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Public Order Emergency Commission – Website Privacy Statement

This privacy statement is intended to advise you of the collection and use of personal information in connection with the operation of the Public Order Emergency Commission website. Information that is collected by the Public Order Emergency Commission by other means, including hearings, roundtables and other public meetings, is not subject to this privacy statement.

Authority to collect, use and/or disclose personal information

The Public Order Emergency Commission has a mandate to carry out a public inquiry, in accordance with Part I of the Inquiries Act into the declared public order emergency that occurred between February 14-23, 2022. In connection with that mandate, the Public Order Emergency Commission may collect, use and/or disclose information that the Public Order Emergency Commission considers necessary or desirable to carry out that mandate, including personal information. Information collected by the Public Order Emergency Commission via this website or otherwise is for such purposes.

For more information on the Public Order Emergency Commission’s mandate, please see Order in Council 2022-0392.

Your Privacy and the Internet

Specific personal information, such as your name, phone number or email address, is not automatically gathered on this website. The Public Order Emergency Commission would only obtain this type of information if you supply it directly to the Public Order Emergency Commission, via email or otherwise.

If you choose to send an email to the Public Order Emergency Commission, your personal information may be used in order to respond to your inquiry. The Public Order Emergency Commission does not use the information to create individual profiles though it may create lists or records of witnesses or potential witnesses.

The nature of the Internet is such that Web servers automatically collect certain information about a visit to a website, including the visitor's Internet Protocol (IP) address. IP addresses are unique numbers assigned by Internet Service Providers (ISP) to all devices used to access the Internet. Web servers automatically log the IP addresses of visitors to their sites. The IP address, on its own, does not identify an individual. However, in certain circumstances, such as with the co-operation of an ISP for example, it could be used to identify an individual using the site. For this reason, the Public Order Emergency Commission considers the IP address to be personal information, particularly when combined with other data automatically collected when a visitor requests a Web page such as the page or pages visited, date and time of the visit. Such information will only be used to carry out the mandate of the Public Order Emergency Commission.

Public Comments and Submissions

The Public Order Emergency Commission may use this website to collect public comments and submissions about the subject matter of its work. If you choose to use this website to submit a comment or submission, your submission may be shared publicly, including in the Public Order Emergency Commission’s final report. The Public Order Emergency Commission will collect personal information about individuals who provide public comments and submissions. You may request that references to your public comments or submissions that are referred to in the Public Order Emergency Commission’s final report not disclose personal information about you.

Third-Party Social Media

The Public Order Emergency Commission’s use of social media serves as an extension of its presence on the Web. Social media account(s) are public and are not hosted on the Public Order Emergency Commission’s servers. Users who choose to interact with the Public Order Emergency Commission via social media should read the terms of service and privacy policies of these third-party service providers and those of any applications used to access them.

Improving your Experience on this Website

Digital Markers (including cookies)

A digital marker is a resource created by the visitors' browser in order to remember certain pieces of information for the Web server to reference during the same or subsequent visit to the website. Examples of digital markers are "cookies" or HTML5 web storage. Some examples of what digital markers do are as follows:

  • they allow a website to recognize a visitor who has previously accessed the site;
  • they track what content is viewed on a site which helps website administrators ensure visitors find what they are looking for.

The Public Order Emergency Commission website uses sessional and persistent digital markers on its website. During your on-line visit, your browser exchanges data with the Public Order Emergency Commission’s Web server. The digital markers used do not allow the Public Order Emergency Commission’s website to identify individuals and do not contain personal information.

You may adjust your browser settings to reject digital markers, including cookies, if you so choose. However, it may affect your ability to interact with the Public Order Emergency Commission’s website.

Web Analytics

Web analytics is the collection, analysis, measurement, and reporting of data about Web traffic and visits for purposes of understanding and optimizing Web usage. Information in digital markers may be used in conjunction with computer request data to identify and track your online interactions with the Public Order Emergency Commission website.

The Public Order Emergency Commission uses Google Analytics and log file analysis to improve the website experience. When your computer requests a Web page, the following types of information are collected and used for Web analytics:

  • the originating IP address
  • the date and time of the request
  • the type of browser used
  • the page(s) visited
  • referral website

If you wish, you may opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics by disabling or refusing the cookies; by disabling JavaScript within your browser; or by using the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On. Disabling Google Analytics or JavaScript will still permit you to access comparable information or services from our websites. However, if you disable your session cookie option, you will still be able to access our public website, but you might have difficulties accessing any secure services (if available).

Data collected for Web analytics purposes goes outside of Canada to Google servers and may be processed in any country where Google operates servers. Data may be subject to the governing legislation of that country. For further information about Google Analytics, please refer to the Google Analytics terms of service.

Records of the Commission

At the conclusion of the Public Order Emergency Commission’s mandate, the Commission is required to file its records with the Clerk of the Privy Council. Some records from the Public Order Emergency Commission may also be submitted to Library and Archives Canada. Personal information provided to the Public Order Emergency Commission through its website, including through email, could form part of the Public Order Emergency Commission’s records that will be filed with these government institutions.

Any personal information that is provided to these government institutions at the conclusion of the Public Order Emergency Commission’s work will be subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.

Inquiries about this Privacy Statement

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding this information or the privacy practices of the Public Order Emergency Commission, please contact us by emailing info@poec-cedu.gc.ca.