The following privacy statement applies to minneapolisfed.org.

Privacy Statement

This is the web site of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. The Bank respects your privacy.

Any personal information you choose to provide to us by using this web site is voluntary. We do not require you to provide any information about yourself that you do not wish to share.

Cookies: A cookie is a text file that a web site can send to your browser and which may then be placed on your (the "client") computer. We do not use cookies. Sometimes, however, a third-party contractor will use cookies on one of the sites they create and manage for us—for example, our Career Opportunities site. You can set your browser to notify you before you receive a cookie, giving you the opportunity to decide whether to accept it or not. You can also set your browser to not accept cookies at all. If you do so, however, some areas of some sites (including ours) may not operate properly.

You may choose to provide us with personal information if, for example, you subscribe to our publications, send us questions via e-mail or an online form, answer a user survey, register for an event or participate in our online activities.

If you participate in a user survey, your answers and personal information will only be analyzed in aggregate. The information will be used to help us tailor our web site, publications and services to our users' needs and to help us understand our audience.

If you provide us with your postal or e-mail address or telephone number, this information will only be used to:

• provide you with the publications or information requested;
• clarify your order or request;
• register you for an event; or
• provide you with related information.

Our "E-mail a Friend" form will send an e-mail with a link to the selected publication article and any optional comments you provide. We will use the e-mail addresses you provide for the sole purpose of sending the article. We will not use any of the other information you provide on the form.

When you fill out our other online forms, they are delivered to a Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis e-mail address or database.

Your online communications are not encrypted. We cannot guarantee the security of any information sent electronically, whether submitted via online form or e-mail. If your communication is very sensitive or includes personal information that you do not wish to send to us electronically, you should send it by postal mail to:

Public Affairs Department—Web
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
90 Hennepin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55401-1804

Minor children should always obtain parental consent before releasing personal information to any web site.

In addition to information voluntarily provided by you, we collect statistical information about our users in aggregate. We perform analyses on our web server's log files to identify, among other things:

• our site's most popular pages;
• the browsers and operating systems most often used by our visitors;
• the sites and search engines that have referred visitors to our site; and
• the domains from which our users visit us.

Analysis of these log files does not involve personally identifiable information. It is used only for the purpose of helping us understand and better meet our audience's needs.

Any information collected on this web site, whether individual or aggregate, is for Federal Reserve use only. We do not rent, sell, or share personal information about you with other people or nonaffiliated companies except to provide information you've requested, when we have your permission, or under the following circumstances:

• We retain the services of an outside contractor to provide our Career Opportunities page. We require that this contractor keep information obtained through our web site secure and confidential, and use personal information obtained through our website on behalf of the Federal Reserve.
• We may be required to disclose your personal information to government officials or otherwise as required by subpoenas, court orders, legal process, or other legal obligations and to establish or exercise our legal rights or defend against legal claims. We will share information in order to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal activities, suspected fraud, or as otherwise required by law.

The Bank reserves the right to amend this statement at any time. We will not provide you with notice of any such amendments. You are responsible for reviewing this statement from time to time to monitor for any such amendments.

Questions or comments about the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis's privacy statement may be directed to our webmaster.