Privacy and Website Policy Disclosure

Douglas County Nevada Privacy Policy Disclosure 

Purpose:
 

Douglas County has developed and stablished this policy to balance an individual’s right to privacy when using Douglas County websites and social media sites with the public’s right to access government records.

General Policy: 
     A. Douglas County policies exist to ensure that Douglas County is open and that and that the public has the right to access appropriate data and information in the possession of the various departments of Douglas County. 
     B. Under state and federal law, there are exceptions to the disclosure of data and information regarding the privacy of individuals.
     C. Individuals who visit Douglas County websites and social media sites may have information automatically collected and stored by Douglas County. This information may include, but not limited to, internet protocol addresses.
     D. Individuals may also volunteer information to Douglas County by interacting with various aspects of Douglas County websites and social media sites. Such information is volunteered if an individual sends an e-mail, submits an on-line form, participates in an on-line survey, participated in any other on-line transaction, or actively participates or joins any Douglas County social media site.
     E. The information stored may include, but is not limited to:
                 i. E-mail addresses;
                 ii. Contents of e-mails;
                 iii. Information volunteered in a survey;
                 iv. Information volunteered on a form;
                 v. Information volunteered by participation in any other on-line transaction;
                 vi. Any information volunteered by actively participating or joining Douglas County social media sites, including usernames and information on the individuals’ personal site or page. 
     F. If an individual chooses not to participate in these activities, their choice will in no way affect their ability to use other features of Douglas County websites or social media sites. 
     G. All information that is being collected on Douglas County websites and social media sites becomes public records, which may be subject to inspection and copying by the public, unless an exemption exists. 
     H. Douglas County websites have links to other websites. When you link to another website, not within Douglas County, you are no longer on one of Douglas County’s websites and this privacy policy will not apply. You will be subject to the new website’s privacy policy. 
     I. Information provided on Douglas County websites and social media sites are intended to provide immediate access to public information. While all attempts are made to provide accurate, current and reliable information. Douglas County recognizes the possibility of human and/or mechanical error. Therefore, Douglas Count, its Department Heads, Elected Officials, and employees expressly deny any warranty of the accuracy, reliability, or timelines of any information published on Douglas County websites and social media sites. Douglas County shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance upon accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Any person who relies upon such information obtained from Douglas County websites and/or social media sites does so at their own risk. 

Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 2001
     A. Nevada websites directed to children under 13, that knowingly collect information from children, must comply with Children’s On-Line Protection Act of 2001. 
     B. Visitors are cautioned that Douglas County has no way of determining that age of all persons volunteering personal information online or by email through one of Douglas County’s websites or social media sites. 
     C. This information will be treated the same as information given by an adult, and may be subject to public access. 

Security
     A. Douglas County website developers and managers have taken a number of steps to safeguard the integrity of the data and prevent unauthorized access to information that is maintained. 
    B. Security measures have been integrated into the design, implementation, and ongoing practices of the Douglas County’s operating environment as part of its continuing commitment to risk management.
     C. Douglas County provides websites, social media sites and the information they contain as public service. These sites are monitored to ensure proper operation, to verify the functioning of applicable security features, and for comparable purposes. Anyone using this system expressly consents to such monitoring. 
     D. Unauthorized attempts to modify and 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.

Responsibility for Review: 

The County Manager shall review this policy as needed or at least once every 5 years. 

Douglas County Nevada Website Policy Disclosure

Purpose:

Douglas County and its various departments have created and maintain websites on the internet that provide public access to and information about Douglas County, its services, forms, documents and links. Douglas County websites allow the public to gain additional access to Douglas County at all times. This policy establishes the guidelines for the use of official Douglas County websites. 

General Policy:
     A. Douglas County’s Official website is http://www.douglascountynv.gov/
     B. Official independent Elected Official websites include
                i. Douglas County Clerk/Treasurer http://cltr.co.douglas.nv.us/ 
                ii. Douglas County District Attorney www.dcnvda.org
                iii. Douglas County Sheriff www.douglasconvsheriff.com 
                iv. East Fork Fire and Paramedic Districts http://www.eastforkfire.org/
                v. Minden Tahoe Airport http://mindentahoeairport.com 
     C. All Douglas County web sites shall comply with Douglas County policies and procedures.

Public Records/Retention: 
     A. Douglas County websites are subject to State of Nevada public records laws.
                i. Any content maintained on a website is a public record.
                ii. The Department maintaining the website is responsible for responding completely and accurately to any public records request for public records.
                iii. Content related to Douglas County business shall be maintained in an accessible format and so that it can be produced in response to a request. 
     B. State of Nevada records retention schedules apply to website content. Website content must be kept in accordance with the retention schedules provided by the Nevada State Library and Archives at http://nsla.nevafaculture.org/
     C. All use of Douglas County websites shall be in compliance with applicable state of Nevada open meeting laws. 

Content: 
     A. Information Douglas County websites must:
                i. Directly pertain to Douglas County, its departments or services;
                ii. Contain public information, which is not considered confidential under County. State or Federal law or policy;
                iii. Not contain any personal information;
                iv. Not contain images or photographs without first obtaining a written release from the artist, photographer, person or parent of the minor depicted;
                v. Not be commercial or political in nature.
     B. Elected officials, department heads or their designees shall not disclose information about confidential county business on any Douglas County websites.
     C. The following forms of content shall be included, where applicable:
                i. Name of the Douglas County department;
                ii. Mailing address;
                iii. Main phone number, fax number and email address;
                iv. Link to the Douglas County home page www.douglascountynv.gov;
                v. Links to other Douglas County websites;
     D. The following forms of content shall not be allowed:
                i. Comments not topically related to Douglas County;
                ii. Comments in support of or opposition to political campaigns or ballot measures;
                iii. Profane language or content;
                iv. Content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation;
                v. Sexual content or links to sexual content;
                vi. Conduct or encouragement of illegal activity;
                vii. Information that may tend to compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems;
                viii. Content that violates a legal ownership interest of any other party, including by not limited to copyrighted materials, trade secrets, proprietary information, or any other highly sensitive confidential information;
                ix. Solicitation of others for commercial ventures or religious, social or political causes; or 
                x. Content that is in violation of Douglas County policies. 
      E. Websites should be reviewed on a monthly basis (at minimum) to ensure that content is current. 
Disclaimers: 
     A. Information provided on Douglas County websites are intended to provide immediate access to public information. While attempts are made to provide accurate, current and reliable information. Douglas County recognizes the possibility of human and or mechanical error. Therefore, Douglas County, its Department Heads, Elected Officials, and employees expressly deny any warranty of the accuracy, reliability, or timelines of any information published on Douglas County websites. Douglas County shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance upon the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Any person who relies upon such information obtained from Douglas County websites does so at their own risk.
     B. Some Douglas County applications may use “cookies.” A cookie is a small data file written to a computer’s hard drive upon visiting a website. A cookie file can contain information, such as a user ID, that the site uses to track the pages visited. The only personal information a cookie can contain is information supplied by the user. A cookie is only a text file and cannot read data from a hard disk or read cookie files created by other sites. Cookies can track user traffic patterns, recognize a specific computer’s browser and could provide personalized content without requiring sign in. A user can turn off cookies by using a browser function. The County will attempt to minimize the use of cookies. However, they may be required to use some of the web applications on the County site. 
     C. Hyperlinks provided on Douglas County websites are not under the direct or indirect control of Douglas County, and are provided solely as a convenience to the public. Douglas County does not endorse any particular viewpoint that appears on any web page that appears as a link on this page. Douglas County makes every reasonable effort to assure that it does not link directly to web pages that contain obscene or otherwise objectionable material. 
     D. Although content of Douglas County websites are available to the public, certain information may be copyrighted, service marked, or otherwise protected as intellectual property. Use of any intellectual property, not belonging to Douglas County, must include appropriate credit or legal release from the content owner or copyright holder. 

Responsibility for Review:
The County Manager shall review this policy as needed or at least once every 5 years.