Mass Casualty Commission – Website Privacy Statement
This privacy statement is intended to advise you of the collection and use of personal information in connection with the operation of the Mass Casualty Commission website. Information that is collected by the Mass Casualty Commission by other means, including hearings, roundtables and other public meetings, is not subject to this privacy statement.
Authority to collect, use and/or disclose personal information
The Mass Casualty Commission has a mandate to carry out a public inquiry, in accordance with Part I of the Inquiries Act of Canada and the Public Inquiries Act of Nova Scotia, into the mass casualty that took place in Nova Scotia on April 18 and 19, 2020. In connection with that mandate, the Mass Casualty Commission may collect, use and/or disclose information that the Mass Casualty Commission considers necessary or desirable to carry out that mandate, including personal information. Information collected by the Mass Casualty Commission via this website or otherwise is for such purposes.
For more information on the Mass Casualty Commission’s mandate, please see:
Your Privacy and the Internet
Specific personal information, such as your name, phone number or email address, is not automatically gathered on this website. The Mass Casualty Commission would only obtain this type of information if you supply it directly to the Mass Casualty Commission, via email or otherwise.
If you choose to send an email to the Mass Casualty Commission, your personal information may be used in order to respond to your inquiry. The Mass Casualty Commission does not use the information to create individual profiles though it may create lists or records of witnesses or potential witnesses.
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 Mass Casualty Commission 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. Such information will only be used to carry out the mandate of the Mass Casualty Commission.
Third-Party Social Media
The Mass Casualty Commission’s use of social media serves as an extension of its presence on the Web. Social media account(s) are public and are not hosted on the Mass Casualty Commission’s servers. Users who choose to interact with the Mass Casualty Commission via social media should read the terms of service and privacy policies of these third-party service providers and those of any applications used to access them.
Improving your Experience on This 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 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 visitor who has previously accessed the site;
- they track what content is viewed on a site which helps website administrators ensure visitors find what they are looking for.
The Mass Casualty Commission website uses sessional and persistent digital markers on its website. During your on-line visit, your browser exchanges data with the Mass Casualty Commission’s Web server. The digital markers used do not allow the Mass Casualty Commission’s website to identify individuals and do not contain personal information.
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 Mass Casualty 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 in conjunction with computer request data to identify and track your online interactions with the Mass Casualty Commission website.
The Mass Casualty Commission uses Google Analytics and log file analysis to improve the website experience. When your computer requests a Web page, the following types of information are collected and used for Web analytics:
- the originating IP address
- the date and time of the request
- the type of browser used
- the page(s) visited
- referral website
If you wish, you may opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics by disabling or refusing the cookies; by disabling JavaScript within your browser; or by using the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On. Disabling Google Analytics or JavaScript will still permit you to access comparable information or services from our websites. However, if you disable your session cookie option, you will still be able to access our public website, but you might have difficulties accessing any secure services (if available).
Data collected for Web analytics purposes goes outside of Canada to Google servers and may be processed in any country where Google operates servers. Data may be subject to the governing legislation of that country. For further information about Google Analytics, please refer to the Google Analytics terms of service.
Inquiries About This Privacy Statement
Should you have any questions or concerns regarding this information or the privacy practices of the Mass Casualty Commission, please contact us by emailing info@masscasualtycommission.ca