Disclaimer

Introduction

The Corporation of the Town of Essex ("Town of Essex" or "Town") is committed to operating its website as an effective method of communication with interested users. The Town of Essex will adhere to all legislation regarding privacy and freedom of information that apply to it, which may result in significant disclosures of information contained in users' comments or messages, as is a risk normal to the use of social networking sites.

The Town of Essex will not use information provided by visitors for any purpose that is inconsistent with the purpose for which the information was provided, as stated on the web page. A visitor to the Town of Essex website will not receive correspondence or emails from the Town of Essex on any subject other than those subjects the visitor has given us permission to contact them about.

Privacy and Access

The Town of Essex is subject to the Ontario Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) and other privacy legislation.

Senders of messages should be aware that personal and other information contained in electronic correspondence (or printed versions thereof) which are directed to the Town of Essex are subject to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and may be deemed releasable under this legislation, and that the anonymity or confidentiality of the sender and any information contained within the correspondence cannot be guaranteed. Electronic messages resident on systems outside of domain names owned by the Town of Essex, but deemed to be in the custody and control of the Town of Essex, may also be releasable under this legislation.

The Government of Ontario maintains the e-Laws website, which provides free access to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and other legislation.

Use of Collected Information

The Town of Essex does not collect information for commercial or marketing purposes, nor does it sell, exchange, or otherwise distribute the information collected through this website for commercial or marketing purposes. The Town of Essex collects and uses only the minimum information needed to meet the purpose for which the collection is required.

The Town of Essex will not use information provided by visitors for any purpose that is inconsistent with the purpose for which the information was provided, as stated on the web page. A visitor to the Town of Essex website will not receive correspondence or emails from the Town of Essex on any subject other than those subjects the visitor has given it permission to contact them about.

Information as Part of the Public Record

Information submitted through online forms or other formats (e.g. emails, letters, petitions, etc.) may be placed in a public agenda and become part of the public record.

Your personal information will be collected and maintained for the purpose of creating a record and may be available to the general public pursuant to the Municipal Act 2001 , the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA), and any other relevant Acts.

Use of "Cookies"

During user interaction with the Town's Internet site, we may use a browser feature called a "cookie" to collect information anonymously and track user patterns on the website. A cookie is a small text file containing a unique identification number that identifies your browser - but not you - to our computers each time you visit one of our pages. Cookies tell us which pages are visited and by how many people. This helps us enhance the online experience of visitors to our website.

Unless you specifically advise us, we will not know who you are, even though we may assign your computer a cookie. We cannot use cookies, by themselves, to disclose the individual identity of any site user, and we never combine information gathered by a cookie with personally identifiable information, such as your name, telephone number, or your email address.

Links to Third Party Sites

This website contains links to other websites that are created and operated by independent bodies and are therefore not under the control of the Town of Essex. These website links are provided as a public service and do not imply the investigation or verification of the linked websites by the Town of Essex. The Town of Essex is not responsible, and makes no express or implied representations or warranties concerning the products, services and information found on the linked websites.

Prohibited Use

This website is being provided for your personal non-commercial use. Any information contained on this website may be used, downloaded and printed for non-commercial purposes provided the content of the website is not modified, in whole or in part, and that every copy of the downloaded or printed information is accompanied by this disclaimer notice.

The information, software and products contained on this website shall not be modified, copied, distributed, reproduced, published, licensed, transferred or sold for a commercial purpose, in whole or in part, without the consent of the Town of Essex.

Social Media Disclaimer

For the most part, comments and messages posted to the Town's official social networking sites are considered transitory records and will not be kept as a permanent record by the Town of Essex. In the event that comments and messages are transferred for use on other websites or communication media, users acknowledge and consent by their use of the Town's social networking sites that their comments or messages may become part of the public record and used in official Town of Essex documentation. It is in the discretion of the Town of Essex which comments will be archived or used.

It is not the intent of the Town of Essex to collect any personal information when users participate on its social media websites other than what is volunteered to the Town. Comments and messages collected for the public record using social media will be treated like any other form of communication received by the Town.

The Town of Essex may monitor social networking content for factuality and appropriateness and will make reasonable efforts to ensure that content it posts is accurate at the time of posting. However, it is in the nature of social networking communications that accuracy and timeliness are not guaranteed and may not be reliable; as such, the user acknowledges that the Town of Essex makes no such guarantees. As well, the Town of Essex is not responsible for the authenticity or suitability of content posted to social networking sites by others. Posted comments and images do not necessarily represent the views of the Town of Essex.

The Town of Essex cannot and does not guarantee your privacy on third-party social networking websites as users are subject to the terms and conditions of the specific application. Users should review and agree to the third-party terms and conditions prior to participating.

The Town of Essex will not be responsible for any losses or damages any user may suffer as a result of using third-party social networking websites; users participate at their own risk, for their own benefit and in so doing accept that they have no right of action against the Town of Essex related to such use.

The Town of Essex reserves the right to edit and/or modify comments and posts that contain content threats, off topic remarks and comments, violations against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, discriminatory language, expletive language, campaigning, partisan messaging or commercial advertisements or other material deemed inappropriate.

Disclaimer

The Town of Essex does not guarantee in any manner the quality, accuracy, or completeness of any information on this website, or in links provided by this website. A link between the Town's website and any other website does not imply endorsement or sponsorship of that website, or the creator of that website.

In the event of a discrepancy between the information contained on this website and the information contained in the records of the Town of Essex, the information contained in the records of the Town of Essex shall be deemed accurate.

Changes to this policy

The Town of Essex will revise or update this policy if its practices change, or as it develops better ways to keep you informed about them. You should refer back to this page often for the latest information and the effective date of any changes.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us. Contact information is provided in the contact box on this page.