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The ODR is committed to protecting the privacy and security of users to its website.  Users are not required to provide personal information to access content on the ODR website.  If a user chooses to provide personal information, such as by sending a message to an email address on the ODR website or filling out and submitting a form, the ODR will use that information to respond to the user’s message or provide the user the information requested by the communication.  Any email address provided in connection with the user’s communication will not be publicly viewable on the ODR’s website.

Information Collected and Stored Automatically

When a user accesses information on the ODR website, the following basic information is automatically collected and stored for statistical analyses in an effort to provide technical improvements to the site and provide users with the best possible experience:

  • The internet domain from which the user accesses the ODR website
  • The Internet Protocol (IP) Address (which is a number automatically assigned to a computer when using the internet”) from which a user accesses the ODR website
  • The type of browser and operating system used to access the ODR website
  • The date and time a user accesses the ODR website
  • The internet address of the website from which a user linked directly to the ODR website
  • The pages the user visits and the information requested by the user

This information that is collected and stored is used to measure the number of visitors to the various pages of the ODR website, assess what information is of most and least interest to the public, and identify system performance or problem areas.

Website Measurement and Customization Technologies/Cookies

The ODR uses web measurement and customization technologies, commonly known as “cookies”, to track user’s activities on its website.  Cookies are small bits of text that are downloaded to a user’s internet browser when the user accesses a website.  Cookies are generally used to recognize a user’s computer in the future.

The ODR uses per session cookies for technical purposes, such as providing streamlined navigation and statistical analysis.  A per session cookie is a line of text that is stored temporarily in the memory cache of a user’s web browser and is destroyed when a user completes a session or exits the website.  Session cookies are not stored in the hard drive of the user’s computer and do not gather personally-identifying information.

The ODR also uses persistent cookies to enable Google Analytics to measure how new and returning users interact with its website.  Persistent cookies remain on the hard drive of the user’s computer after the user completes a session and between sessions.

Users can disable or remove cookies from their browser and still access information on the ODR website.

Policy Regarding Links to Third-Party Websites and Applications

The ODR uses third-party websites, including social media platforms with official ODR accounts, to interact with members of the public, enhance the user experience, and promote access to information.  The third-party service provider’s terms of service and policies, including its privacy policy, govern users’ activities on the third-party website or application.  The ODR does not use third-party websites to solicit and collect personal information and does not control what the third-party service provider does with the information it collects.  Any personal information collected by a third-party website will not be transmitted to the ODR unless required for law enforcement purposes or as otherwise permitted by law.

The creation and use of official ODR accounts on social media platforms may cause personally-identifying information to become available or accessible to the ODR.  Such personally identifying information becomes available when a user communicates, links, posts or associates information with the official ODR account, for example, by “liking”, “friending”, commenting on posts, or responding to tweets.  The ODR will not otherwise collect or maintain personally identifying information made available on third-party websites or applications with official ODR accounts.  The ODR also does not control, moderate, or endorse the comments or opinions provided by users on official ODR accounts.

The ODR website also contains links to websites created and maintained by other public and private organizations.  The ODR provides these links as a service to users.  When users link to a third-party website, they are leaving the ODR website and are no longer protected by the ODR privacy policy.  Instead, users linking to third-party websites are subject to the third-party provider’s terms of service and policies.  The ODR is not responsible for and does not endorse the terms of service, privacy policy, other policies, or content of the third-party websites.  Users are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the third-party’s terms and policies.