The following outlines the Internet Privacy Policy adopted by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) for its websites. It explains our current Internet privacy practices and may be updated at any time without prior notice. Please note that this policy is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contractual promise.
Neither VDACS nor any VDACS employee makes claims, promises, or guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, adequacy, or timeliness of the information published on VDACS websites. VDACS expressly disclaims all liability, whether direct or indirect, for any loss or damage arising from the use of, reference to, or reliance on any information presented on VDACS websites.
VDACS makes no warranty, representation, or undertaking of any kind, whether expressed or implied, regarding the content of VDACS websites or its links to other websites. The VDACS websites contain links to various other websites whose privacy practices we do not control. If you have questions or concerns about a website VDACS links to, please review the privacy and security information for that site.
Reference to any product, process, or service, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name on VDACS websites or sites linked from VDACS websites, does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement by VDACS. The information and statements contained on VDACS websites shall not be used for advertising purposes, nor to imply endorsement or recommendation by VDACS or the Commonwealth of Virginia.
VDACS websites contain links to other public or private websites whose content and privacy practices are beyond our control. These links are provided as a service to our visitors. VDACS does not endorse the messages or content of these linked websites and is not responsible for the information presented by these organizations.
VDACS determines which external websites are linked to and reserves the right to remove or replace any external links at its sole discretion, at any time, and without notice.
VDACS uses "cookies" to provide users with tailored information. A "cookie" is a small piece of data that a website sends to a user's browser, which may then store it on the user's hard drive or memory. VDACS uses cookies to enhance the user experience on our site. Any cookies sent by VDACS will be marked so that they are accessible only by VDACS websites. Users may block or delete these cookies from their hard drive. However, disabling cookies may affect the functionality and features of the site.
The VDACS websites may share anonymous tracking information with third parties to improve VDACS's services.
VDACS protects our records in accordance with our obligations as defined by applicable Virginia statutes, including, but not limited to, the "Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act," the "Freedom of Information Act" and by any applicable U.S. federal laws. VDACS's Freedom of Information Act policy is located at VDACS Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
VDACS endeavors to collect only the minimum amount of information needed to provide services. If you do nothing during your visit to VDACS websites but browse or download information, we automatically collect and store the following information about your visit:
- The internet domain and IP address from which you accessed our site;
- The type of browser and operating system you used;
- The date and time you visited this site;
- The pages visited; and
- If you linked from another website, the address of that website.
This information is strictly used for statistical reporting purposes.
Collecting a minimal amount of personal information is necessary for VDACS to deliver any requested services. We only collect, retain, and use personal information where it is essential (and allowed by law) to administer our business and provide the products, services, and other opportunities requested by our customers. This policy excludes text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; such information will not be shared with any third parties.
VDACS does not sell or rent our online customer information to any outside company or organization. We do not reveal specific information or other personally identifiable data to unaffiliated third parties for their independent use, except if required to do so by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act or other law, or expressly permitted by the user for the purpose of transacting business through our websites.
VDACS maintains security standards and procedures regarding unauthorized access to customer information to prevent unauthorized removal or alteration of data.
VDACS maintains security standards and procedures regarding unauthorized access to ensure that this service remains available to all users, and to prevent unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. Information on individuals causing damage to the web page will be traced and released to the appropriate legal bodies (such as the Virginia State Police) to investigate suspected or alleged criminal activity.
The following terms and conditions constitute the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) Social Media User Agreement. This agreement governs the use of our social media sites. Please read this agreement carefully. If you use any part of VDACS' social media sites, you agree to comply with this agreement. The terms and conditions of this agreement may be modified at any time.
Comments submitted by the public to our social media sites are reviewed by VDACS staff and may be hidden or deleted if the comments violate this agreement. Comments should be related to the specific topic as it appears in the agency's social media page or post. You are subject to the Terms of Service of the host site which is a third-party entity separate from our agency. Consequently, any information (photos, videos, etc.) you share with or post to our official agency sites is also subject to the terms of service of the host site whose owners may use the information you share for their own purposes.
VDACS' social media accounts are not intended to accept and display comments promoting or opposing any person campaigning for election to political office, or to promote or advertise a business or commercial transaction, product or service.
The use of obscene, threatening or harassing language is prohibited. The cordial expression of opposing points of view is permissible. However, personal attacks against an individual for any reason are prohibited, including attacks or offensive comments that target or disparage any ethnic, racial, age, or religious group, gender, sexual orientation or disability status. Comments advocating illegal activity or posting of material that violates copyrights or trademarks of others are prohibited.
VDACS reserves the right to review, edit, move, or delete any information or material submitted to our social media sites. VDACS reserves the right to block and ban visitors who violate the terms and conditions of this agreement. The following materials or information shall not be submitted to VDACS' social media site and are subject to review, editing, moving, or deletion as stated above:
- Obscene or threatening language or hate speech based on race, gender, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, or disability.
- Abusive, defamatory, or sexually explicit language or materials.
- Promotions of services, products or political organizations.
- Information of a personal or sensitive nature, including but not limited to phone numbers, email addresses, or postal addresses.
- Repeated off-topic posts by a single user.
- Repetitive posts copied and pasted by multiple users.
- Posts or comments that advocate illegal activity.
- Infringement on copyrights or trademarks.
Communications made through VDACS social media outlets do not constitute a legal or official notice or comment.
If you have questions about this web policy, user agreement, or website, please contact VDACS at webmaster@vdacs.virginia.gov. For additional contact information for various agency operations, please see our Agency Directory webpage.