Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Alameda County, CA Public Services (“we,” “our,” or “the website”) handles information when you visit alamedacountycalifornia.org. It describes our use of Google Analytics, Google AdSense, cookies, and links to external websites, along with options for managing your privacy.

The website helps visitors find Alameda County resources, tools, contact details, and frequently asked questions. You can browse this information without registering or creating an account. Although we do not actively request personal details from visitors, third-party analytics and advertising services may automatically collect information about your device and browsing activity.

Information Covered by This Policy

This policy applies to your use of alamedacountycalifornia.org. Our content covers public services and organizations such as AC Transit, Animal Services, the Assessor, the Clerk-Recorder’s Office, the County Library, Social Services, the Superior Court, and the Treasurer-Tax Collector. It also helps visitors locate information about certificates, housing, property taxes, elections, courts, and other community resources.

This policy does not govern the websites of agencies, organizations, advertisers, or other third parties linked from our pages. Those websites have their own privacy practices, which you should review before using their services or submitting information.

No Registration or Requested Personal Details

We do not require user registration and do not actively collect visitors’ names, telephone numbers, email details, or other personal contact information through registration forms. Reading articles, reviewing FAQs, and following resource links does not require creating a user profile.

Our informational pages are not application forms for government benefits, court filings, certificates, or public services. If you follow a link to complete an application or request a service, any information you submit is handled by the organization operating that destination website under its own policies.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit the website, integrated services may automatically receive technical and usage information. Depending on the service, its configuration, and your privacy settings, this may include browser type, device characteristics, operating system, cookie identifiers, referring pages, pages viewed, and interactions with website content or advertisements.

Some technical identifiers and browsing records may qualify as personal information under applicable privacy laws, even when they do not include your name. The absence of registration does not mean that all activity on the website is anonymous or that third-party services receive no information.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand website traffic, improve functionality, and optimize the experience of finding public-service information. Reports can help us identify popular resources, understand how visitors navigate between pages, and recognize areas where information could be easier to locate.

Google Analytics may use cookies and collect device, browser, and website interaction information. Google explains these practices in its Analytics data safeguards documentation. The information available through analytics depends on the settings used and the privacy choices available to each visitor.

You can learn about restricting browser-based Analytics collection through the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on. Browser privacy settings may provide additional controls.

Cookies and Similar Technologies

Cookies are small files stored by your browser. They can help analytics and advertising services recognize a browser, measure activity, remember preferences, and support advertising functions. Similar technologies may also be used to measure page visits or interactions.

Some cookies last only for a browsing session, while others remain until they expire or you delete them. Their duration and purpose depend on the provider and configuration. Third-party services integrated into the website may place or read cookies according to their own policies.

Google AdSense and Advertising

The website uses Google AdSense to display advertisements. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a visitor’s prior visits to this website or other websites. Google’s advertising cookies enable Google and its partners to serve ads based on visits to this site and other sites across the internet.

Advertising services may process browser identifiers, technical information, and interactions with advertisements for ad delivery, measurement, and fraud prevention. Google describes its advertising cookie practices in its AdSense cookie guidance.

You can opt out of personalized Google advertising through Google My Ad Center. You can also explore participating vendors’ advertising choices at YourAdChoices. Opting out of personalization does not necessarily stop advertisements or all advertising-related data processing.

Your Privacy Choices

You can use your browser settings to delete existing cookies, block certain cookies, or receive notifications about cookie storage. Available options vary by browser and device. Restricting cookies may affect advertising, measurement, or some website features.

Where cookie or advertising preference controls are presented, use them to manage the choices offered. Browser settings, Analytics controls, and advertising preferences serve different purposes; changing one may not change the others. You may need to repeat your choices when switching devices, using another browser, or clearing stored cookies.

Third-Party Processing and External Links

Google and other providers process information under their own terms and privacy policies. For further details, review Google’s Privacy Policy and its explanation of information received from websites using Google services.

Following a resource link or clicking an advertisement takes you to a separate website. Its operator may collect information, request account registration, or use additional tracking technologies. A link on our website does not extend this Privacy Policy to the destination website.

Retention and Security

Information handled by analytics and advertising providers is subject to their retention practices and applicable service settings. Cookie expiration periods can differ from the retention periods for associated records. We do not promise a single deletion schedule for information held by third parties.

No website, internet transmission, or storage system can guarantee complete security. Avoid entering confidential information into public-service search queries or submitting sensitive records through unrelated websites. Use the intended service provider’s submission process when requesting assistance.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in website features, analytics, advertising services, or privacy practices. Updates will appear on this page. Review it periodically to understand how information may be handled and which privacy controls are available.