internet Protocol (IP) address. IP addresses are unique numbers assigned by Internet Service Providers (ISP) to all devices used to access the Internet. Web servers automatically log the IP addresses of visitors to their sites. The IP address, on its own, does not identify an individual. However, in certain circumstances, such as with the co-operation of an ISP for example, it could be used to identify an individual using the site. For this reason, the Government of Canada considers the IP address to be personal information, particularly when combined with other data automatically collected when a visitor requests a Web page, such as the page or pages visited, date and time of the visit.

Unless otherwise noted, the Commission does not automatically gather any specific information from you, such as your name, telephone number or e-mail address. This information is only obtained if you supply it to us voluntarily, usually through contacting us via e-mail or by submitting an online form on this site. In such cases, the information that is received and stored is safeguarded to prevent unauthorized disclosure. The online form is equipped with a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption to ensure a secure connection between the server and an SSL-compatible browser.

Communicating with the Government of Canada

If you choose to send the Commission an e-mail or complete an online form, your personal information is used by the Commission in order to respond to your enquiry or request. The information you provide will be shared with another government institution if your enquiry relates to that institution. The Commission does not use the information to create individual profiles, nor does it disclose the information to anyone other than to those in the federal government who need to provide you with a response. Any disclosure of your personal information is in accordance with the Privacy Act.

Personal information from e-mails or completed online forms is collected pursuant to Part VII of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act (RCMP Act). Such information may be used for statistical, evaluation and reporting purposes, and is included in Personal Information Bank Complaints and Reviews of Complaints (CRCC PPU 005).

Third Party Social Media

The Commission's use of social media serves as an extension of its presence on the Web. Social media accounts are public and are not hosted on Government of Canada servers. Users who choose to interact with us via social media should read the terms of service and privacy policies of these third party service providers and those of any applications you use to access them. The Commission uses Twitter.

Personal information that you provide to the Government of Canada via social media accounts is collected under the authority of Part VII of the RCMP Act. Users are advised not to share personal information through the Commission's social media accounts, including addresses and telephone numbers.

Improving your Experience on the Commission's Website

Digital Markers (including cookies)

A digital marker is a resource created by the visitors' browser in order to remember certain pieces of information for the Web server to reference during the same or any subsequent visit to the website. Examples of digital markers are "cookies" or HTML5 Web storage. Some examples of what digital markers do are as follows:

  • They allow a website to recognize a previous visit each time the visitor accesses the site.
  • They track what information is viewed on a site, which helps website administrators ensure that visitors find what they are looking for.

This website sometimes deposits cookies on visitor's computers. Cookies are a commonly used tool to enable Web developers to fine-tune the site based on user-activity trends. They act as a generic label to allow us to tell how you navigate within our site, which helps us to determine how we might improve it. Cookies are used to help us understand website traffic. Information collected with the assistance of cookies is stored in standard Web server log files, and log reports are generated on a monthly basis. The digital markers used do not allow the Commission to identify individuals.

You may adjust your browser settings to reject digital markers, including cookies, if you so choose. However, it may affect your ability to interact with the Commission's website.

Web Analytics

Web analytics is the collection, analysis, measurement and reporting of data about Web traffic and visits for purposes of understanding and optimizing Web usage. Information in digital markers may be used for the purpose of Web analytics to remember your online interactions with the Commission's website.

When your computer requests a Commission Web page, our institution collects the following types of information for Web analytics:

  • the date and time of the request;
  • the type of browser used;
  • the pages visited.

The Commission uses the information collected for Web analytics internally and retains information for a maximum period of 18 months. After this period, the information must be disposed of in accordance with the Standard on Privacy and Web Analytics and as authorized by the Librarian and Archivist of Canada. The information is not disclosed to an external third party service provider.

Protecting the Security of Government of Canada Websites

The Commission employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. This software receives and records the IP address of the computer that has contacted our website, the date and time of the visit and the pages visited. We make no attempt to link these addresses with the identity of individuals visiting our site unless an attempt to damage the site has been detected.

This information is collected pursuant to section 161 of the Financial Administration Act. The information may be shared with appropriate law enforcement authorities if suspected criminal activities are detected. Such information may be used for network security-related statistical purposes, audit, evaluation, research, planning and reporting, and is included in Personal Information Bank Security Incidents (PSU 939).

Enquiring about these Practices

Any questions, comments, concerns or complaints you may have regarding the administration of the Privacy Act and privacy policies regarding the Commission's Web presence may be directed to our Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator by e-mail to Rochelle.Boudreau@crcc-ccetp.gc.ca, by calling 613-946-5216, or by writing to P.O. Box 1722, Station B, Ottawa, ON K1P 0B3.

If you are not satisfied with the Commission's response to your privacy concern, you may wish to contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner by telephone at 1-800-282-1376.

Providing Content in Our Official Languages

The Official Languages Act, the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations and Treasury Board policy requirements establish when the Commission uses both English and French to provide services to members of the public or communicate with them. We strive to ensure that all information and services on this site are available in both English and French. However, users should be aware that some information from external sources that are not subject to the Official Languages Act is only provided as a convenience and is available only in the language in which it was provided. Information provided in a language other than English or French is only for the convenience of our website visitors.

Linking to Non-Government of Canada Websites

Links to websites not under the control of the Government of Canada are provided solely for the convenience of users. The Commission is not responsible for the accuracy, currency or the reliability of the content. The Commission does not offer any guarantee in that regard and is not responsible for the information found through these links, nor does it endorse the sites and their content.

Visitors should also be aware that information offered by non-Government of Canada sites to which this website links is not subject to the Privacy Act or the Official Languages Act and may not be accessible to persons with disabilities. The information offered may be available only in the language(s) used by the sites in question. With respect to privacy, visitors should research the privacy policies of these non-government websites before providing personal information.

Ownership and Usage of Content Provided on This Site

Materials on this website were produced and/or compiled by the Commission for the purpose of providing Canadians with access to information about the programs and services offered by the Government of Canada. You may use and reproduce the materials as follows:

Non-Commercial Reproduction

Unless otherwise specified, you may reproduce the materials in whole or in part for non-commercial purposes, and in any format, without charge or further permission, provided you do the following:

  • exercise due diligence in ensuring the accuracy of the materials reproduced;
  • indicate both the complete title of the materials reproduced, as well as the author (where available);
  • indicate that the reproduction is a copy of the version available at [URL where original document is available].

Commercial Reproduction

Unless otherwise specified, you may not reproduce materials on this site, in whole or in part, for the purposes of commercial redistribution without prior written permission from the Commission. To obtain permission to reproduce Government of Canada materials on this site for commercial purposes, please use the Commission's online contact form.

Some of the content on this site may be subject to the copyright of another party. Where information has been produced or copyright is not held by Government of Canada, the materials are protected under the Copyright Act, and international agreements. Details concerning copyright ownership are indicated on the relevant page(s). To obtain additional information concerning copyright ownership and restrictions, please contact the Commission.

Reproduction of Government Symbols Notice

The official symbols of the Government of Canada, including the "Canada" wordmark, the Arms of Canada and the flag symbol, may not be reproduced, whether for commercial or non-commercial purposes, without prior written authorization. Request for authorization from the Treasury Board Secretariat may be addressed to:

Federal Identity Program
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
300 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Canada
K1A 0R5
information@fip-pcim.gc.ca

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