Internet Privacy Policy
The privacy of our customers has always been important to the Railroad Retirement Board. Our concern for your privacy is no different in the electronic age. As a Federal Agency, the Privacy Act (U.S.C. 552a) requires us to protect the information we collect from you.
The privacy policy outlined below applies only to the data we collect from you over the Internet.
This is our notice to you about why we collect your personal information, how we use it, and who we share it with; what your choices are for how we use your information; how we get access to your information; and how we protect the information we collect and maintain.
Why We Collect Your Personal Information
- We collect personal data to administer the Railroad Retirement Act and Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act. We do not use the information for any other internal secondary purpose.
- You don't have to give us personal information to visit our website.
- If you do give us your personal information, we treat it very carefully.
- We collect personal information about You (e.g., name, e-mail address, Social Security number or other unique identifier) only if you specifically and knowingly give it to us. You should note, however, that when you send us an email, you automatically furnish us with your e-mail address even if you don't furnish any additional personal information.
How We Will Use Your Personal Information
- We do not sell the information we collect at this site, or any information we collect.
- The personal information you give us at this site will be used only in connection with the administration of the Railroad Retirement Act and the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act. If you use our web site to apply for benefits, the information that you give us on the application will be used in the same way as if you had furnished the information in person to our field office representatives or had completed an application and mailed it in to us. In both cases the uses of the information is subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act. The retention period will be the same. If, however, you send us an email, for example as to how we can improve our web site, we will use the information you provide for that purpose only. The identifying information you give us, such as your email address and your name, will not be retained in a Privacy Act system of records, where we can retrieve your suggestion by your name or email address.
- For statistical purposes, we also collect non-personal information about you. Sometimes we analyze this data to determine customer interest in different parts of our website. The information we share is in a format that does not personally identify anyone.
Who We Will Share Your Personal Information With
We may disclose information you give us (e.g., to the Social Security Administration, Department of Veteran's Affairs) if authorized or required by Federal Law, such as the Privacy Act, Railroad Retirement Act, or the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act.
Your Choice About Who We Share Your Personal Information With
If Federal laws (e.g., Privacy Act, Railroad Retirement Act, or the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act) does not allow us to share information, we must get your written authorization before we can furnish your information to anyone else.
Your Access to the Information We Collect About You
You may have access to any of the information we collect about you at this site. We'll correct any errors you may find. If you need to get or correct information about you, see How to Obtain Records about Yourself.
How We Protect the Security of the Information We Collect
- The Internet was originally designed as an open system with no built in security; however, we are required to protect the information we collect and maintain about you and will not use the Internet to do business with you unless we can do so in a secure manner. We will take reasonable precautions to maintain the security, confidentiality and integrity of the information we collect at this site.
- The RRB sometimes uses contractors to perform various website and database functions. When we do, we make sure that the agreement language with the contractor ensures the security, confidentiality and integrity of any personal information the contractor may have access to in the course of contract performance.
Our Concern about Personal Information Via Email
- Electronic mail is not secure. Therefore, we suggest that you don't send personal information to us via email. For our part we will send you only general information via email.
- Electronic mail messages that meet the definition of records in the Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) are covered under the same disposition schedule as all other Federal records. This means that emails you send us will be preserved and maintained for varying periods of time if those emails meet the definition of Federal records. Electronic messages that are not records are deleted when no longer needed.
Our Use of "Cookies" and How It Affects Your Visit to Our Website
- What is a "cookie"? A cookie is a small piece of text that is sent to your computer along with a web page when you visit a website. Your computer will give the information in the cookie only to the computer that sent it, and no other website can request it. There are three types of cookies - persistent, third party, and session. We never use persistent or third party cookies, but sometimes we use session cookies.
- We use session cookies only in some places where you can transact business. We store the cookie on your computer only during your visit. The session cookie keeps you from losing information you've entered for a business transaction with us if, during your visit, you leave our website and return.
- Once you turn off your computer or stop using the Internet, the cookie is erased.
Our Use of Third Party Applications if You Opt-In to Receive Updates from the RRB
You have the option to receive RRB information updates via either electronic mail (email) or by Really Simple Syndication (RSS) newsfeed. You must explicitly provide your email address in order to subscribe (Opt-in) for these updates. We use two different third party applications (FeedBlitz and FeedBurner) to assist us in providing this service to you. Both of these applications require your email address and may collect non-identifying statistical information from you. We may analyze and use this information to help us provide better service to you. In no case is personal information collected or stored about you.
- FeedBlitz is the application we use when you want to subscribe for automatic email updates on RRB benefits. The complete FeedBlitz Privacy Policy can be found here.
- FeedBurner is the application we use when you want to subscribe to RSS newsfeeds provided by the RRB. FeedBurner is an application provided by Google and you can find it's Privacy Policy here.
If You Visit Other Websites
Our website contains session links to other federal agencies and private organizations. These websites are not within our control and may not follow the same privacy, security or accessibility policies. Once you link to another site you are subject to the policies of that site.
Our Use of Web Measurement Technologies
We use web measurement technologies to remember a user's online interactions in order to conduct measurement and analysis of usage on our web site. The company we use is ForeSee Results to measure satisfaction of your online experience with our web site.
We will not use such technologies:
- To track user individual-level activity on the Internet outside of the website or application from which the technology originates
- To share the data obtained through such technologies, without the user's explicit consent, with other departments or agencies
- To cross-reference, without the user's explicit consent, any data gathered from web measurement and customization technologies against PII to determine individual-level online activity
- To collect PII without the user's explicit consent in any fashion