The City of SeaTac adheres to the highest of Internet standards, protecting its users' privacy, observing and championing Net etiquette, linking externally without endorsements, and aiming for factual information throughout. To that end, here's a look at what we expect from users of our site.

Terms of use
By visiting the City of SeaTac web site, users agree that they will not use the site for any unlawful activity, or use it in any way that would violate the following terms and conditions.

This website is governed and construed by the laws of the State of Washington. Any use of the website shall comply with all City of SeaTac, King County, Washington and State of Washington laws and regulations as well as with all federal laws and regulations.

Linkage
The City of SeaTac links to external web sites in the hope that users will find reference material on city-related subjects. Because The City of SeaTac cannot control those sites, it cannot be held responsible for content included in them. Moreover, in no way should an external link be considered any form of endorsement by the City of SeaTac.

Use of communication forums
The City of SeaTac web site has or will contain threaded discussions, chat rooms, and other communication forums. By participating in any of these, users agree to send and receive messages that are both proper and related to the forum topic. The following actions are prohibited:

• Defaming, harassing, threatening or otherwise violating the legal rights of others, including their privacy (see below);
• Misrepresenting one's person, background, or character;
• Posting any defamatory, infringing, obscene, false, or unlawful material;
• Selling, advertising, or exchanging any goods or services unless expressly allowed;
• Posting any copyrighted material owned by a third party.

Also, you agree to use any City of SeaTac forum at your own risk. While championing proper use of such forums, The City of SeaTac cannot guarantee that violations of the above code will not occur.

Privacy

What type of information does the City of SeaTac collect, and what’s done with that information?
Like most websites, the City of SeaTac website may collect two types of information: anonymous information, and personally identifiable information.

By "anonymous information", we mean data that can’t be linked to specific individuals. We log user hits, visits, and sessions, but only capture information about the visiting user’s service provider. This information helps us create a better overall experience for website users. The statistics are complied into website traffic reports, which help us understand, anticipate, and respond to user behavior. If we learn, for example, of heightened interest in domestic-violence resources, we’re likely to highlight that information on the City of SeaTac home page.

"Cookies" are another type of anonymous information. A website cookie is a small text file that a web server (such as City of SeaTac’s) places on a user’s computer. When accessing a cookie, a web server reads a number associated with a browser, but is unable to determine any data about a user (nor, for that matter, can the server do anything else with a cookie, malicious or otherwise). With that number, a web server can tailor its information to the needs of the specific browser. We use cookies rarely.

By "personally identifiable information," we’re referring to data on specific individuals who have volunteered the information on certain City of SeaTac web pages. Data could include name, physical address, e-mail address, credit-card number, and so forth. Providing that information to us is purely voluntary and is used to serve you better. For example, when you fill in our comment form and give us your e-mail address, we’re able to respond to your question personally.

Personally identifiable information will be used by the City only on a need-to-know basis, and will not be made accessible to unauthorized employees at any time.

Who is collecting the information?
The City of SeaTac collects anonymous and personal information, and may occasionally contract with partners to collect information on behalf of the City of SeaTac as well. The City of SeaTac and its partners adhere to the privacy policy you’re reading now.

How is the information protected?
The City of SeaTac and partner web servers contain state-of-the-industry security precautions that prevent personal information from being stolen or tampered with. If you submit a credit-card number, that information will be protected by secure server software (SSL), which encrypts all information before being securely sent across the Internet.

Does the City of SeaTac share the information with anyone?
Unless a user consents to such distribution, the City of SeaTac will not sell, lease, or give away personally identifiable information to other governments, organizations, or private businesses within the limits of the law.

It’s important to know the law, as state and federal laws place a special burden on public entities such as the City of SeaTac to assure the public’s right to access public records and information. Public information (as opposed to private information) involves information about activity that is regulated. For example, in purchasing a birth certificate online, a person’s name and birthdate is public information (because births are regulated by the state), but the fact that you bought it with a certain credit-card number is not (because means of purchasing is not regulated). Furthermore, public information would include correspondence with the City, including e-mails and website comments about city processes, policies, activities and other types of general correspondence. However, certain subjects fall under exemptions of the state's public disclosure act, including employee benefit questions, welfare information, and other types of client-specific data.

For details, see "Revised Code of Washington 42.17.260(1), Documents and indexes to be made public," and the the federal "Freedom of Information Act."

The City of SeaTac retains the right to release private information in rare cases we believe to be emergencies. For example, if we received information from somebody contemplating suicide in a neighboring city, we might contact officials from that jurisdiction to come to the person’s aid.

Outside of legal requirements and extreme emergencies, information on the City of SeaTac website will not be released to anyone without the consent of the user.