Privacy Policy
Please note: this is the 2011 Protecting Victoria’s Vulnerable Children Inquiry’s (the Inquiry) privacy statement and policy.

Website Privacy Statement
The State Government of Victoria is committed to protecting the information it collects and uses by compliance with its obligations under the Information Privacy Act 2000 (Vic). This Privacy Statement applies to this website, which is operated by the Inquiry under the domain name www.childprotectioninquiry.vic.gov.au ('website'). It does not relate to the confidentiality of any submission you may make to the Inquiry. Any requests that a submission be accepted on a confidential basis will be considered on a case by case basis. This Website Privacy Statement explains how your personal information (being information or opinion in any form where your identity is apparent or can be reasonably ascertained) will be treated as you access and interact with this website. The practices outlined in this Website Privacy Statement are subject to any rights we may have to handle personal information in accordance with law.

Collection of your personal information
The personal information we collect via this website includes:
•    the content of any electronic forms you submit via this website, such as for the lodging of submissions or subscription to email alert services.
•    any messages or comments you submit to the Inquiry via this website or to email addresses displayed on this website, which may include personal information such as name, email address and telephone number.

While you can browse this website anonymously, without disclosing your personal information, we may not be able to provide the full range of services through this website if we are not provided with the information outlined above.

When you provide us with personal information about other individuals, we rely on you to make them aware:
•    that such information will or may be provided to the Inquiry and the types of third parties we may provide it to
•    of the relevant purposes that we and such third parties will use it for
•    how they can access it.

Use and disclosure of your personal information
In addition to receiving and considering information that you provide to us, and responding to your requests, we may use or disclose personal information that we collect about you for the conduct of the Inquiry.

We may also disclose personal information that we collect about you for purposes including the following:
•    for purposes connected with the operation, administration, development or enhancement of this website
•    where we suspect that fraud or unlawful activity has been, is being or may be engaged in
•    any other purposes required or authorised by law.

We may share personal information with third parties. The types of third parties to whom we may disclose that personal information include our service providers, who assist us in providing this website and our products and services such as organisations who provide archival, auditing, professional advisory, mailhouse, delivery, call centre, technology, research, utility and security services. We may also disclose your personal information to third parties acting on your behalf, for example, your solicitor or interpreter.

Security
We have implemented technology and security policies, rules and measures to protect the personal information that we have under our control. However, you should be aware that there are risks in transmitting information across the Internet. So while we strive to protect such information, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information transmitted to us online and individuals do so at their own risk. Once any personal information comes into our possession, we will take reasonable steps to protect that information from misuse and loss, and from unauthorised access, modification and disclosure. If you are concerned about conveying sensitive material to us over the Internet, you might prefer to contact us by telephone or mail.

Electronic forms and email
We may preserve the content of any forms you complete or emails or other electronic messages that we receive. Any personal information contained in that message will only be used or disclosed in ways set out in the web pages themselves or in accordance with this website Privacy Statement.

Links to external websites
This Website Privacy Statement does not extend beyond this website. When following links to other sites from this website, we recommend that you read the privacy statement of that site to familiarise yourself with its privacy practices.

Cookies
Like many sites, this website may use cookies from time to time.
Cookies are small data files that a website is able to place on a user's hard drive to record aspects of that user's experience of the website. For example, we may use cookies to record that a user visited a particular section of the website, that their browsing software was a particular version, or to ensure that online applications and transactions do not require you to re-input information when moving between web pages. In this way, cookies can improve the operation of the website, and make the experience more efficient, more enjoyable or more personalised. Importantly, in depositing information on a user's computer and referring to it later in the same session (sessional) or on a subsequent visit (persistent), cookies do not need to identify the user or record any personal information.

The default settings of internet browsers may allow some or all cookies, but users can easily take steps to erase cookies from their hard drive, block all cookies, or receive a warning before a cookie is stored. However, some parts of sites may not function fully for users that disallow cookies.

Web statistics data collection
Pages on the site may be coded with Google Analytics code. This is not apparent to the user, as the code makes use of an invisible image at the bottom of the web page. This software stores a cookie in your browser, which contains a unique identifier, and sends information to Google. This enables Google to track the number of unique visitors to the site. In no way does this unique identifier identify a user personally. We do not and will not marry any data collected by Google with any personal information.

Access and correction
To request access to or correction of your personal information held by the Inquiry, please contact the Department of Premier and Cabinet Privacy Officer to find out about access and correction procedures.