Internet Privacy Policy

Thank you for visiting the New York State Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (the "Commission") website. This website is designed to make it easier and more efficient for individuals and businesses to interact with the Commission. The Commission recognizes that it is critical for individuals and businesses to be confident that their privacy is protected when they visit the Commission's website.

Consistent with the provisions of the Internet Security and Privacy Act, the Personal Privacy Protection Law, and the Executive Law, this policy describes the Commission's privacy practices regarding information collected from users of this website. This policy describes what information is collected and how that information is used. Because this privacy policy only applies to this website, you should examine the privacy policy of any website, including other state agency websites.

For purposes of this policy, "personal information" means any information concerning a natural person, as opposed to a corporate entity, which, because of name, number, symbol, mark, or other identifier, can be used to identify that natural person. The Commission only collects personal information about you when you provide that information voluntarily by sending an email or by initiating an online transaction, such as a request for information or the submission of a required filing. 

The Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government administers two statutory filings programs that require disclosure of information to the Commission which is then made publicly available through the Commission's website or related applications.  Annual Statements of Financial Disclosure are filed with the Commission pursuant section 73-a of the Public Officers Law.  As required by law, the filings of elected officials are published on the Commission's website and all other fillings are available upon request, subject to redaction requests under the Public Officers Law.  The Commission also regulates lobbying activity in New York and the Lobbying Act (Article 1-a of the Legislative Law) requires that lobbyists and their clients disclose information about their activities in filings submitted to the Commission.  As required by law, these filings, and the data included in them, are available through the Commisssion's website and the electronic online filing application.  Submission of required filings is deemed to constitute consent to the collection and disclosure of the information therein, including personal information.

When visiting this website the Commission automatically collects and stores the following information about your visit:

(i) The Internet Protocol Address and domain name used, but not the e-mail address. The Internet Protocol Address is a numerical identifier assigned either to your internet service provider or directly to your computer;

(ii) The type of browser and operating system you used;

(iii) The date and time you visited this site;

(iv) The web pages or services you accessed at this site;

(v) The web site you visited prior to coming to this web site;

(vi) The web site you visit as you leave this web site; and

(vii) If you downloaded a form, the form that was downloaded.

None of the foregoing information is deemed to constitute personal information. The information that is collected automatically is used to improve this website's content and to help the Commission understand how users are interacting with the website. This information is collected for statistical analysis, to determine what information is of most and least interest to our users, and to improve the utility of the material available on the website. The information is not collected for commercial marketing purposes and the Commission is not authorized to sell or otherwise disclose the information collected from the website for commercial marketing purposes.

Cookies are simple text files stored on your web browser to provide a means of distinguishing among users of this website. The use of cookies is a standard practice among internet websites. To better serve you, we use "session cookies" to enhance or customize your visit to this website. Session cookies can be created automatically on the device you use to access this state agency website. These session cookies do not contain personal information and do not compromise your privacy or security. We may use the cookie feature to store a randomly generated identifying tag on the device you use to access this website. A session cookie is erased during operation of your browser or when your browser is closed.

During your visit to this website you may send an e-mail to the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government. Your e-mail address and the contents of your message will be collected. The information collected is not limited to text characters and may include audio, video, and graphic information formats included in the message. Your email address and the information included in your message will be used to respond to you, to address issues you identify, to improve this website, or to forward your message to another State agency for appropriate action. Your e-mail address is not collected for commercial purposes and the Commission is not authorized to sell or otherwise disclose your e-mail address for commercial purposes.

During your visit to this website you may initiate a transaction such as a request for information or the submission of a required filing. The information, including personal information, volunteered by you in initiating the transaction is used by the Commission to operate Commission programs, which include the provision of goods, services, and information. The information collected by the Commission may be disclosed by the Commission for those purposes that may be reasonably ascertained from the nature and terms of the transaction in connection with which the information was submitted.

The collection of information through this website and the disclosure of that information are subject to the provisions of the Internet Security and Privacy Act. The Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government will only collect personal information through this website or disclose personal information collected through this website if the user has consented to the collection or disclosure of such personal information. Participation in an online transaction resulting in the disclosure of personal information to the Commission by the user, whether solicited or unsolicited, constitutes consent to the collection and disclosure of the information by the Commission for the purposes reasonably ascertainable from the nature and terms of the transaction.  Submission of legally required filings also is deemed to constitute consent to the collection and disclosure of the information therein, including personal information, in accordance with the relevant laws.  

The Commission may collect or disclose personal information without user consent if the collection or disclosure is:

1. necessary to perform the statutory duties of the Commission, or necessary for the Commission to operate a program authorized by law, or authorized by state or federal statute or regulation;
2. made pursuant to a subpoena, court order or by law;
3. for the purpose of validating the identity of the user; or
4. of information to be used solely for statistical purposes that is in a form that cannot be used to identify any particular person.

Further, the disclosure of information, including personal information, collected through this website is subject to the provisions of the Personal Privacy Protection Law, the Executive Law, the Public Officers Law, and the Lobbying Act (Article 1-A of the Legislative Law).

The Commission may disclose personal information to federal or state law enforcement authorities to enforce the Commission's rights against unauthorized access or attempted unauthorized access to the Commission's information technology assets or against other inappropriate use of this website.

The information collected through this website is retained in accordance with the records retention and disposition requirements of the New York State Arts & Cultural Affairs Law. Information on the requirements of the Arts & Cultural Affairs Law may be found at https://www.archives.nysed.gov/records/laws-local-government-records-law-57a.

In general, the Internet services logs of the Commission, comprising electronic files or automated logs created to monitor access and use of Agency services provided through this website, are retained for no more than 30 days and then destroyed.

Information, including personal information, that you submit in an e-mail or when you initiate an online transaction such as a request for information or the submission of a required filing is retained in accordance with the records retention and disposition schedule established for the records of the program unit to which you submitted the information.

The Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government is strongly committed to protecting personal information collected through this website against unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. Consequently, the Commission limits employee access to personal information collected through this website to only those employees who need access to the information in the performance of their official duties. Employees who have access to this information are required to follow appropriate procedures in connection with any disclosures of personal information.

In addition, the Commission has implemented procedures to safeguard the integrity of its information technology assets. These security procedures have been integrated into the design, implementation, and day-to-day operations of this website as part of our continuing commitment to the security of electronic content as well as the electronic transmission of information.

For website security purposes and to maintain the availability of the website for all users, the Commission employs software to monitor traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise damage this website.

The information provided in this privacy policy should not be construed as giving business, legal, or other advice, or warranting as fail proof, the security of information provided through this website.

In order to provide users with certain information, the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government provides links to the websites of local, State, and federal government agencies, and to the websites of other organizations. A link does not constitute an endorsement of the content, viewpoint, accuracy, opinions, policies, products, services, or accessibility of that website. Once you link to another website from this website, including one maintained by the State, you are subject to the terms and conditions of that website, including, but not limited to, its Internet privacy policy, which has precedence for information collected by that site.