How We Feel About Privacy
City of Alameda wants you to have the same level of privacy we would want when visiting a website. Any data collected while you’re visiting the City of Alameda website is intended to facilitate your goals for that visit. Primarily, we track data at a macro level — without identifying visitors — to monitor the website’s performance and determine which pages and information are most relevant to the majority of our visitors. If you choose to submit a form in the process of seeking more information, we’ll use your contact information solely for communication purposes. We do not sell data.
This privacy policy will outline the types of data that may be collected and how it is used.
Data Collection and Use
Should you choose to contact us by email or text, or provide information that allows us to contact you, we will use it for that purpose. Our policy is to adhere the CAN-SPAM ACT and follow guidelines established by that law. When that contact information is collected directly by City of Alameda, it will be stored in a protected database of customers on secure servers and available with limited access. We will take all reasonable measures necessary to avoid the unintentional collection of superfluous data.
No information collected will be shared unless it is with the express purpose of providing the information or services you are requesting. In those instances when a third party is required to review such data, we endeavor to work only with those who have equivalent or even stronger privacy policies and you will be notified and asked for your consent.
Macro Data
City of Alameda gathers data on a macro level, meaning it does not identify individual visitors. This information is for analytical purposes, allowing us to better understand such things as how many people are visiting our website, when they prefer to visit, the types of devices used to access our website, IP addresses, browser version, and any search engine used to find our website. This information is used in a statistical manner, without any deeper view of the personal identity of those behind the data.
The Information You Choose To Provide
City of Alameda wants you to feel comfortable providing information we may need to provide you with the information you seek. We may use this information to provide information on City of Alameda, products and services, important notifications, or other communications we reasonably deem to be relevant and of potential value. Any such information you provide will be securely maintained on our server and/or internal systems and access to that information will be limited. You may opt-out of such communications.
Information Collected Provided By Others
In the process of providing you services, it is possible that we may receive and/or need to seek additional information about you. City of Alameda will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that data has been collected from you according to state and federal law. If such information becomes part of the data files we maintain, we will protect that information in the same manner as any information we collect directly or that you may provide voluntarily.
Collaborative Use of Information
City of Alameda works with third party businesses to help us deliver the best possible service to our customers. In some cases, it is necessary to share certain personal data, such as name and email address, to allow those strategic partners to operate on our behalf. In limited situations, they may match your information to that which may have been collected by other, legal means, some of which may be personally identifiable. Beyond these situations, City of Alameda will not sell, rent, or trade your personal information without your consent. Our organization understands the importance of your privacy.
Partners and Agents
Consistent with the above, City of Alameda may collaborate with select agencies and other companies to support our ongoing relationship with you as a valued customer. As part of that relationship, we may share with these companies the use of certain information, such as name and address, for communications purposes, or information about actions taken on our website that could be used to enhance your overall experience with our company. Examples would be professional distribution of notifications and/or promotional offers via email or direct mail. The information shared will be that necessary to provide the services we deem appropriate and have asked these partners and agents to help us provide. It is our goal that site visitors, even when providing contact information voluntarily, never receive unsolicited communications, either directly or on our behalf.
Transfer of Business
City of Alameda considers its loyal customers among its most valuable assets. Consistent with that belief, the information collected and/or provided from those customers is equally valuable in serving them. Should City of Alameda sell or transfer all or a portion of the business, this database of consumer information may be one of the assets transferred as part of such a transaction.
Compliance With Law and Safety
City of Alameda may choose to disclose certain personal information if a good faith belief exists that such disclosure is warranted to comply with or conform to the law or to protect other users of our website, the website, the public, or our business.
Consent
Any sharing of personally-identifiable information will be in accordance with this privacy policy unless you are notified and you specifically consent to have personal information shared with third parties.
Use of Cookies
City of Alameda uses “cookies” to expand and enhance our efforts to communicate with those who visit our website. “Cookies”, which are commonly used by websites, are tiny files placed on your hard drive that allow websites to personalize your browsing experience, as well as offer targeted follow up via future browsing. Cookies may also be utilized to “auto-fill” certain fields of information as a convenience to visitors to our website. This could be names, passwords, product information, etc.
Most browsers allow you to avoid the placement of cookies on your hard drive and/or the ability to clear cookies previously placed. Check the “support” or “help” section of your browser for more information on how to avoid accepting cookies, notifications regarding the receipt of a new cookie, or disabling cookies entirely. Because our website has been designed to take advantage of the functionality of cookies in an effort to provide a better experience, if you choose to block and/or delete cookies, some of that functionality will be lost.
City of Alameda utilizes Google Ads and other third party vendors to assist with marketing to our customers. Such ad campaigns may utilize basic re-targeting functionality via cookies, allowing the vendor to present ads and information — on our behalf — to you while visiting select, other websites. These ads may show on the Google Content Network (GCN). Viewing or clicking on these ads should not result in the collection of additional information. This will allow us to alert you to information specific to products and/or services in which you may have previously expressed interest.
Google allows you to opt out of such services. To do so, visit Google Ads Settings.
Access From Outside the United States of America
Connection to our website will be made through a server(s) located within the United States and any information you provide will be kept on that server(s) or our internal systems.
Outbound Links
As a convenience, City of Alameda may offer outbound links on our website if we feel an external source of information will benefit you. In doing so, we endeavor to link only to known and responsible websites, however, City of Alameda expressly avoids responsibility for the changing content, nature, or privacy practices of other such websites. We offer those links in good faith but encourage you to review the privacy policies of those websites should you have any concerns.
Password Protection
Should you be asked to create a password through any registration process within our website or those of vendors to which you may link through our website, information within the records created will be accessed only via that password. We encourage you to not share or otherwise reveal that password.
Forums
Should we ever add a public forum of any type to our website, information you may choose to share via that forum is public and not protected by this privacy policy. Please exercise caution if engaging in forums.
Option to Opt-out
Should you choose to opt-out of any future communications or services that result from your visit to our website, you may do so by contacting City of Alameda and stating that preference. In most cases, at the point that contact information is collected, there will be an option to opt-out at the outset.
Browser-Based Do Not Track
Some browsers incorporate a “Do Not Track” (DNT) feature that, when turned on, signals to websites and online services that you do not want to be tracked. Because there is not yet an accepted standard for how to respond to a DNT signal, we do not currently respond to DNT signals on this website or on websites where we provide advertisements, content, or other services.
About This Website
Should you have any questions, comments, or concerns about this website and/or this privacy policy, please contact City of Alameda via phone, email, or mail. We will endeavor to respond promptly.
Thanks for visiting our website.