Privacy policy

Welcome to the Web site of the Government Information Office, ROC Executive Yuan (hereinafter called the “GIO Web site”). In order to ensure your privacy, the GIO has established a Privacy Policy for its Web site(s). The following will detail the GIO’s policies and principles concerning the collection, use, and protection of user data provided by visitors to this Web site and extended service sites. Please read it carefully.

Scope of Use

The following privacy policies apply when you are browsing the GIO Web site (any page with the domain name gio.gov.tw) and extended service sites (such as www.taiwanheadlines.gov.tw). These policies concern the collection, use, and protection of personal data. The said policies shall not apply to any activity you might initiate by virtue of passing to a different Web site as the result of a search on a GIO Web page or by other means, however. Protection of your personal data while browsing other Web pages depends on the individual privacy policies of the Web sites involved.

Data Collection

Depending on the service being provided, all or part of the following user data may be collected from visitors:

User Registration: When you register to become a member of this site, you will be asked for some personal information, including your name, ID number, date of birth, gender, user name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, occupation, and interests.

Online Events and Questionnaires: When you participate in an online event or answer a questionnaire or survey, you may be asked to provide your name, ID number, address, telephone number, and e-mail address. Some events may be limited to registered members.

Additionally, if you click on a banner ad or link on the GIO Web site, other Web sites or organizations have their own privacy policies concerning personal data you provide in order to participate in a prize draw, competition or promotional event sponsored by the said third party organizations or Web sites. The handling of such data is not covered by the privacy policies relating to the GIO Web site, and the GIO Web site cannot be responsible for any consequences.

General Browsing: While you are browsing the GIO Web site, the server will automatically produce a log file. This file includes your IP address, duration of visit, browser version used, and record of your browsing behavior. Information about pages viewed and time spent on-site is used to improve the quality of the GIO Web site content and service.

Other: If you write to the GIO, or express an opinion to the GIO via another channel, we will retain a record of the communication and its disposition. The GIO Web site’s privacy policy does not cover any personal information, such as name or e-mail address, that you may provide to other users while on the GIO Web site’s discussion boards.

Making Public, Sharing, and Using User Data

Under no circumstances will the GIO Web site sell, exchange, or rent any of your personal data to any organization or individual. Based on the principles of its Privacy Policy, however, the GIO Web site will make use of your personal data only under the following circumstances:

Provision of Additional Services or Special Offers: In order to provide you with additional services or special offers, it may be necessary to provide your personal data to third party providers of the said services or offers. The GIO Web site will provide a complete explanation during the period of the event or offer, and notify you before data are collected so that you may freely choose whether or not to accept the service or offer in question.

Statistics and Analysis: The GIO Web site uses its user registration data, questionnaires, marketing activities, and server logs to conduct internal analysis regarding the number of users, their interests, and on-line behavior. These studies are based on overall user data and involve statistical procedures. Results are used as a reference to improve the quality of services, and no analysis will be performed on individual user data, nor will specific individual data be used as the basis for statistical analysis.

For reasons of public security, if a judicial body requests the GIO to provide information on a specific user, the GIO will follow formal legal procedures and cooperate as necessary in consideration of the collective security of all users of the GIO Web site.

Cookie policy

In order to provide personalized service, the GIO Web site uses cookies to store and, in some circumstances, track user data. A cookie is a small file sent from a Web site to the user’s Web browser, and is stored on the user's hard drive. Users can select or adjust their cookie settings using the "Tools - Advanced" menu in Netscape, or the "Internet Settings - Security" menu in Internet Explorer. Users may choose to accept all cookies, to be notified when a server sends a cookie, or to reject all cookies. If a user chooses to reject all cookies, it might not be possible for that user to access certain personalized services or to participate in certain activities on the GIO Web site. Generally speaking, the GIO Web site will write or read a cookie in a user’s Web browser under the following circumstances:

To provide better, more personalized services: In order to facilitate use of the site's personalized features or interactive events, the GIO Web site may write a cookie when a user registers or logs on, and update it when he or she logs off.

To analyze the number of visitors and their browsing habits: The GIO Web site may write a cookie in order to understand which pages visitors are using, thus allowing improvement of the site.

Your Responsibility in Protecting Your Privacy

Please safeguard your username, password, and personal data. Do not reveal any personal information, particularly passwords, to anyone. After using any of the GIO Web site's member services, please remember to log off properly before leaving the GIO Web site. If you share a computer with another user, or use our services on a public computer (such as in a public library, school computer lab, or Internet cafe), please remember to close the browser to prevent other users from reading your personal information and e-mail, or accessing member-only areas.

Revisions to the Privacy Policy

The GIO Web site will update its privacy policies from time to time in response to changes in privacy regulations. In the event of any major revision to the site's privacy policy, the GIO Web site will post a notice on the site to inform users regarding details of the revision.

Information on this Privacy Policy

If you would like to express an opinion or ask a question about the GIO Web site's privacy policy, data collection and use, or user data update procedures, please call 886-2-3356-7851 during office hours, or send an e-mail to the Web site's Opinions mailbox.