The Department of Administration website is the electronic gateway to services and information the department offers to state agencies, local governments, businesses and citizens. This notice addresses privacy, information collection, public disclosure, cookies, linking and accessibility as they relate to this website.

This statement addresses the collection, use and security of and access to information that may be obtained through use of the Department of Administration website. This notice covers the following topics:

For site management functions, information is collected for analysis and statistical purposes. This information is not reported or used in any manner that would reveal personally identifiable information, and will not be released to any outside parties unless legally required to do so in connection with law enforcement investigations or other legal proceedings.

We use log analysis tools to create summary statistics, which are used for purposes such as assessing what information is of interest, determining technical design specifications and identifying system performance or problem areas. Our website logs do not collect personally identifiable information, and we make no attempt to link them with the individuals who browse the department website. When you visit the Department of Administration website and browse or download information, we automatically collect and store the following information about your visit:

1. The Internet Protocol Address and domain name used but not the email address. The Internet Protocol address is a numerical identifier assigned either to your Internet service provider or directly to your computer. We use the Internet Protocol Address to direct Internet traffic to you;
2. The type of browser and operating system you used;
3. The date and time you visited this site;
4. The web pages or services you accessed at this site; and
5. The website you visited prior to coming to this web site.

If during your visit to this website you participate in a survey, complete a web form, or send an e-mail, the following additional information will be collected:

1. The e-mail address and contents of the e-mail; and
2. Information volunteered to complete a web form or in response to a survey.

The information collected is not limited to text characters and may include audio, video and graphic information formats you send us. This information is retained in accordance with Minnesota Statutes Chapter 138.17, subd. 1, and Minnesota Statutes Chapter 15.17, destruction, preservation, reproduction of records, prima facie evidence.

If you send us an e-mail with a question or comment that contains personally identifiable information, or fill out a form that e-mails us this information, we will only use the personally identifiable information to respond to your request and analyze trends. This may be to respond to you, to address issues you identify, or to further improve our web site. We may redirect your message to another government agency that is in a better position to answer your question. Survey information is used for the purpose designated.

"Personal information" is information about a natural person that is readily identifiable to that specific individual. Personal information includes such things as an individual's name, address and telephone number. A domain name or Internet Protocol address is not considered personal information.

We collect no personal information about you unless you voluntarily participate in an activity that asks for information (e.g., sending an e-mail, completing a web form, or participating in a survey). If you choose not to participate in these activities, your choice will in no way affect your ability to use any other feature of this web site.

If personal information is requested on the website or volunteered by the user, State law and the Federal Privacy Act of 1974 may protect it. However, this information is a public record once you provide it, and may be subject to public inspection and copying if not protected by Federal or State law.

Users are cautioned that the collection of personal information requested from or volunteered by children online or by e-mail will be treated the same as information given by an adult, and may be subject to public access.

In the State Of Minnesota, laws exist to ensure that government is open and that the public has a right to access appropriate records and information possessed by State government. At the same time, there are exceptions to the public's right to access public records that serve various needs, including the privacy of individuals. Exceptions are provided by both State and Federal laws.

All information collected at this website becomes public records that may be subject to inspection and copying by the public, unless exempted by State or Federal law or rule. Minnesota Rules, Department of Administration Chapter 1205 defines Minnesota's Data Practices Act. In the event of a conflict between this Data Practices Act and the Public Records Act or other law governing the disclosure of records, the Public Records Act or other applicable law will control the information.

You can review any personal information we collect about you. You may recommend changes to your personal information you believe in error by submitting a written request that credibly shows the error. If you believe that your personal information is being used for a purpose other than what was intended when submitted, you may contact us. In all cases, we will take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting access or making corrections.

To better serve our users, we use "cookies" to customize your browsing experience with the Department of Administration web site. A cookie contains unique information a website can use to track such things as passwords, lists of pages you have visited and the date when you last looked at a specific page or to identify your session at a particular website. Cookies provide a method of distinguishing among visitors to our website. Cookies created on your computer by using this website do not contain personally identifying information and do not compromise your privacy or security. We use the cookie feature only to store a randomly generated identifying tag on your computer. You can refuse the cookie or delete the cookie file from your computer by using any of the widely available methods.

Unauthorized attempts to deny service, upload information, change information, or to attempt to access a non-public site from this service are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under Title 18 of the U.S. Code to include the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act.

The Department of Administration website includes links to other web sites. These may include links to websites operated by other State of Minnesota government agencies, other states, nonprofit organizations and private businesses. When you link to another site, you are no longer on the Department of Administration’s website and this Privacy Notice is no longer applicable. When you move to another website, you are subject to the privacy policy of that new site.

Neither the State of Minnesota, nor any agency, officer, or employee of the State of Minnesota warrants the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information published by this system, nor endorses any content, viewpoints, products, or services linked from this system, and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.

The Department of Administration is hosted by North Star and subscribes to the following portal security statement:

The State of Minnesota, as developer and manager of North Star, the State of Minnesota's portal, has taken a number of steps to safeguard the integrity of its data and prevent unauthorized access to information that is maintained in agency computer systems. These measures are designed and intended to prevent corruption of data, block unknown or unauthorized access to our systems and information, ensure the integrity of information that is transmitted between users of e-government applications and the State, and to provide reasonable protection of private information that is in our possession.

For security purposes and to assure that this service remains available to all users, North Star uses special software programs for monitoring and auditing network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or to otherwise cause damage to this government computer system. North Star also uses industry-standard software tools to control access to specific applications and services and to protect data that is transmitted electronically between users and the State of Minnesota. These programs help us identify someone attempting to tamper with this website.

WARNING -- If security monitoring reveals possible evidence of criminal activity, information pertaining to such activity will be provided to the proper authorities.

Unauthorized attempts to upload information and/or change information on this website are strictly prohibited and are subject to prosecution under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and Title 18 U.S.C. Sec.1001 and 1030.

The information contained in this policy statement should not be construed in any way as giving business, legal, or other advice, or warranting as fail-proof the security of information provided via the North Star portal or the web sites of individual state agencies.

This site contains links to other websites, including those owned or maintained by other government, private, or not-for-profit entities. Such links are provided for convenience and/or information purposes only.

In the course of providing comprehensive service and information, the Department of Administration may provide links to content not controlled by the State of Minnesota. No endorsement is intended or made of any link, product, service or information either by its inclusion or exclusion from this website.

Hypertext links to external web sites and pages may be removed or replaced at the sole discretion of the Department of Administration, at any time without notice.

In addition, hypertext links may be created by the Department of Administration for informational purposes where the linked external website will provide useful and valuable information to visitors to this website, or where the linked external website is required or authorized by law.

Links From This Site

To request a link from the Department of Administration website, use the Contact Admin link.

Criteria for including an external link

The Department of Administration will evaluate each requested link based upon the following criteria:

The suggested website must either be a state or local government agency/quasi-agency or non-profit entity, or must provide information related to state or local government or other statewide interest. Commercial websites will not be considered unless they provide significant information or services of a statewide interest or are in partnership with a state entity.

This website offers Minnesota governments, citizens and businesses easy and efficient access to Department of Administration information, products and services. The department makes every effort to adhere to 508 requirements as set forth by the W3C Accessibility Initiative. Ongoing validation testing is conducted using industry-recognized tools for coding and usability.