Information collected and how it's used
This privacy policy addresses collection, use and security of and access to information that may be obtained through use of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner's (OIC) website.
When you visit our website and browse, read pages or download information, we will gather and store certain information about your visit. This information does not identify you personally. The information we collect or store is used by the insurance commissioner's office to improve the content of our web services and help us understand how people use our services. When you visit our site, we collect:
- The domain name used and the Internet Protocol (IP) address (a numerical identifier assigned either to your internet service provider or your computer). We use the IP address to direct internet traffic to you. This address can be translated to determine the domain name of your service provider (e.g. xcompany.com or yourschool.edu).
- The type of browser and operating system you use.
- The date and time you visited our site.
- The web pages or services you accessed at our site.
- The website you visited prior to coming to our site.
Web beacons for digital advertising
Web beacons are also known as tracking pixels and/or tracking tags. When you access certain pages of the OIC’s website through digital advertising on Facebook or similar social media platforms, the web beacon generates a notice of your visit for conversion tracking. Conversion tracking allows Facebook Ads to measure the performance of OIC advertisements and report the ad performance to the OIC. Conversion tracking reports inform the advertiser whether consumers who view or interact with an ad later visit a particular site or perform desired actions on that site. Facebook Ads will then provide the OIC with summary-level conversion tracking reports that contain no personal information about consumers. These reports will allow the OIC to measure how effective Facebook advertisements are to the OIC’s digital advertising outreach and education efforts.
What we collect if you volunteer information
If during your visit to our website you participate in a survey, send an email or perform some other transaction, we will collect:
- The email address and contents of the email
- Information volunteered in response to a survey
- Information volunteered through an online form for any other purpose
The information collected is not limited to text characters and may include audio, video and graphic information formats you send us.
We use your email to respond appropriately. This may be to respond to you, to address issues you may identify, to further improve our website or to forward the email to another agency for appropriate action. Survey information is used for policy development or educational purposes. Information from other online forms is used to handle your request.
Personal information and choice
You may choose whether to provide personal information online.
"Personal information" is information about a natural person that is readily identifiable to that specific individual. Personal information includes such things as an individual's name, address and phone number. A domain name or IP address is not considered personal information.
We do not collect personal information about you unless you voluntarily provide it to us through email, a survey or an online form. You may choose not to contact us in this way. Your choice not to participate in these activities will not impair your ability to browse our website and read or download any information provided on the site.
We may need certain personal information from you in order to adequately assist you. You may choose not to provide this information. However, if you choose not to do so, we may not be able to properly handle your request. You will have to contact us by mail, in person or by phone.
If you believe that your personal information is being used for a purpose other than what was intended when submitted, you may contact the Information Governance manager.
Our website is a general audience site and we do not knowingly collect any personal information from children. Users are cautioned that the collection of personal information requested from or volunteered by children online or by email will be treated the same as information given by an adult and may be subject to public access.
Public access to information
In Washington state, laws exist to ensure that government is transparent and the public can access appropriate records and information possessed by state government. At the same time, some information is protected from disclosure by exemptions found in both state and federal laws.
The information you provide online will become a public record and may be subject to public inspection and copying. We will protect your information to the maximum extent of the law. State and federal laws protect certain personal information from public disclosure, such as social security numbers, driver's license numbers and nonpublic health information. In most instances, home addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses and dates of birth are not protected from disclosure.
In the event of a conflict between this Privacy Notice and the Public Records Act or other law governing the agency's disclosure of records, the Public Records Act or other applicable law will control.
For more information see the Public Records Act.
Review and correction of personally identifiable information
You can request to view any of your personally identifiable information we collect through our public records process. You may recommend in writing any changes to your personally identifiable information you believe to be inaccurate We will take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting access or making corrections. See RCW 43.105.310.
Cookies and applets
To better serve our users, we use cookies to customize your browsing experience.
Cookies created on your computer by using this website do not contain personally identifying information and do not compromise your privacy or security. We use the cookie feature only to store a randomly generated identifying tag on your computer.
Applets are tools downloaded to your computer to work with the software you have. Applets are intended to enhance your browsing experience by enabling you to view information in a unique manner or enable access to information that your computer would otherwise be unable to access without the applet.
You are not required to use applets to browse this site. Choosing not to accept applets will not affect your general ability to browse and download information. It may adversely affect how information appears on your computer or your ability to view the information that the applet is intended to support.
Security
We have taken several steps to safeguard the integrity of our data and prevent unauthorized access to information maintained by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
For site security purposes and to ensure that this website remains available to all users, we use software to monitor traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise cause damage to this website. These measures are designed and intended to prevent corruption of data, block unknown or unauthorized access to our systems and information and to provide reasonable protection of private information in our possession.
This information should not be construed in any way as giving business, legal or other advice or warranting as failproof the security of information provided via the insurance commissioner's website.
Contact information
To request a review or correction of your personal information, contact:
Information Governance Manager
Office of the Insurance Commissioner
5000 Capitol Blvd.
Tumwater, WA 98501
Phone: 360-725-7003
Fax: 360-664-2782
Send a message to Public Records
Web: Public Records