Google Analytics is a tool the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has enabled on DisasterAssistance.gov. It provides data that can help us make improvements to the site. This tool can gather data about things like how users move through our site and the types of traffic we get.
To get the data, Google puts a 3-month persistent cookie on your device. Our site sends the cookie automatically, but you can choose not to accept it through your browser settings. That won’t change what you can see or do on the site. You can also delete cookies at any time through the settings in your browser.
If you choose not to accept cookies and you answer the questionnaire, just be aware that the system won't save your answers when you leave the page. You’ll need to answer the questions again.
If you allow the cookie, it records non-personal data like the following:
- Your Internet provider including location data.
- Your session connection speed.
- The address of any website you used to get to our site.
- The pages you visit and content you download.
- The device you used on the site – desktop, tablet, or mobile.
It can also help us learn things like the number of unique visits and time spent on a page and the site.
The cookie sends data to Google’s system which immediately compiles it. It does not monitor or record your actions after you leave our site. We only see data for specific time periods and keep it only as long as our records schedule requires. We use this data internally and may also share it with our partners and contractors to help us improve the site.
Google Analytics does not tell us who you are or allow us to get your identity. Google never has access to the details of your session, including personal data entered on your application, and we don’t share our compiled data with them.
DHS has taken great efforts to protect your privacy. The DHS Privacy Office has conducted a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) specifically on how the use of Google Analytics impacts the privacy of visitors to the Department’s websites. You can visit the DHS Privacy page to view the PIA.