Privacy policy
This policy explains how Hennepin County handles information collected from you during your visit to this website.
The county won’t collect personal information about you unless you choose to provide it. The county doesn’t give, share, sell, or transfer any personal information for commercial purposes.
The county may amend this policy on occasion, and will prominently display on this website any major changes in the way it uses your personal information.
Collection and use of information
When you browse the website, read pages, or download information, the county will gather and store certain information about your visit automatically. This information does not identify you personally. The following information is automatically collected and stored about your visit:
- Internet domain you use to access the site (e.g., "xcompany.com," "yourschool.edu," etc.)
- Your IP address (a number automatically assigned to your computer whenever you surf the web).
- Type of web browser and operating system you use to access the site
- Date and time of your visit
- Pages you visit
- Keywords you used in a search to arrive at the site or page
The county analyzes this information to gain insight into web user behavior, to make the website more useful to visitors.
Personal information and choice
When you send an email to the county web team, your comment or question may be forwarded to other county staff who can better help you. The web team only shares the email with another government agency if your inquiry relates to that agency, or as otherwise required by law. The county does not use personal data you provide for commercial marketing.
Public access information and disclosure of information to third parties
Several state and federal laws protect the privacy of the information the county collects about you. The county does not disclose personally identifiable information you provide online unless authorized by state or federal law or with your written permission.
You can decline to participate in any activity that asks for information (for example, surveys or emails). Declining to participate won’t effect your ability to access information on the county's website.
Use of cookies
To better serve county web visitors, this website occasionally uses "cookies" to customize the browsing experience. Cookies are simple text files stored by web browsers when users first visit a website. They provide a method of distinguishing among visitors to websites. Cookies are used to identify a web user and optimize the experience on the county site by remembering what the user has viewed there. Web browsers normally accept cookies, unless the user has specifically turned them off.
Online services
Increasingly, site visitors have the option to do complete transactions with the county via the web, such as making electronic payments.
The county operates a state-of-the art secure web server that creates an additional layer of security regarding information you submit about your bank account. The secure server software (SSL) encrypts information before it leaves your computer to be sent across the Internet. The encrypted information is shared only with the county’s bank, which also operates secure servers.
The county won’t share bank account information with anyone, except authorized personnel. The county doesn’t sell, transfer, market, disclose or otherwise share bank account information from payment applications with any outside party other than your bank and the county’s bank, except as may be required by law or valid court order.
Disclaimer
Hennepin County shall not be liable to any person or entity for any loss or injury arising, directly or indirectly, out of or caused in whole or in part by Hennepin County’s errors, acts, or omissions in procuring, compiling, collecting, interpreting, reporting, communicating, delivering, or assembling the information, data, or records displayed on this website.
Information accuracy
The information contained in this website was accurate and complete at the time of publication. The county reserves the right to make changes and improvements at any time and without notice and assumes no liability for damages incurred directly or indirectly as a result of errors, omissions, discrepancies, unauthorized modification of electronic data, errors in transmission, web browser incompatibilities, and other aspects of electronic communications that are beyond the county’s control.
Links to other websites
State law forbids local units of government, including counties, from publishing external links to blogs or websites of political candidates, political committees, political parties or units, campaign committees, or state committees.
The county website provides external links to the websites of other government entities, nonprofit organizations, and businesses as additional relevant information, and is done as a public service. The county does not endorse nor is responsible for the content of external sites.
Unauthorized access
Unauthorized attempts to upload information or change information on this website are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act.
To ensure website information remains available to all users, the county employs commercial software programs to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise cause damage.
Except for authorized law enforcement investigations, no other attempts are made to identify individual users or their usage habits. Raw data logs are used and destroyed according to county guidelines for records management and retention.
Contact information
The county uses a system that allows a large number of county employees to publish and manage content on the county website. When contact information about a program or service is needed, that information is provided on the right side of the web page
To comment about this policy or the site in general, contact the web team at webteam@hennepin.us.