Privacy Policy
The Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) maintains this Web site as a public service. Because the OCCC respects your privacy, we developed this policy to address the most common concerns of Texans who visit us online, in person, or over the Consumer Helpline. This privacy policy does apply to our Web site (all pages starting with www.occc.state.tx.us) but does not extend to any sites whose links appear on any of our Web pages.
How does the Texas Public
Information Act affect my privacy online?
Like all state agencies, the OCCC is subject to the Texas Public Information
Act, meaning that information provided to the agency—by businesses and consumers
alike—may be subject to public inspection or disclosure if requested under
the Texas Public Information Act or other legal process. Any information you
submit to the OCCC, whether through our Web site, U.S. mail, fax, or other
method, may be considered a public record and therefore fall under the provisions
of the Texas Public Information Act. Please refer to our Open
Records Policy and Procedures section for further information.
What information do you
collect from Web site visitors?
We do not collect or request personal information (e.g., name, address,
phone number, etc.) about visitors to our Web site. Instead, we gather generic
information about the number of hits to the site, length of visits, and the
types of Internet connections our visitors use. This information helps us
evaluate the accessibility of our Web site, monitor the popularity of the
various features, and ensure adequate service time.
You may choose to use an e-mail link found on the site to submit personal information to us (for example, when providing information for a licensing application); we will use such information only to respond to your request and possibly to analyze trends. To best meet your needs, we may redirect your e-mail message to another government agency if that agency is in a better position to address your situation. Please note that some types of information we receive are subject to disclosure under the Public Information Act. However, under no circumstances do we sell or rent personal contact information to third parties.
Do you use cookies?
Unlike some Web sites, we do not collect personal information about visitors
by using cookies. Cookies are small text files stored on your hard
drive which contain information such as passwords, lists of pages visited,
the date you last visited a certain page, etc. Some Web sites use cookies
to collect information about visitors to their sites. For more information
on cookies, you may wish to review the U.S. Department of Energy's report
on cookies located http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/bulletins/i-034.shtml.
Is my privacy protected
if I file a complaint with you through e-mail?
Our policy regarding confidentiality of complaints remains consistent
no matter how you deliver the complaint to us (U.S. mail, e-mail, fax, etc.).
When you file a complaint about one of the businesses we regulate, the personal
information you provide to OCCC (such as your name, contact information, name
of the business, and details of your complaint) may be shared for investigational
and analytical purposes within the OCCC or with other regulatory agency personnel.
We may also use that information to research your complaint with the business
that is the cause of your complaint. If you do not want the information you
provided to be disclosed to that business, please make note of that wish in
your written complaint. Be aware, however, that such a request may hinder
or prevent the resolution to your complaint.
Can I copy the information
posted on this Web site?
Information presented on the OCCC site is considered public information
and may be freely distributed or copied. We do request that you credit the
agency as the source of the information.
Can I place a link to your
site on my Web page?
Please contact our Webmaster at webmaster@occc.state.tx.us about linking
to this site.
