Privacy Policy

This privacy policy sets out how St Helena Government (SHG) uses and protects any information that you give SHG when you use this website –www.sainthelena.gov.sh (referred to in this policy as ‘this website’).

SHG is committed to ensuring that the privacy of all visitors to www.sainthelena.gov.sh is preserved. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

SHG may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should frequently check this page to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from 1 August  2017.

By providing any information to us via this website, you consent to the collection, use and transfer of your information under the terms of this Policy.

Information we collect

In general, you can visit the website without telling us who you are or revealing any information about yourself. Our web servers collect the IP addresses, not the e-mail addresses, of visitors.

However if you wish to contact us via the form on our Contacts Page, we may collect the following information:

  • name
  • contact information including email address
  • demographic information such as postcode

Each time you email us or provide us with your details in other ways (i.e. by email, over the telephone, by fax, by mail etc.). The information collected from you may include but is not limited to:

  • your name, address, landline or mobile telephone numbers, fax number and e-mail address
  • the type of information you are particularly interested in receiving from us
  • details of the ways in which you are happy to receive information from us

SHG encourages visitors to its website to contact us with questions and comments. Email addresses and other information given by persons doing so may also be collected in order to facilitate our responses to those enquiries.

You will find that it is not compulsory to provide us with any additional information we request which is not necessary or reasonable in order to provide you with the services you have requested. Please note that our policy is not to ask for sensitive personal data – that is, data relating to: race or ethnic origin, political opinion, religious or other similar beliefs, trade union membership, physical or mental health, sexual orientation, criminal records. We recommend that you do not provide such information to us. If you choose to do so for any reason, this will mean that you have given (and we accept) your explicit consent for us to use that information for the reasons described in this Policy, or as explained at the time you provide the information.

What we do with the information we gather

We require this information to answer your enquiries, understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular to improve the services offered by SHG.

Use of Information Collected 

IP address information that we collect is not used to personally identify you. It is aggregated to measure the number of visits, average time spent on the website, pages viewed, etc. We use this information to measure the use of our website and to improve its content. 

When other personal information, such as your name and e-mail address, is collected from you with your consent (for example, through the use of online forms or via e-mail etc), we may use the personal information you provide or which we collect via this website for the purposes of:

  • providing any services that you have requested from us
  • responding to your enquiries or to process your requests in relation to your information
  • assisting law enforcement with criminal investigations, should it become necessary

SHG will not sell or rent personal information about you to unaffiliated third parties.

We may also use and disclose information in aggregate (so that no individuals are identified) for marketing and strategic development purposes or use and analyse the information we collect so that we can administer, support, improve and develop this website.

Security

We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure,we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

How we use cookies

A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer’s hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about web page traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system.

Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.

You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of this website.

The cookies we use do not collect personal data such as your name or address.

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

Controlling your personal information

We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties unless we have your permission or are required by law to do so.

Although the Data Protection Act 1998 does not apply on St Helena Island, as an organisation we  abide by the spirit of the principles and all requests for personal information will be handled in strict accordance  with these principles, departmental disclosure polices and other applicable laws in so far as is practicable.

If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please write to us via our Contacts page. We will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.

Disclosures 

The information you provide to us will be held on our server on St Helena Island and may be accessed by or given to our staff and to third parties including our business partners (such as our host provider), law enforcement agencies and suppliers we engage to process data on our behalf, who act for us for the purposes set out in this Policy or for other purposes approved by you.

Unless required to do so by law, we will not otherwise share, sell or distribute any of the information you provide to us without your consent.

Internet Based Transfers and Disclaimer

Given that the internet is a global environment, using the internet to collect and process personal information necessarily involves the transmission of data on an international basis. Therefore by browsing this Site and communicating electronically with us, you acknowledge and agree to our processing of personal information in this way.

Whereas SHG employs reasonable measures to protect against viruses and other harmful components, the nature of the internet is such that it is impossible to ensure that your access to our website will be uninterrupted or error-free, or that this website, its servers or emails which may be sent by us are free of viruses or other harmful components.