nci logo
NIH
U.S. National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute

Web Policies

The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program (SEER) complies with requirements for privacy and security established by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute. This page outlines our privacy and security policy as they apply to our site. If you have questions about SEER's policies, please e-mail them to seerweb@imsweb.com.

Your visit to the SEER web site

Your visit to the SEER web site is private and secure. When you visit the SEER web site, we do not collect any personally identifiable information (PII) about you, unless you choose to provide it to us. We do, however, collect some data about your visit to our web site to help us better understand public use of the site and to make it more useful to visitors. This document describes the information that is automatically collected and stored.

Use of Analytic Tools to collect information

When you browse through any web site, certain information about your visit can be collected. SEER uses analytics tools to collect information automatically and continuously. We use this information to measure the number of visitors to our web sites and its various sections and to distinguish between new and returning visitors to help make our site more useful to visitors. No personally identifiable information (PII) is collected via this tool.

The SEER staff conducts analyses and reports on the aggregated data from these analytics tools. The reports are only available to SEER web site managers, members of their communications and web teams, and other designated staff who require this information to perform their duties. SEER retains the data from analytics tools only as long as required by law or needed to support the mission of the SEER web site.

How SEER uses cookies

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memo M-10-22, Guidance for Online Use of Web Measurement and Customization TechnologiesExternal Web Site Policy allows Federal agencies to use session and persistent cookies.

When you visit any web site, its server may generate a piece of text known as a "cookie" to place on your computer. The cookie allows the server to "remember" specific information about your visit while you are connected. The cookie makes it easier for you to use the dynamic features of web pages. Requests to send cookies from SEER’s web pages are designed to collect information about your browser session only; they do not collect personal information about you.

There are two types of cookies, single session (temporary) and multi-session (persistent). Session cookies last only as long as your web browser is open. Once you close your browser, the cookie disappears. Persistent cookies are stored on your computer for longer periods.

How are temporary "Session Cookies” used?

We use session cookies for technical purposes such as improving navigation through our site. These cookies let our server know that you are continuing a visit to our site. The "session" cookie is not permanently stored on your computer. The cookie and the information about your visit are automatically destroyed shortly after you close your browser to end the session.

The OMB Memo 10-22 Guidance defines our use of session cookies as “Usage Tier 1-Single Session.” The policy says, “This tier encompasses any use of single session web measurement and customization technologies.”

How are "Persistent Cookies" used?

The OMB Memo M-10-22, Guidance for Online Use of Web Measurement and Customization TechnologiesExternal Web Site Policy allows Federal agencies to use persistent cookies in addition to temporary session cookies.

We use persistent cookies to help us recognize new and returning visitors to the SEER web site. Persistent cookies remain on your computer between visits to the SEER web site until they expire. We do not use this technology to identify you or any other individual site visitor. SEER uses persistent cookies to enable analytics tools to measure how new and returning visitors use the SEER web site over time.

The OMB Memo 10-22 Guidance defines our use of persistent cookies as “Usage Tier 2 - Multi-session without Personally Identifiable Information (PII).” The policy says, “This tier encompasses any use of multi-session web measurement and customization technologies when no PII is collected.”

How to opt out or disable cookies

If you do not wish to have session or persistent cookies placed on your computer, you can disable them using your web browser. If you opt out of cookies, you will still have access to all information and resources the SEER web site provides.

Instructions for disabling or opting out of cookies in the most popular browsers are located at http://www.usa.gov/optout_instructions.shtmlExternal Web Site Policy. Please note that by following the instructions to opt out of cookies, you will disable cookies from all sources, not just those from SEER’s web site.

How is personal information protected?

You do not have to give us personal information to visit the SEER web site. If you choose to provide us with additional information about yourself through an e-mail message, form, survey, etc., we maintain the information only as long as needed to respond to your question or to fulfill the stated purpose of the communication.

Disclosure

SEER does not disclose, give, sell, or transfer any personal information about our visitors, unless required for law enforcement or by statute.

Web site security

The SEER web site is maintained by the US Government. It is protected by various provisions of Title 18, US Code. Violations of Title 18 are subject to criminal prosecution in federal court. For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, we use software programs to monitor traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise cause damage. In the event of authorized law enforcement investigations, and pursuant to any required legal process, information from these sources may be used to help identify an individual.

Copyright Status

Documents on this site are sponsored by the NCI along with private companies and organizations. Accordingly, the appropriate parties may retain all rights to publish or reproduce these documents, or allow others to do so. All documents available from this site may be protected under the US and Foreign Copyright Laws. Permission to reproduce may be required.

Related Policies