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diff --git a/lib/views/help/privacy.html.erb b/lib/views/help/privacy.html.erb new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6f190ee --- /dev/null +++ b/lib/views/help/privacy.html.erb @@ -0,0 +1,186 @@ +<% @title = "Your privacy" %> + +<%= render :partial => 'sidebar' %> + +<div id="left_column_flip"> +<h1 id="privacy"><%= @title %> <a href="#privacy">#</a> </h1> + +<dl> + +<dt id="email_address">Who gets to see my email address? <a href="#email_address">#</a> </dt> + +<dd><p>We will not disclose your email address to anyone unless we are obliged to by law, +or you ask us to. This includes the public authority that you are sending a +request to. They only get to see an email address +@<%= AlaveteliConfiguration::incoming_email_domain %> which is specific to that request. </p> +<p>If you send a message to another user on the site, then it will reveal your +email address to them. You will be told that this is going to happen.</p> +</dd> + +<dt id="nasty_spam">Will you send nasty, brutish spam to my email address? <a href="#nasty_spam">#</a> </dt> +<dd>Nope. After you sign up to <%= site_name %> we will only send you emails +relating to a request you made, an email alert that you have signed up for, +or for other reasons that you specifically authorise. We will never give or +sell your email addresses to anyone else, unless we are obliged to by law, or +you ask us to. +</dd> + +<dt id="public_request">Why will my name and my request appear publicly on the site? <a href="#public_request">#</a> </dt> + +<dd> +<p>We publish your request on the Internet so that anybody can read it and +make use of the information that you have found. We do not normally delete +requests (<a href="#delete_requests">more details</a>). +</p> +<p> +Your name is tangled up with your request, so has to be published as well. +It is only fair, as we're going to publish the name of the civil servant who +writes the response to your request. Using your real name also helps people +get in touch with you to assist you with your research or to campaign with you. +</p> +<p>By law, you must use your real name for the request to be a valid Freedom of +Information request. See the next question for alternatives if you do not want +to publish your full name. +</p> +</dd> + +<dt id="real_name">Can I make an FOI request using a pseudonym? <a href="#real_name">#</a> </dt> + + +<dd> +<p>Technically, you must use your real name for your request to be a valid Freedom of Information request in law. See this +<a href="http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/freedom_of_information/detailed_specialist_guides/name_of_applicant_fop083_v1.pdf">guidance from the Information Commissioner</a> (January 2009). +</p> + +<p>However, the same guidance also says it is good practice for the public +authority to still consider a request made using an obvious pseudonym. +You should refer to this if a public authority refuses a request because you +used a pseudonym.</p> + +<p>Be careful though, even if the authority follows this good practice, the +pseudonym will probably make it impossible for you to complain to the +Information Commissioner later about the handling of your request. +</p> + +<p>There are several good alternatives to using a pseudonym.</p> + +<ul> +<li>Use a different form of your name. The guidance says +that "Mr Arthur Thomas Roberts" can make a valid request as "Arthur Roberts", +"A. T. Roberts", or "Mr Roberts", but <strong>not</strong> as "Arthur" or "A.T.R.". +</li> +<li>Women may use their maiden name.</li> +<li>In most cases, you may use any name by which you are "widely known and/or +is regularly used". +<li>Use the name of an organisation, the name of a company, the trading name of +a company, or the trading name of a sole trader. +<li>Ask someone else to make the request on your behalf. +<li>You may, if you are really stuck, ask us to make the request on +your behalf. Please <a href="/help/contact">contact us</a> with +a good reason why you cannot make the request yourself and cannot +ask a friend to. We don't have the resources to do this for everyone. +</ul> + +<p>Please do not try to impersonate someone else.</p> + +</dd> + +<dt id="full_address">They've asked for my postal address! <a href="#full_address">#</a> </dt> + +<dd> +<p>If a public authority asks you for your full, physical address, reply to them saying +that section 8.1.b of the FOI Act asks for an "address for correspondence", +and that the email address you are using is sufficient. +</p> +<p> +The Ministry of Justice has <a href="http://www.justice.gov.uk/guidance/foi-procedural-what.htm">guidance +on this</a> – +<em>"As well as hard copy written correspondence, requests that are +transmitted electronically (for example, in emails) are acceptable +... If a request is received by email and no postal address is given, the email +address should be treated as the return address." +</em> +</p> +<p>As if that isn't enough, the Information Commissioner's +<a href="http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/freedom_of_information/practical_application/foi_hints_for_practitioners_handing_foi_and_eir_requests_2008_final.pdf">Hints for Practitioners</a> say +<em>"Any correspondence could include a request for information. If it is written (this includes e-mail), legible, gives the name of the applicant, an address for reply (which could be electronic), and includes a description of the information required, then it will fall within the scope of the legislation."</em> +</p> +</dd> + +<dt id="postal_answer">No no, they need a postal address to send a paper response! <a href="#postal_answer">#</a> </dt> + +<dd> +<p>If an authority only has a paper copy of the information that you want, +they may ask you for a postal address. To start with, try persuading them +to scan in the documents for you. You can even <a href="http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/car_parking_charges_policy_and_a#outgoing-532">offer to gift them a scanner</a>, which in that particular case +embarrassed the authority into finding one they had already.</p> + +<p>If that doesn't work, and you want to provide your postal address privately +in order to receive the documents, mark your request as "They are going to reply by post", and it will +give you an email address to use for that purpose.</p> +</dd> + +<dt id="delete_requests">Can you delete my requests, or alter my name? <a href="#delete_requests">#</a> </dt> + +<dd> + +<p><%= site_name %> is a permanent, public archive of Freedom of +Information requests. Even though you may not find the response to +a request useful any more, it may be of interest to others. For this +reason, we will not delete requests. +</p> + +<p>Under exceptional circumstances we may remove or change your name +on the website, <a href="#takedown">see the next question</a>. +Similarly, we may also remove other personal information. +</p> + +<p>If you're worried about this before you make your request, +see the section on <a href="#real_name">pseudonyms</a>.</p> + +</dd> + +<dt id="takedown">Can you take down personal information about me? <a href="#takedown">#</a> </dt> + +<dd> + +<p>If you see any personal information about you on the site which you'd like +us to remove or hide, then please <a href="/help/contact">let us know</a>. +Specify exactly what information you believe to be problematic and why, and +where it appears on the site.</p> + +<p>If it is sensitive personal information that has been accidentally +posted, then we will usually remove it. Normally we will only consider +requests to remove personal information which come from the individual +concerned, but for sensitive information we would appreciate anyone +pointing out anything they see.</p> + +<p>We consider that there is a strong public interest in +retaining the names of officers or servants of public authorities. We will only +remove such names in exceptional circumstances, such as where the disclosure of +a name and position of employment would substantially risk an individual's +safety. If you are such an official and you wish to have your name removed for +such an urgent reason, you must supply us with a request to do so from your +line manager. This request must demonstrate that a risk has been perceived +which outweighs the public interest, and must demonstrate that efforts have +been made to conceal the name on the organisation's own website.</p> + +<p>For all other requests we apply a public interest test to decide +whether information should be removed. +<a href="http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?ActiveTextDocId=3190650"> Section 32</a> +of the Data Protection Act 1998 permits us to do this, as the material we +publish is journalistic. We cannot easily edit many types of attachments (such +as PDFs, or Microsoft Word or Excel files), so we will usually ask +that authorities resend these with the personal information removed.</p> + +</dd> + + +</dl> + +<p><strong>Learn more</strong> from the help for <a href="/help/officers">FOI officers</a> --> + +<div id="hash_link_padding"></div> + + +</div> |