Privacy Policy

The purpose of this privacy policy is to let users of http://7726.govt.nz (the "Site") and those who report to the short code 7726 know when we collect personal information and what we do with it. We do not use, share, or transfer personal information in connection with the Site and reports made to us except as set out in this policy.

Purpose of collection is to enable the Department of Internal Affairs to conduct an investigation into, or prosecution of, alleged breaches of the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007, inform the Department as to patterns and trends of spam/scam messaging and enable the Department to forward data to relevant third parties to address spam/scam messaging.

Collection, storage and use

Collection

No need to disclose personal information Website http://7726.govt.nz: The Site can be viewed without the need to disclose any personal information to us.

7726 report: you may choose to disclose personal information by submitting a report to the short code 7726. The only personal information collected by the Department when you lodge a report via the short code 7726 is your mobile telephone number. We may use that number to contact you regarding your report.

The Department also collects the SMS message content, and the mobile number or short code that was used to send you the message if you provide this when we request it.

Collection

Holding of information Personal information that you provide via 7726 report system, will be held using the Spam Reporting System. We protect the data with all reasonable technical and process controls.

Your personal information may be held by third party contractors such as software providers which may be based outside of New Zealand. The use of personal information is outlined in the ‘Use of personal information’ section below.

Your personal information is held for as long as is required to conduct an investigation and to inform the Department as to recidivist perpetrators.

Use

Use of personal information By submitting a report via the short code 7726, you consent to the use of the information submitted, including disclosure to third party services providers to:

• conduct an investigation into, or prosecution of, alleged breaches of the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007. Please note that not every report will result in an investigation;
• aggregate the information with other reports to analyse spam or scam SMS txt, including patterns and trends; and
• publish the spam or scam SMS to assist public awareness and alerting (at no time will your mobile phone number be published).
• Enable relevant service providers to proactively address spam/scam messages on their network.

Statistical information and cookies

Statistical information collected via website

We may collect statistical information about your visit to help us improve the Site.. It includes:

• your IP address;
• the search terms you used;
• the pages you accessed on our Site and the links you clicked on;
• the date and time you visited the Site;
• the referring site (if any) through which you clicked through to this Site;
• your operating system (e.g., Windows XP, Mac OS X);
• the type of web browser you use (e.g. Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox); and
• other incidental matters such as screen resolution and the language setting of your browser.

Use of statistical information The statistical information referred to above will be viewable by Site administrators and certain other DIA staff. It may also be shared with other government agencies.

Cookies This Site generates persistent session cookies for the purpose of monitoring Site usage. The cookies do not collect personal information. You can disable them or clear them out of the web browser you are using to view this Site without affecting your ability to use the Site.

Records and disclosure statement

Public Records, Official Information and Parliament The information you provide to the Department may constitute public records and be retained to the extent required by the Public Records Act 2005. The Department may also be required to disclose those materials under the Official Information Act 1982 or to a Parliamentary Select Committee or Parliament in response to a Parliamentary Question.

Rights of access and correction

Your rights Your rights Under the Privacy Act 2020, you have the right to:

• ask for access to your personal information
• request correction of any of your personal information

If you would like to see the personal information relating to you that DIA has stored, or to change such personal information, or if you have any concerns regarding your privacy, please contact us at the address set out below. DIA may require proof of your identity before being able to provide you with any personal information.

The Privacy Office
Department of Internal Affairs
PO Box 805
Wellington 6140
Phone: 04 495 7200
Email: privacy@dia.govt.nz

Privacy Commissioner If you are not satisfied with our response to any privacy-related concern you may have, you can contact the Privacy Commissioner:

Office of the Privacy Commissioner
PO Box 10-094
Wellington, New Zealand
Phone: 04 474 7590
Enquiries Line (from Auckland): 302 8655
Enquiries Line (from outside Auckland): 0800 803 909
Fax: 04 474 7595
Email: enquiries@privacy.org.nz

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