Thank you for visiting the Department of Justice and reviewing our Privacy Policy. The Department of Justice is committed to protecting your privacy and securing the personal information made available to us when you access our websites. This Privacy Policy describes what information is made available to the Department of Justice when you visit the Department’s websites, or official DOJ accounts on third-party websites, and describes how that information is used and stored.
Information Collected and Stored Automatically By DOJ
Personal Information That You Voluntarily Provide
Children and Privacy on Justice.gov
Website Measurement and Customization Technologies
The Department’s Use of Third-Party Resources, Applications and Websites
Email Subscriptions and Updates
Links to External Sites
Security
The Department’s Chief Privacy and Civil Liberties Officer, in coordination with the Department’s Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties, manages and oversees the Department’s Privacy Program. The Department Privacy Program webpage can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/opcl.
Information Collected and Stored Automatically
If you access information on our websites, the following basic information is automatically collected and stored on Department of Justice servers:
- The name of the internet domain (for example, "xcompany.com" if you use a private Internet access account, or "yourschool.edu" if you are connecting from a university's domain);
- The Internet Protocol (IP) address (a number that is automatically assigned to your computer when you are using the Internet) from which you access our site;
- The type of browser and operating system used to access our site;
- The date and time you access our site;
- The internet address of the website from which you linked directly to our site; and
- The pages you visit and the information you request.
The Department of Justice does not use this information to track the browsing of individuals who access the site. This information is primarily collected for statistical analysis and technical improvements to the site. This government computer system uses software programs to create summary statistics, which may be used for such purposes as assessing what information is of most and least interest, determining technical design specifications, and identifying system performance or problem areas. In certain circumstances, however, we may take additional steps to identify you based on this information and we may share this information, including your identity, with other government agencies.
Additional information may be collected and stored by third-party providers. For information on the Department’s use of third-party providers to engage with the public, please review the Department’s Use of Third-Party Resources, Applications and Websites disclosure, below.
Personal Information that You Voluntarily Provide
You do not have to provide any personal information to us to access information on our websites. If you choose to provide us with personal information, such as by sending a message to an email address on this website or by filling out a form and submitting it through our website, we will use that information to respond to your message or to fulfill the stated purpose of the communication. If you submit your resume to us electronically, we will use your personal information to consider your application for employment.
If you choose to provide personal information as part of a search request on a Department webpage, that information will be used to facilitate your search request. The information you provide as part of a search request may also be automatically collected and stored on Department of Justice servers, as described in the Information Collected and Stored Automatically By DOJ disclosure, above. DOJ currently uses the Government Services Administration’s (GSA) DigitalGov Search (e.g., https://search.justice.gov) as its primary search engine tool for searching for information within DOJ websites. Upon entering search request information into search engines managed by DigitalGov Search, certain information will be collected and used by GSA in accordance with the DigitalGov Search Terms of Service.
The Department of Justice does not collect or use information for commercial marketing.
We may share information you give us with contractors acting on our behalf or with another government agency if your inquiry relates to that agency. In some circumstances, we may be required by law to disclose information you submit or we may share this information with other agencies for law enforcement purposes or to protect the Department's websites from security threats. If you provide comments in response to a request for public comments, we may make those comments as well as your identity available to the public in a publication or by posting them on our website. Where possible, we may give you more specific guidance at the point of collection regarding how your personal information may be used or disclosed.
Electronically submitted information is maintained and destroyed according to the principles of the Federal Records Act and the regulations and records schedules of the National Archives and Records Administration, and in some cases may be covered by the Privacy Act and subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). A discussion of the FOIA can be found at https://www.justice.gov/oip/doj-guide-freedom-information-act and a discussion about the Privacy Act can be found at https://www.justice.gov/opcl/privacy-act-1974.
Remember that email is not necessarily secure against interception. If your communication is sensitive or includes personal information you may prefer to send it by postal mail instead.
Children and Privacy on Justice.gov
We believe in the importance of protecting the privacy of children online and do not knowingly contact or collect personal information from children under 13. Our site is not intended to solicit information of any kind from children under 13.
Website Measurement and Customization Technologies (e.g. Cookies)
Website measurement and customization technologies (commonly called “cookies") are small bits of text that are downloaded to your internet browser when you visit a website. The Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-10-22, Guidance for Online Use of Web Measurement and Customization Technologies, defines conditions under which Federal agencies may use session and persistent cookies, and categorizes them in “tiers” to identify their characteristics. You may control permissions for cookies on this or any other website by adjusting your individual browser settings for customized privacy protection – see http://www.usa.gov/optout-instructions.shtml for helpful guidance. You can still use Department websites if you do not accept the cookies, but you may be unable to use certain cookie-dependent features.
Session cookies
Session cookies are not stored on your computer’s hard drive, and are removed when you complete your session or exit the site. Some Department websites use these “Tier 1” session cookies to provide streamlined navigation and statistical analysis. No personally identifying information is gathered.
Persistent cookies
Certain Department websites use “Tier 2” persistent cookies that remain on your computer’s hard drive after you complete an activity. For example, some Department websites use persistent cookies in association with a voluntary customer satisfaction survey conducted by a third party, Foresee. These surveys obtain feedback and data regarding visitors’ satisfaction with our websites, but they do not collect any personally identifying information. If you are randomly selected to participate in this survey, a persistent cookie is stored on your computer’s hard drive for 90 days to preclude a new invitation during that time. Some Department websites also use persistent cookies to enable a Google Analytics or Webtrends program to measure how new and returning visitors use our websites over time. These persistent cookies do not collect any personally identifying information, and the information that is collected is only used to improve our websites.
The Department’s Use of Third-Party Resources, Applications and Websites
In the interest of promoting transparency and open government, the Department of Justice uses third-party resources, applications, and websites. These third-party services are used to enhance the user experience, promote access to information, and provide ease of navigation throughout Department of Justice websites. Additionally, the Department of Justice is pleased to participate in open, un-moderated forums offered by third-party websites to increase government transparency, promote public participation, and encourage collaboration with the Department. The Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-10-23, Guidance for Agency Use of Third-Party Websites and Applications, defines conditions under which Federal agencies may use third-party websites, resources, and applications to engage with the public.
Visiting Official Department of Justice Pages on Third-Party Websites
DOJ currently maintains official Department of Justice accounts on several third-party websites. Your activity on third-party websites is governed by the security and privacy policies of the third-party websites. You may wish to review the privacy policies of these providers before using them to understand how and when those websites collect, use, and share the information you make available by using their services. The privacy policies for third-party websites commonly used by the Department of Justice can be found below.
Please note that the Department does not control, moderate, or endorse the comments or opinions provided by visitors on third-party websites. The creation and use of official Department of Justice accounts may cause personally identifiable information to become available or accessible to the Department. Such information may become available to the Department when a user provides, submits, communicates, links, posts, or associates information with official Department of Justice accounts (e.g., through “liking,” “friend-ing,” responding to tweets, or commenting on content provided by the Department). In certain circumstances, Department of Justice Capstone Officials, which include DOJ Senior Leadership, Heads of Components, and their direct reports, may “share,” “retweet,” “friend,” “follow,” or respond publicly to content made available on official Department of Justice accounts. To the extent that the Department’s “share,” “retweet,” “friend-ing,” “follow,” or public response constitutes the creation of a record under the Federal Records Act, the Department may maintain and archive such interaction. Additionally, the Department may collect, maintain, or disseminate information made available to the Department on official Department of Justice accounts for a specific law enforcement purpose (e.g., activity that indicates a violation or potential violation of law, a threat of physical harm, or harm to national security), or when required by law, consistent with the Privacy Act of 1974. The Department will not otherwise collect, maintain, or disseminate personal information you make available on official Department of Justice accounts.
Visit our Contact Page for information on how to send official correspondence to the Attorney General or the Department of Justice.
A list of official accounts associated with the Department of Justice can be found at: https://www.justice.gov/social. For more information on the Department’s use of social media applications and third-party websites to communicate with the public, please refer to the Department’s adapted Privacy Impact Assessment, “Use of Third-Party Social Media Tools to Communicate with the Public."
Embedded Third-Party Content and Applications on DOJ Websites
Certain Department webpages also contain embedded content and applications from third-party providers, including embedded content and applications provided by the third-party websites with official Department of Justice accounts. In addition, we provide embedded content and applications from third-party providers to further the Department’s interest in promoting transparency and open government.
In addition to the automatic and voluntarily provided information collected by DOJ, as noted above, these third-party providers also collect information on visitors who visit a DOJ webpage hosting the embedded content or application. For more details on how and when these third-party providers collect, use, and share information, you may wish to review their privacy policies. The privacy policies for third-party applications and websites commonly used by the Department of Justice can be found below.
Third-Party Privacy Policies
The privacy policies for third-party applications and websites commonly used by the Department of Justice include:
Twitter Privacy Policy
Facebook Privacy Policy
YouTube Privacy Policy
LinkedIn Privacy Policy
Instagram Privacy Policy
Pinterest Privacy Policy
MapBox Privacy Policy
Email Subscriptions and Updates
The Department of Justice maintains several lists of subscribers who have asked to receive periodic email updates. Any recipient of a Department of Justice email may unsubscribe from future messages via a link at the bottom of each email message. We do not sell, rent, exchange, or otherwise disclose our list subscribers to persons or organizations outside the Department of Justice.
Our email analytics provider, GovDelivery, also offers the capability to view some data, such as whether a mass email was opened, at an individual level for 30 days after an email was sent; as a matter of policy and practice this data is only viewed on an aggregate basis.
Links to External Sites
The Department’s websites may contain links to websites created and maintained by other public or private organizations. We provide these links as a service to visitors to our site. When you follow a link to an external site, you are leaving the Department of Justice and are subject to the privacy and security policies of the external site.
Security
For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, this Government computer system employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. Anyone using this system expressly consents to such monitoring and is advised that if such monitoring reveals evidence of possible abuse or criminal activity, such evidence may be provided to appropriate law enforcement officials. Unauthorized attempts to upload or change information on this server are strictly prohibited and may be punishable by law, including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act of 1996.
Additionally, DOJ information systems may be protected by EINSTEIN cybersecurity capabilities under the operational control of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT). Electronic communications with DOJ may be scanned by government-owned or contractor equipment to look for network traffic indicating known or suspected malicious cyber activity, including malicious content or communications. Electronic communications within DOJ will be collected or retained by US-CERT only if they are associated with known or suspected cyber threats. US-CERT will use the information collected through EINSTEIN to analyze the known or suspected cyber threat and help DOJ and other agencies respond and better protect their computers and networks.
For additional information about EINSTEIN capabilities, please see the EINSTEIN program-related Privacy Impact Assessments available on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security cybersecurity privacy website along with other information about the federal government’s cybersecurity activities.