From c52742cb7c587ed7486686e8ddbe2c4fe51e4365 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Seb Bacon Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2011 18:36:23 +0000 Subject: various help files that would normally need to be localised --- lib/views/help/privacy.rhtml | 184 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 184 insertions(+) create mode 100644 lib/views/help/privacy.rhtml (limited to 'lib/views/help/privacy.rhtml') diff --git a/lib/views/help/privacy.rhtml b/lib/views/help/privacy.rhtml new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0014271 --- /dev/null +++ b/lib/views/help/privacy.rhtml @@ -0,0 +1,184 @@ +<% @title = "Your privacy" %> + +<%= render :partial => 'sidebar' %> + +

<%= @title %> #

+ +
+ +
Who gets to see my email address? #
+ +

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 +@whatdotheyknow.com which is specific to that request.

+

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.

+
+ +
Will you send nasty, brutish spam to my email address? #
+
Nope. After you sign up to WhatDoTheyKnow 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. +
+ +
Why will my name and my request appear publicly on the site? #
+ +
+

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 (more details). +

+

+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. +

+

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. +

+
+ +
Can I make an FOI request using a pseudonym? #
+ + +
+

Technically, you must use your real name for your request to be a valid Freedom of Information request in law. See this +guidance from the Information Commissioner (January 2009). +

+ +

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.

+ +

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. +

+ +

There are several good alternatives to using a pseudonym.

+ +
    +
  • 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 not as "Arthur" or "A.T.R.". +
    • +
  • Women may use their maiden name.
    • +
  • In most cases, you may use any name by which you are "widely known and/or +is regularly used". +
  • 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. +
  • Ask someone else to make the request on your behalf. +
  • You may, if you are really stuck, ask us to make the request on +your behalf. Please contact us 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. +
+ +

Please do not try to impersonate someone else.

+ +
+ +
They've asked for my postal address! #
+ +
+

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. +

+

+The Ministry of Justice has guidance +on this – +"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." + +

+

As if that isn't enough, the Information Commissioner's +Hints for Practitioners say +"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." +

+
+ +
No no, they need a postal address to send a paper response! #
+ +
+

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 offer to gift them a scanner, which in that particular case +embarrassed the authority into finding one they had already.

+ +

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.

+
+ +
Can you delete my requests, or alter my name? #
+ +
+ +

WhatDoTheyKnow 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. +

+ +

Under exceptional circumstances we may remove or change your name +on the website, see the next question. +Similarly, we may also remove other personal information. +

+ +

If you're worried about this before you make your request, +see the section on pseudonyms.

+ +
+ +
Can you take down personal information about me? #
+ +
+ +

If you see any personal information about you on the site which you'd like +us to remove or hide, then please let us know. +Specify exactly what information you believe to be problematic and why, and +where it appears on the site.

+ +

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.

+ +

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.

+ +

For all other requests we apply a public interest test to decide +whether information should be removed. + Section 32 +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.

+ +
+ + +
+ +

Learn more from the help for FOI officers --> + +

+ + -- cgit v1.2.3