DEP App Privacy Policy

The City of New York

Last Updated on January 24, 2025

The City of New York (“City”), acting through its Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP” or “We”/ “our” / “us”), is committed to maintaining the confidentiality of the information provided to DEP by users of our applications (“DEP Apps”). The following DEP App Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”) describes the type of information DEP collects from users of our DEP Apps (collectively, “Users”); and how We use that information. This Privacy Policy reflects the high regard with which We view the management of information provided by Users and is reviewed periodically to make sure it remains relevant and current with changing laws and technologies. Users are encouraged to check the Privacy Policy for any changes or updates.

How We Collect and Use User Information

We collect information directly from Users and automatically collect information from Users’ devices (“DEP App Data”). Except as otherwise disclosed to the User, We do not use DEP App Data for any other purpose.

Information We Collect from Users	How We Collect this Information	How We Use this Information
May vary, depending on User need/request, but typically includes: User’s name User’s telephone number User’s address User’s e-mail address User’s physical location User’s uploaded digital content such as videos, pictures, or audio files	Directly from User	Address User complaints and submitted requests Conduct DEP business As otherwise required by law
User device’s Internet Protocol (“IP”) address The domain name associated with User’s internet service provider or device Location of mobile device (if used) Browser information (i.e., Safari, Firefox, Chrome, etc.) Device’s operating system Pages accessed or forms data submitted by User while using the DEP App Date and time of User’s visit to DEP websites or use of the DEP App URL of the site that User visited prior to visiting DEP websites (if detectable) and if User did not connect directly to the DEP App.	Automatically, from User Device	Conduct statistical analyses Identify digital platform performance anomalies Maintain technological currency Improve our digital platforms generally

Information We Collect
from Users

How We Collect
this Information

How We Use this
Information

May vary, depending on User need/request, but typically includes:

User’s name
User’s telephone number
User’s address
User’s e-mail address
User’s physical location
User’s uploaded digital content such as videos, pictures, or audio files

Directly from User

Address User complaints and submitted requests
Conduct DEP business
As otherwise required by law

User device’s Internet Protocol (“IP”) address
The domain name associated with User’s internet service provider or device
Location of mobile device (if used)
Browser information (i.e., Safari, Firefox, Chrome, etc.)
Device’s operating system
Pages accessed or forms data submitted by User while using the DEP App
Date and time of User’s visit to DEP websites or use of the DEP App
URL of the site that User visited prior to visiting DEP websites (if detectable) and if User did not connect directly to the DEP App.

Automatically, from User Device

Conduct statistical analyses
Identify digital platform performance anomalies
Maintain technological currency
Improve our digital platforms generally

Access and Disclosure of Information

We do not rent, sell, or otherwise use DEP App Data for commercial purposes, nor for external marketing purposes. DEP App Data that could be used to identify a User will not be shared with any private party except as required by a court of competent jurisdiction. Only those City employees (and persons working under contract on behalf of the City) who require access for the purposes set forth in Section 1 above have access to DEP App Data.
Retention of User Information

We retain DEP App Data for as long as is necessary to fulfill User submitted complaints or to provide ongoing assistance to a User, or until the User deletes the account, if that feature is available, whichever is earlier. For compliance purposes, some DEP App data may be retained.
Children’s Use of DEP App Digital Platforms

DEP App is not intended for use by anyone under 18 years of age. Our services are not targeted to children and do not solicit information from children. Our digital platforms do not attempt to determine the age of a User.
Security Safeguards and Monitoring

We protect DEP App Data by adhering to security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. All information is encrypted in transit. No network is perfect, but in accordance with the City’s cybersecurity requirements, We will protect identifying information such as name, address, location, and other information that could be used to identify someone, regardless of the format in which it is held, against such risks as loss or theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, modification, or destruction.

We use cookies and web beacons to assess and optimize usage of DEP websites and DEP Apps.

Cookies are small text files stored by the browser on the User’s device. A cookie can later be read when the browser connects to a web server in the same domain that placed the cookie. The text in a cookie contains a string of numbers and letters that may uniquely identify the device and can contain other information as well. This allows the web server to recognize the browser each time it connects to that web server.

The use of cookies is a standard practice among Internet websites. Most Internet browsers can be customized to reject cookies, to only accept or reject cookies by affirmative intervention, or to delete cookies. Rejecting or removing cookies, however, may lead to loss of functionality on DEP web pages and DEP Apps that require cookies to fully function.

Web beacons are images placed on a website or in e-mail to help us understand who is browsing a website or reading an email. They are used to identify website performance needs, ensure compatibility with the technology used by website visitors, and to generally add and improve the website.
Illegal Activities

DEP fully cooperates with law enforcement agencies in identifying those who may access services for illegal activities. DEP reserves the right to report to law enforcement agencies any activities that We in good faith believe may be unlawful.