Privacy Statement

About this Privacy Statement

The Government of Nova Scotia and Service Nova Scotia are committed to providing websites and services that respect the privacy of visitors. For the purposes of this statement "Service" are defined as websites which enable online transactions with government, with or without payment.

This statement describes the information practices for Service Nova Scotia and our service providers. It describes the privacy standards, provisions, and information practices we have designed into these Services to protect your personal information. It also describes how Cookies, analytics and other technologies are used in the provision of these Services.

Service Nova Scotia is bound by the principles and requirements of the Nova Scotia Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPOP). This statement conforms to the Nova Scotia Government Website Privacy Policy. It also outlines the guidelines we follow to collect personal information and how that information is used to transact the electronic business you do with us.

By accessing these Services offered through accessns.ca, you are agreeing with this Privacy Statement and the Terms of Use. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not continue to access or complete transactions using these Services.

What is Considered Personal Information?

Nova Scotia's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act defines the meaning of personal information. In addition to the information defined by the Act, other types of personal information may include: date of birth, Internet Protocol address, e-mail address, credit card data, or other information collected by these Services.

General information such as domain name, web browser version, or statistical information regarding which areas of our site you visit, are not considered to be personal information.

How is Personal Information Handled?

Service Nova Scotia follows these guidelines regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal information within these Services:

Any personal information collected during the course of accessing or using these Services is used only for the purposes of completing the intended transaction and in a manner consistent with this statement, the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (NS), and the Personal Information International Disclosure Protection Act (NS).
When you use a Service that allows you to create an account, we store some information about you and your business so that you can quickly complete forms and applications.
If you do not create an account, the Service does not retain your information electronically once your transaction is complete.
We do not disclose your personal information to other organizations or individuals, except as required to fulfill the purpose(s) of the transaction and only to the extent required or authorized by law.

How is Payment Information Handled?

When you pay for a transaction using these Services our partners follow these guidelines regarding the collection, use and disclosure of cardholder data:

Personal information collected during the course of an Interac Online^® transaction is collected by your financial institution either at the time of the transaction or at the time you registered with your financial institution. For information regarding how your financial institution protects your information, please refer to its privacy policies.
Personal information collected during the course of any credit card transaction (including but not limited to: card number, cardholder name, expiry date, CVV) conducted through this service may be stored, accessed from or disclosed outside Canada for payment authorization and reconciliation. For information regarding how credit card companies protect your information, please refer to their respective card holder policies and privacy policies.
Completing a transaction indicates your consent to the transfer of information as required for the completion of the payment authorization and reconciliation.

How we use Google Analytics

These Services use Google Analytics to help us understand how you use the site. This information is used to continually improve these Services. Google Analytics uses Cookies to collect and generate information about your visits to our site. These Services send data to Google’s servers in an anonymous form for processing. The following types of information are collected and used:

the originating IP address (in anonymized form)
the date and time of the request
the type of browser and device used
the page(s) visited
websites that referred you to our service

The use of these tools does not allow us or our analytics service providers to identify individuals. None of your personal, account, or form(s) information is sent to, or stored by Google. We do not use Google Analytics on the payment portion of these Services.

You can opt-out of analytics activity by setting your browser to notify you when a Cookie is sent and block analytics Cookies if desired. Please consult your browser’s Help Menu for instructions. Visiting our website with Google Analytics Cookies disabled will have no significant impact on your browsing experience.

Google currently offers a free Google Analytics opt-out tool for Chrome, Internet Explorer 8-11, Safari, Firefox and Opera.

By using these Services, you understand and accept that we are using Google Analytics. For more information on Google’s privacy policy, refer to the Google Analytics Privacy Overview.

Our Business Partners and this Privacy Statement

Some functions within these Services are provided by service providers external to Service Nova Scotia. All external service providers that we work with us must comply with this privacy statement and must meet the applicable security, privacy and terms of use provisions as stated for Service Nova Scotia.

Security Provisions for these Services

Service Nova Scotia has taken several steps to safeguard your personal information, as well as to preserve the integrity of our computing infrastructure. These steps include various forms of authentication, monitoring, auditing, and encryption. Specific security measures have been integrated into the design, implementation and operating practices of the entire electronic operating environment for these Services. For example, to ensure the security and integrity of information contained within electronic transactions accessed from these Services, we employ standard web-browser certificate and Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology which permits the secure encryption of information sent on the Internet.

How we use JavaScript and Cookies

These Services use both JavaScript and Cookies to enhance the functionality and improve usability. In order to complete certain transactions within these Services you should have Cookies and JavaScript enabled.

For optimal operation of these Services, you should have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Otherwise, some features, such as error checking of your information, may not work exactly as described and you may not be able to complete your transaction.

We use the "Cookies" feature to allow proper navigation of the various screens and functions throughout these Services. Although these Cookies are stored on the computer which you use to connect to the Internet, no personal information which would identify you is included in the information stored as part of the Cookie. If you choose to completely disable the Cookies function within your browser, you will not be able to complete transactions.

A list of the Cookies we use can be found at novascotia.ca/sns/services/help/cookies.asp.

Are Email Requests and Other Correspondence Secure?

In addition to the use of these Services, you may choose to communicate with Service Nova Scotia through regular email. In the course of initiating this electronic correspondence, you may provide, or be asked to provide, personal information to enable us to respond to your request effectively.

We may also forward the contents of email correspondence to other departments or agencies who may be better able to help you or respond fully to your request. Except for the sole purpose of responding to your request, the contents of your e-mail correspondence, including any personal information, will not be shared with other parties.

Important Note:

Regular email correspondence does not offer the same encryption and security measures as provided within our transaction Services. Therefore, it is the policy of Service Nova Scotia that correspondence containing personal information is not sent using regular email methods.

What do we do with Survey Requests and Information?

During the process of conducting business using these Services, you may be offered the opportunity to provide feedback to us regarding the quality and features of our service offerings. Any information you may provide during survey activities is maintained for the sole purpose of improving service quality and offerings. Survey information is collected and analyzed in aggregate form only. At no time will personal information provided during the course of an electronic survey be used by Service Nova Scotia for any other purpose, unless your prior consent for such use is received.

Do we make changes to this Privacy Statement?

Changes to this Privacy Statement may occur from time to time to ensure the consistent, ongoing operation of these Services. When using these Services, this statement and the applicable legislation in effect at the time of your transaction will apply.

View archived versions.

Which Provincial Acts, Policies and Disclosures help protect my Personal Information?

Who to Contact for Further Information

For more information regarding this Privacy Statement or to comment on its content, please contact:

Email:: askus@novascotia.ca
Mail:: Web Administrator
Service Nova Scotia
PO Box 2734
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3P7

Email:: IAPServices@novascotia.ca
Mail:: Information Access and Privacy Services
P.O. Box 72
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 2L4

This statement is effective as of April 14, 2016. View the archived versions.