Welcome to the State Ethics Commission's Web site. Your privacy is one of our top priorities. The following policy applies only to the use of the State Ethics Commission's Web site. Other Web sites operated by state agencies have different policies. We strongly suggest that you read the privacy policies for each Commonwealth Web site that you visit, and any external site that you visit through a link appearing at this site.

Your privacy with respect to the use of this Web site results from a partnership between the State Ethics Commission and you, the user. At this Web site, we attempt to protect your privacy to the maximum extent possible. The State Ethics Commission collects no Personally Identifiable Information, either voluntarily or involuntarily. This site does not collect "cookies," but the Commission's Internet Service Provider, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Information Technology Department, does collect and store indefinitely your Internet Protocol ("IP") address, as well as information about the date and time of your visit, whether a file you have requested exists, and how many "bytes" of information were transmitted to you over the Web from this site. This information does not identify you as an individual. The Commonwealth's Information Technology Division may use your IP address to assess the frequency of visits to the Commission's site and the popularity of its various pages and functions.

Security. The Commission's service provider uses software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. Except for authorized law enforcement investigations, no attempts are made to identify individual users or their usage habits.

Policy changes. We will post changes to this policy at least 30 days before they take effect. Any information collected under the current privacy policy will remain subject to the terms of this policy. After any changes take effect, all new information collected, if any, will be subject to the new policy.

Contact Information. For questions about your privacy while using this Web site, please contact Carol Carson at The State Ethics Commission, One Ashburton Place, Room 619, Boston, MA, 02108, 617-371-9500.

Cookies are files that a Web site can place on your computer. A cookie file contains unique information that a Web site can use to track such things as your password, lists of Web pages you have visited, and the date when you last looked at a specific Web page, or to identify your session at a particular Web site. A cookie file allows the Web site to recognize you as you click through pages on the site and when you later revisit the site. A Web site can use cookies to "remember" your preferences, and to record your browsing behavior on the Web. Although you can prevent Web sites from placing cookies on your computer by using your browser's preference menu, disabling cookies may affect your ability to view or interact with some Web sites.

An "Internet Protocol Address" or "IP Address" is a series of numbers that identifies each computer and machine connected to the Internet. An IP address enables a server on a computer network to send you the file that you have requested on the Internet. The IP address disclosed to us may identify the computer from which you are accessing the Internet, or a server owned by your Internet Service Provider. Because it is machine-specific, rather than person-specific, an IP address is not, in and of itself, personally identifiable information.