Privacy Policy

Thank you for visiting the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Office of Inspector General (OIG) website. This privacy policy explains how we handle information we learn about you from your visit to our site.

Our privacy policy clearly outlines the following:

  • We do not collect personally identifiable information (PII) about you unless you choose to provide that information to us. If you choose to provide us with additional information about yourself through an e-mail message, form, survey, etc., we will retain the information only as long as needed to respond to your question or to fulfill the stated purpose of the communication.
  • Any PII you choose to provide will be maintained in accordance with Federal privacy requirements. We disclose personal information about those using this site or our social media platforms only when consistent with the Privacy Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-570), the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552), and other Federal privacy requirements.
  • Non-PII information related to your visit to our website may be automatically collected and temporarily stored. We use analytical software to collect and aggregate this information to create reports and analyses, which are used to help us make our site more useful to visitors. These data and reports are available only to OIG web managers and other designated OIG staff who require this information to perform their duties.

Types of Information Collected

We automatically collect and temporarily store the following information about your visit:

  • The internet domain and Internet Protocol (IP) address from which you access our website;
  • The type of browser and operating system used to access our site;
  • The date and time you access our site; and
  • The pages you visit.

This information is used in the aggregate to measure the number of visitors to our site and its various sections, to enhance site performance, and to improve the overall customer service experience for our visitors by making the site more useful.

Temporary Session and Persistent Cookies

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum M-10-22, Guidance for Online Use of Web Measurement and Customization Technologies, dated June 25, 2010; (http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/memoranda_2010/m10-22.pdf) allows Federal agencies to use session and persistent cookies.

When you visit any website, its server may generate a piece of text known as a “cookie” to place on your computer. The cookie allows the server to “remember” specific information about your visit while you are connected. The cookie makes it easier for you to use the dynamic features of web pages.

Cookies from our web pages only collect information about your browser’s visit to the site; they do not collect personal information about you. Personal information will never be collected from you without your knowledge, and our website will clearly identify when and where that information is necessary.

There are two types of cookies, (1) single-session (temporary) and (2) multi-session (persistent). Session cookies last only as long as your web browser is open. Once you close your browser, the cookie disappears. Persistent cookies are stored on your computer for longer periods.

Session Cookies: We use session cookies for technical purposes such as to enable better navigation through our site. These cookies let our server know that you are continuing a visit to our site. The OMB Memo 10-22 guidance defines our use of session cookies as “Usage Tier 1—Single Session.” The policy says, “This tier encompasses any use of single session web measurement and customization technologies.”

Persistent Cookies: We use persistent cookies to enable web metric tools (Webtrends and Google Analytics) to differentiate between new and returning visitors. This information helps us determine which websites are receiving the most traffic and in turn helps us better serve you. Persistent cookies remain on your computer between visits until they expire. The OMB Memo 10-22 guidance defines our use of persistent cookies as “Usage Tier 2—Multi-session without Personally Identifiable Information (PII).” The policy says, “This tier encompasses any use of multi-session web measurement and customization technologies when no PII is collected (including when the agency is able to identify an individual as a result of its use of such technologies).”

Data collected through persistent cookies will be retained for the life of the website to which they pertain.

You can disable cookies by adjusting the setting on your web browser. Instructions to opt out or disable cookies using some of the most popular browsers are available at http://www.usa.gov/optout_instructions.shtml.

Third-Party Applications

We use third-party services such as Facebook, Twitter, GovDelivery, and HootSuite to communicate and interact with the public. These services are controlled and operated by third parties and are not government websites or applications. Our integration of these products is intended to provide a seamless user experience. By interacting with us through these third-party services, you may be providing nongovernment third parties access to your personal information, which can be used to distinguish or trace your identity. Any information collected by a third-party service is subject to the privacy policies of the third-party service provider and not the OIG privacy policy.

Systems of Records

This website is not associated with the EEOC-OIG Privacy Act System of Records. Information on your rights under the Privacy Act can be found in the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552) or Privacy Act (Public Law 93–579).  You can learn about the Privacy Act here: http://www.justice.gov/opcl/overview-privacy-act-1974-2012-edition . You can learn about the FOIA here: http://www.foia.gov/about.html .

For More Information

If you have questions or comments about this statement, please contact the OIG at INSPECTOR.GENERAL@EEOC.GOV