Privacy
Confidential Nature of All Personal Information
All personal information provided by the users of this website is confidential and is protected and handled in accordance with the Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information (R.S.Q., c. A-2.1). Moreover when a complaint concerning health services or social services is filed, the complaint file is added to the user’s record and is governed specifically by Sections 17 through 28 of the Act respecting health services and social services (R.S.Q., c. s-4.2).
If you choose to send us personal information by email at protecteur@protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca or fill out the complaint form and submit it through our website, we will use only the information required to respond to and follow up on your inquiry. For security reasons we do not respond by email to questions requiring personal and confidential information without prior notice. Email messages are processed using the same privacy measures as regular mail. The personal information you send will be shared with another public agency only if required by law.
Automatically Transmitted Data
As soon as you access the Québec Ombudsman website, the following information is exchanged automatically between your computer and the site server:
- Domain name and IP address
- Type of browser and operating system used
- Pages visited
- Address of referencing site if you linked to the Québec Ombudsman website from another website
The data automatically transmitted between computers does not make it possible to identify you personally. It is collected for technical reasons to allow Internet browsing and is used only for statistical purposes. This exchange of information is also used to display the website’s content in a way that is the most compatible with your computer equipment.
Cookies
The Québec Ombudsman website uses cookies. A cookie is a computer text file sent to your Web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, etc.) by the site server (the computer hosting a website) in order to record certain data. Cookies cannot access files or other information on your computer. The Québec Ombudsman uses cookies in a constant effort to improve its website and to collect statistics on its use.
The Québec Ombudsman website uses two types of cookies:
- Persistent cookies are text files that are recorded on your hard drive and can be retrieved on a subsequent visit. Cookies remain on your hard disk until they expire or you delete them.
- Session cookies remain on your Web browser while you visit our site and expire as soon as you leave it. They keep the information only as long as you are actively visiting the site.
Persistent cookies are optional in Web browsers. You can change the configuration of the cookies yourself using your browser settings. Usually you can choose whether to accept or reject cookies or simply request notification when a cookie is created.
The Québec Ombudsman uses Google Analytics, whose privacy policy requires that the Québec Ombudsman communicate the following information: “This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses cookies, which are text files placed on your computer to help the website analyze how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators, and providing other services relating to website activity and Internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf, including the operator of this website. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however please note that it you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. By using this website you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.” We remind you that Google Analytics is not used for online services.
Links to Other Websites
The Québec Ombudsman website suggests links to other sites. However, as soon as you leave our website the information exchanged is no longer subject to our privacy rules but rather those of the other websites you visit.