What type of information does King County collect, and what’s done with that information?
Like most websites, the King County website collects two types of information: anonymous information, and personally identifiable information.
By "anonymous information," we mean data that can’t be linked to specific individuals. We log user hits, visits, and sessions, but only capture information about the visiting user’s service provider. This information helps us create a better overall experience for website users. The statistics are complied into website traffic reports, which help us understand, anticipate, and respond to user behavior. If we learn, for example, of heightened interest in domestic-violence resources, we’re likely to highlight that information on the King County home page.
"Cookies" are another type of anonymous information. A website cookie is a small text file that a web server (such as King County’s) places on a user’s computer. When accessing a cookie, a web server reads a number associated with a browser, but is unable to determine any data about a user (nor, for that matter, can the server do anything else with a cookie, malicious or otherwise). With that number, a web server can tailor its information to the needs of the specific browser. We use cookies rarely. In one case, King County uses them to prevent multiple votes in the Executive Poll.
By "personally identifiable information," we’re referring to data on specific individuals who have volunteered the information on certain King County web pages. Data could include name, physical address, e-mail address, credit-card number, and so forth. Providing that information to us is purely voluntary and is used to serve you better. For example, when you fill in our comment form and give us your e-mail address, we’re able to respond to your question personally. When you give your credit-card number and physical address, we’re able to initiate a credit-card transaction and send you a bus pass.
Personally identifiable information will be used by the county only on a need-to-know basis, and will not be made accessible to unauthorized employees at any time.
Who is collecting the information?
King County collects anonymous and personal information, and occasionally contracts with partners to collect information on behalf of King County as well. King County and its partners adhere to the privacy policy you’re reading now.
How is the information protected?
King County and partner web servers contain state-of-the-industry security precautions that prevent personal information from being stolen or tampered with. If you submit a credit-card number, that information will be protected by secure server software (SSL), which encrypts all information before being securely sent across the Internet.
Does King County share the information with anyone?
Unless a user consents to such distribution, King County will not sell, lease, or give away personally identifiable information to other governments, organizations, or private businesses within the limits of the law.
It’s important to know the law, as state and federal laws place a special burden on public entities such as King County to assure the public’s right to access public records and information. Public information (as opposed to private information) involves information about activity that is regulated. For example, in purchasing a birth certificate online, a person’s name and birthdate is public information (because births are regulated by the state), but the fact that you bought it with a certain credit-card number is not (because means of purchasing is not regulated). Furthermore, public information would include correspondence with the County, including e-mails and website comments about county processes, policies, activitiesand other types of general correspondence. However, certain subjects fall under exemptions (external link) of the state's public disclosure act, including employee benefit questions, welfare information, and other types of client-specific data.
For details, see "Revised Code of Washington 42.17.260(1), Documents and indexes to be made public," and the the federal "Freedom of Information Act."
King County retains the right to release private information in rare cases we believe to be emergencies. For example, if we received information from somebody contemplating suicide in a neighboring county, we might contact officials from that jurisdiction to come to the person’s aid.
Outside of legal requirements and extreme emergencies, information on the King County website will not be released to anyone without the consent of the user.
