This Web site includes information about the Central Intelligence Agency. The notices which follow apply equally to all areas of this Web site.

• Privacy Notices
• Cookies
• Security Notice
• General Disclaimer
• Disclaimer of Endorsement
• Disclaimer of Liability
• Links to this Site or Its Contents
• Links to Other Sites
• Copyright Notice
• Use of the Central Intelligence Agency Seal
• Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
• Kids' Zone: Notice for Parents
• Accessing Declassified Information
• Site Management
• Verification or Hard Copy of Content
• Social Media
• For More Information

Privacy Notice

The Central Intelligence Agency is committed to protecting your privacy and will collect no personal information about you unless you choose to provide that information to us.

If you simply browse our Web site:
When you visit the Central Intelligence Agency Web site to browse information it contains, you do so anonymously unless you choose to provide us information about yourself. If you do nothing during your visit but browse through the Web site—reading pages or downloading information for example—we will gather and store certain information about your visit automatically. This information does not identify you personally.

This gathering and storing of information is separate from the activity described as monitoring in our Security Notice.

Information gathered automatically is used for, among other things, site management, compiling reports of usage statistics, and, in the case of suspected unauthorized activity, for law enforcement and possible criminal prosecution.

The following are representative of the types of information automatically collected and stored about your visit:

• the Internet domain and Internet Protocol (IP) address from which you access our Web site;
• the type of Internet browser and the operating system of the computer you use to access our site;
• the date and time you visit our site;
• the pages you visit on our site;
• if you linked to our Web site from another Web site, the address of that Web site;
• and, if you linked to our Web site from a search Web site, the address of that Web site and the search term you used.

If you submit a resume online:
The resume data you do submit will be used for employment consideration only and will be stored in an internal resume tracking system for one year. Your data is only available internally to a limited number of hiring officials and, unless you authorize the CIA to share it with other federal hiring officials by answering 'yes' to the relevant question on the resume form, it will not be shared with any other people or organizations internally or externally. The only exception to this policy is described in our Security Notice below.

The authority for soliciting your Social Security Number (SSN) is Executive Order 9397. Since other people may have the same name and birth date, your SSN will be used to identify you precisely. Although disclosure of your SSN is not mandatory, your failure to do so will impede completion of your application.

If you send us an e-mail using our comment form:
Except as otherwise indicated, if you choose to submit a question or comment using our online form and provide us your name and e-mail or postal address, we will use that information only to respond to your question or comment.

• We will not share your name, e-mail, or postal address with any third party, other than as described below in our Security Notice.
• We will not create individual profiles with the information that you have provided.
• Under no circumstances will we give your name, e-mail, or postal address to any any private organization, commercial or otherwise.

If you choose to offer information or assistance to the CIA in the pursuit of its mission by using our online form, we will make appropriate inquiries to determine the accuracy of your information. In addition, we may share the information you provide with other appropriate entities to enable the CIA to carry out its legally authorized responsibilities. By providing information or assistance to the CIA through our online form, you expressly consent to our use of whatever information you provide via our Web site.

Privacy Act Statement:

Authorities: 50 U.S.C. 403-4; 50 U.S.C. 403-4a(d); 50 U.S.C. 403a-g.

Principal Uses: Information collected via the CIA Web site is used to: 1) process employment applications from individuals who choose to submit their resumes through the CIA's online resume form; 2) provide e-mail notifications of substantive updates to the CIA Web site to subscribers who request this service; and 3) provide information in response to comments or questions when a response is requested by the person submitting the comment or question; and 4) assist the CIA in the fulfillment of its foreign intelligence mission.

Routine Uses: Information collected via the CIA Web site may be provided to law enforcement agencies as described in our Security Notice, and may be disclosed pursuant to the CIA's "Statement of General Routine Uses" published in the Federal Register.

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Cookies

A cookie is a text file placed on the hard drive of a computer by some Web pages or Web servers. Cookies cannot run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. They are uniquely assigned to a visitor and can only be read by a Web server in the domain that issued the cookie. Visitors can accept cookies (generally their browser's default setting) or decline them through their browser settings. Persistent cookies remain on a computer's hard drive until the visitor deletes them. Session cookies are deleted automatically when the visitor closes his or her browser.

Except as otherwise stated, the Central Intelligence Agency Web site does not set persistent cookies on visitors' computers. However, the CIA Web site does set session cookies on visitors' computers as follows:

• A session cookie is set when a visitor first visits the CIA home page. This cookie ensures the words "Central Intelligence Agency" in the CIA home page banner -- and the accompanying sound effects -- play only once per browser session.

• ForeSee Results conducts a visitor survey to help CIA recruiters evaluate the usefulness of the CIA Careers page to visitors. ForeSee Results' survey mechanism uses a session cookie to track how many Careers pages each visitor views. A percentage of visitors are offered an opportunity to complete a survey after viewing several pages. ForeSee Results uses the session cookie to track how many pages a visitor views and to ensure the visitor is presented the survey only once during a browser session. Neither the CIA nor ForeSee Results collects personal information from visitors completing the survey nor will either track any visitor once they have left the CIA Careers Web site.

• Session cookies are set when a visitor visits the CIA World Factbook. These cookies maintain the appearance of expandable sections on country pages, reference pages, and the FAQ page.

• Session cookies are set when a visitor visits the CIA Career Application Center. These cookies maintain the users' session status while completing their resume.

For videos that are embedded on CIA.gov, a third party may be setting persistent cookies upon playback of the audio and audiovisual content and related metadata and materials.

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Security Notice

This system and related software and equipment are intended solely for the communication, transmission, processing, and storage of US government information. For site security purposes and to ensure that this Web site remains available to all users, the Central Intelligence Agency monitors network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or to otherwise cause damage to the site. Anyone using this Web site expressly consents to such monitoring.

Unauthorized attempts to modify any information stored on this system, to defeat or circumvent security features, or to utilize this system for other than its intended purposes are prohibited and may result in criminal prosecution.

If monitoring reveals evidence of possible criminal activity, such evidence may be provided to law enforcement personnel. In addition, if you send us information about a threat or comments that or might constitute a threat, or your comments contain information about criminal activities, we may provide that and associated information to law enforcement and/or other appropriate authorities.

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General Disclaimer

Information presented on this Web site is considered public information and may be distributed or copied freely unless identified as being subject to copyright protection. In return, we request only that the Central Intelligence Agency be cited as the source of any information, photos, and images copied from this site and that any photo credits or bylines be similarly credited to the photographer or author.

We strongly recommend that Central Intelligence Agency data be acquired directly from this Web site and not through other sources that may change the information in some way or exclude material crucial to the understanding of that information. An actual example of the latter is a commercial Web site that copied the CIA World Factbook to its Web site, but excluded 17 pages of Notes and Definitions that provide a framework for understanding the content of the Factbook. While the Central Intelligence Agency makes every effort to provide accurate and complete information, some information may change between site updates. Substantive changes may be noted when content is next updated.

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Disclaimer of Endorsement

This Web site and the documents posted on this Web site may contain hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for visitors' convenience. Neither the US government nor the Central Intelligence Agency controls or guarantees the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any linked information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to Web sites other than the Agency-managed Web site is not intended to assign importance to those sites and the information contained therein, nor is it intended to endorse, recommend, or favor any views expressed, or commercial products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites, by trade name, trademark, manufacture, or otherwise.

Reference in this Web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the site's visitor's, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the US government or the Central Intelligence Agency.

The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the US government or the Central Intelligence Agency, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.

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Disclaimer of Liability

Every effort is made to provide accurate and complete information. However, with the thousands of documents available, often uploaded within short deadlines, we cannot guarantee that there will be no errors. The Central Intelligence Agency makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of this Web site and expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in the contents of this Web site.

With respect to the content of Central Intelligence Agency Web site, neither the US government, nor the Central Intelligence Agency, nor their employees and contractors make any warranty, expressed or implied or statutory, including but not limited to the warranties of noninfringement of third party rights, title, and the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose with respect to content available from Central Intelligence Agency Web site or other Internet resources linked from it. Additionally, neither the US government nor the Central Intelligence Agency assumes any legal liability for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, product, or process disclosed herein nor freedom from computer virus, and do not represent that use of such information, product, or process would not infringe on privately owned rights.

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Links to this Web Site or Its Contents

You may freely link to the Central Intelligence Agency Web site or any of its content. We ask only that you identify that the link is to a Central Intelligence Agency Internet resource.

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Links to Other Sites

The Central Intelligence Agency's official Web site is CIA.gov. Our Web site has links to other US government agencies. In a few cases, we link to private organizations, with their permission. CIA is also pleased to participate on open forums offered by commercial social network sites in an effort to increase government transparency, promote public participation and encourage collaboration with the Agency. Once you link to another site, you are subject to the disclaimers and security and privacy policies of the new site.

CIA currently maintains accounts on YouTube and Flickr. CIA uses these social network sites to share information in a different format that may be useful or interesting. However, neither the US government nor the CIA controls or guarantees the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of information provided by social network sites or any other linked site. CIA's use of social network sites does not, and is not intended to, constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring of the sponsors of the site or the information or products presented on the site by the US government or the CIA.

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Copyright Notice

Unless a copyright is indicated, information on the Central Intelligence Agency Web site is in the public domain and may be reproduced, published or otherwise used without the Central Intelligence Agency's permission. We request only that the Central Intelligence Agency be cited as the source of the information and that any photo credits or bylines be similarly credited to the photographer or author or Central Intelligence Agency, as appropriate.

If a copyright is indicated on a photo, graphic, or any other material, permission to copy these materials must be obtained from the original source.

This copyright notice does not pertain to information at Web sites other than the Central Intelligence Agency Web site.

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Use of the Central Intelligence Agency Seal

Federal law prohibits use of the words "Central Intelligence Agency," the initials "CIA," the seal of the Central Intelligence Agency, or any colorable imitation of such words, initials, or seal in connection with any merchandise, impersonation, solicitation, or commercial activity in a manner reasonably calculated to convey the impression that such use is approved, endorsed, or authorized by the Central Intelligence Agency.

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Computer Fraud and Abuse Act

Unauthorized attempts to upload information and/or change information on the Central Intelligence Agency Web site is strictly prohibited and is subject to prosecution under Title 18 U.S.C., Sections 1001 and 1030.

(see Security Notice)

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Kids' Zone: Notice for Parents

We established a kids' page in compliance with the President's April 18, 1997, Memorandum for Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies, Subject: Expanding Access to Internet-based Educational Resources for Children, Teachers, and Parents.

We encourage parents and teachers to be involved in children's Internet explorations. The Central Intelligence Agency Kids' Zone provides information about the Nation's intelligence efforts as well as other fun things for kids to do. We do not ask for nor collect any information regarding children's visits to the Kids' Zone other than as stated in the Privacy Notice. The information collected as stated in the Privacy Notice does not differentiate between adults and children.

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Accessing Declassified Information

If you are interested in documents recently declassified by the Central Intelligence Agency, you can access much of this information through the CIA FOIA Electronic Reading Room (Freedom of Information Act) on this Web site.

The FOIA Electronic Reading Room offers an Internet-based database containing recently declassified documents on a wide variety of issues. Many of the referenced documents are available for viewing as full text images of the original document. In addition to the FOIA Electronic Reading Room, the Agency's Library contains a Related Links section that includes links to the National Archives Records Administration and other sites where declassified documents and satellite photography may be obtained.

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Site Management

The Central Intelligence Agency's Office of Public Affairs (OPA) manages the overall information content, design, and, organization of the Web site. OPA also coordinates release of Central Intelligence Agency information on the Internet.

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Verification or Hard Copy of Content

Some of the information that CIA has made available on the Central Intelligence Agency Web site may be available in hard copy. Please direct inquiries to the Office of Public Affairs staff:

Office of Public Affairs

Central Intelligence Agency

Washington, D.C. 20505

Phone: (703) 482-0623

Fax: (703) 482-1739

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Social Media

CIA maintains accounts on several third-party social media sites (including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr).

The CIA participates in these open forums in order to increase transparency.  Content is posted first on CIA.gov prior to dissemination on social media sites.

Your activity on third-party websites is governed by the security and privacy policies of the third-party sites.  You may wish to review the privacy policies of those sites before using them in order to understand how the information you make available on them will be used.

While we encourage commenting and conversation on our social media profiles, please remember that they are a public forum and any information provided will be visible to the public. Please do not include your nor anyone else’s personal details such as a telephone number, home or email address, social security number or any other personal information that you do not want available to the general public.

Comments or messages that represent criminal activities, intentions, or threats will be turned over to the appropriate law enforcement officials

Our presence on social media sites is not intended to endorse, recommend or favor any third-party company or service provider.

Individuals who have applied to, or are interested in applying to, positions with CIA should not associate with CIA's Facebook page or Twitter feed. That includes posting content, 'friending' or 'following' the Agency, and/or 'liking' or sharing content or commentary. Applicant communication with the Agency must be conducted in authorized channels, not via social media.

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For More Information

If you have any questions or comments about the information presented here, please contact the Central Intelligence Agency Web information manager in the Office of Public Affairs at the address or phone or fax numbers listed above.

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