Web Privacy Code

Learn how the City of Surrey retains and uses personal information obtained through this website.

Online Privacy Statement

Even if you do nothing more during your visit than browse through the website, read pages, or download information, be aware that the City automatically gathers and stores certain information about your visit; this information does not identify you personally.

All personal information collected by the City of Surrey is managed according to the British Columbia Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

We are responsible for personal information under our control. We have designated individuals who are responsible for monitoring our ongoing compliance with the Privacy Principles noted below.

Informed Consent

The purposes, for which personal information is collected, will be identified by us at time of collection. Your consent is required for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information, subject to certain exceptions. Such exceptions are set out in the law.

What is Collected?

The City of Surrey collects personal information as described below:

  • The type of browser and operating system used to access the City's Website;
  • The date and time you access the City's Website;
  • The pages you visit on the City's Website; and
  • If you are linked to the City of Surrey Website from another website, the address of that website.

Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention

Your information may only be used or disclosed for the purposes for which it was collected, other purposes you consent to, or as required or permitted by law. It may only be kept for as long as is necessary to satisfy the purposes for which it was collected, or as required or permitted by law. The City of Surrey is subject to the Surrey Corporate Records By-law, 2010, No. 17002, which governs the retention and destruction of our records.

Links to Other Sites

The City of Surrey Website may contain links to other sites. The City is not responsible for the content and privacy practices of other websites and encourages you to examine the privacy policy and disclaimer of each site and make your own decisions regarding the disclosure of your personal information to that site.

Individual Access

Upon written request, you will be informed of the existence, use and disclosure of your personal information and you will be given access to it, subject to certain exceptions, as permitted by law. You may also verify the accuracy and completeness of your information, and request that it be amended, if appropriate using the Requests for Information page.

Social Media Collection Notice

The personal information you post to connect with the City of Surrey through social media sites may be collected by the City of Surrey for the purposes of engaging and consulting with you. The information you post on these sites is not under the City of Surrey's control, and may be stored outside Canada on servers not belonging to the City of Surrey.

Be sure to read the site's Privacy Policy to determine its privacy practices. To protect your own privacy and the privacy of others, do not include any personal information including phone numbers and email addresses in the body of your comment. Do not share personal information about others, including pictures. If you have any questions about the City of Surrey's collection of your personal information through social media sites, contact cityofsurrey@surrey.ca.

Privacy-Protective Web Analytics program

The City of Surrey uses third party services to analyze non-identifiable web traffic data with the purpose of improving the services we offer. The City of Surrey owns and stores the data that is generated on its secure web server. The collected data will not be shared with any other party for any other purpose.

The City of Surrey may collect the following information to assist us with improving the website:

  • The pages accessed on our site and links you clicked on
  • The date and time you visited the site
  • If you use our advanced search tool, the search terms you used
  • The referring site (if any) through which you arrived at this site
  • Your operating system (e.g. Windows XP, Mac OS X)
  • The type of web browser you use (e.g. Chrome, Firefox)
  • IP addresses

Our web analytics will also respect any "do not track" setting you might have set on your browser.

Our website may use session cookies which are stored in temporary memory and are not retained after you sign out or close the browser session.

Cookies

To make this site work properly, we sometimes place small data files called cookies on your device.  Most big websites do this. The pages of the City of Surrey (www.surrey.ca) use a number of cookies. The purpose and nature of each cookie is explained below:

Font Size Purpose: to record your display preferences, such as contrast, colour settings or font size. These cookies are critical for the user experience and accessibility of the website. This cookie is a session-based and first party cookie.

Enabling these cookies is not strictly necessary for the website to work but it will provide you with a better browsing experience. You can delete or blocked these cookies, but if you do that some features of this site may not work as intended.

The cookie-related information is not used to identify you personally. These cookies are not used for any purpose other than those described here.

How to Control Cookies

You can control and/or delete cookies as you wish. You can delete all cookies that are on your computer and you can set most browsers to prevent them from being placed.  If you do this, however, you may have to manually adjust some preferences every time you visit and some services and functionalities may not work.

Digital Newsletters

With the exception of existing business relationship and/or transactional emails, we will not send you any emails unless you opt-in to receive communications from us. If you opt-in, you will receive information we believe will be of interest to you.

For subscribed digital News & Updates that you opt-into, you will receive information only on the topics you select when subscribing. If you decide that you are no longer interested in receiving digital News & Updates from us, simply unsubscribe by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any newsletter you receive.

In some cases the City of Surrey sends outbound emails and although we limit the personal information used, some personal information may be sent. Emails may be sent and stored outside of Canada depending on the email service provider chosen by the subscriber.

Electronic Forms & Personal Information

If you choose to provide the City with personal information in an email or by filling out an electronic form and submit it to the City through our Website, the City will use that information to respond to your message and to assist us to provide you the requested information or service.

Email Subscriptions

City of Surrey uses an email notification system to send out email alerts on a variety of topics. People interested in receiving email alerts are able to subscribe by completing the subscription form. Through the subscription process, the City of Surrey collects your address, type of subscriber, region in which you live, and what information you would like to receive.

If you have received an email alert from the City of Surrey for which you did not register or wish to no longer receive, contact cityofsurrey@surrey.ca.

Text Messaging or Short Message Service (SMS)

City of Surrey is collecting your personal information (mobile number). Your information will only be used to send you messages related to existing business relationship and/or transactional notifications, program alerts, subscriptions and emergency notification you subscribe to.

If you decide that you are no longer interested in receiving mobile alerts from us, simply reply the word STOP to the SMS notifications you wish to unsubscribe to.

How the City of Surrey Protects your Personal Information

The City of Surrey has safeguards in place to protect your personal information against such risks as unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure or disposal.

Your information is protected using technical and administrative security measures to reduce the risks of loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure and alteration. Some of the safeguards used are firewalls, intrusion detection, physical access controls to our data centre, and information access authorization controls.

Contact Us about our Web Policy

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the City of Surrey Online Privacy Statement, you can contact the office of the City Clerk directly as follows:

Attention: City Clerk
City of Surrey
13450 104 Avenue
Surrey, BC V3T 1V8

Telephone: 604-591-4132
Email: clerks@surrey.ca

Download the Web Privacy Code Booklet (English)

Énoncé de confidentialité en ligne (French)

Privacy Complaints

The City of Surrey Privacy Office is here to help. We respond to privacy complaints in accordance with the BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA).

If you have a privacy complaint or concern, email privacy@surrey.ca. The City’s Privacy Office will review all complaints or concerns.

Provide as much detail as you can to assist in understanding the nature of your complaint including:

  • Details of your complaint or concern
  • Your name
  • Your contact information (email address or phone number)

Our Privacy office will be in touch with you.

Personal information is collected for the purpose of responding to your privacy complaint or concern. City of Surrey is authorized to collection personal information under section 26(c) of the BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

For questions about the collection of personal information contact the Privacy Analyst, 13450 104 Ave, Surrey, BC V3T 1V8, privacy@surrey.ca.