Effective Date: May 17, 2021
This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) describes the Personal Information collected by or on behalf of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (“AOIC,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) through the Services provided to you by the AOIC, including this website (“Site”), the hotline, text, chat, and email services (together referred to as the “Services”), as well as how Personal Information is used, protected and shared. If you have questions or concerns about this Policy, please contact us using the information at the end of this page.
We may modify this Policy at any time. All changes will be effective immediately upon posting to the Site. Material changes will be conspicuously posted on the Site or otherwise communicated to you.
If you use the Services, you must comply with our Term of Use ("Terms") found at Terms of Use.
We Collect Data You Provide
Personal Information. You can visit the Site without submitting Personal Information. If you elect to contact the AOIC to use the Services, you will be required to provide certain data that personally identifies you (“Personal Information”) such as your name, email address, phone number, type of person, county of court case or legal problem, courthouse information, court records, and type of case or problem. We may also collect any Personal Information you choose to provide us during our interactions with you. We will collect, use, and share such Personal Information pursuant to this Policy and applicable law.
Personal Information is required to use certain Services, for example, contact us via email, phone, text (SMS), or our live chat (where we may retain your message’s content and our response), receive or request data from us, and respond to communications from us.
AOIC Accounts. To allow the AOIC to provide the Services in the most effective way to you, if you contact us by using the hotline, text, chat, or email, the AOIC may create an account specific to you that contains the Personal Information collected as described in this Policy. This account will only be used by the AOIC to better allow the AOIC to customize the Services provided to you.
Live Chat Conversations. If you use a Site chat feature, the hotline, text, or chat, we will collect all text and other data that you submit via that chat feature.
Feedback. When you provide comments or feedback about our Site, the content on the Site, or our Services ("Feedback"), we will not treat that Feedback as confidential and we may use that Feedback for any purpose in our sole discretion so long as it does not personally identify you. Feedback will be used without attribution or compensation to you.
Data Automatically Collected
Cookies & Other Tracking Technologies.
What types of online tracking mechanisms do we use? The AOIC and our service providers may use cookies, web beacons, pixel tags and other tracking technologies (collectively "Cookies") on our Site.
What are cookies and web beacons / pixel tags? A cookie is a small text file that our Site saves onto your computer or device when you use the Site that provides us certain information about your activities. Cookies allow the Site to remember your actions and preferences and recognize you or your browser, along with some information you provided. Web beacons / pixel tags are small graphics on a webpage that monitor your activity when viewing a webpage.
Why do we collect Cookies? We use Cookies to:
- make our Site function properly;
- provide personalized experiences;
- tailor our interactions with you;
- provide us with valuable data and statistics about the usage and effectiveness of our Site and to help us improve our Site; and
- help us improve our services.
What type of information do Cookies collect? The Cookies on our Site may collect information such as:
- IP addresses assigned to the computers and other devices you use;
- your internet service provider;
- device ID number;
- approximate geographic location;
- browser type;
- Site pages visited;
- websites you access before and after visiting the Site, and
- data related to how and when you use the Site.
We may combine information from Cookies with other Personal Information.
How long do Cookies last? A Cookie can either be a “session” Cookie or a “persistent” Cookie. Session Cookies exist only for so long as you are visiting the applicable Site and are typically deleted when you exit your web browser. Persistent Cookies exist for a set period of time, for example, up to several months or years. Each time you visit a Site that has implemented a persistent Cookie, the persistent Cookie is renewed and that Cookie will remain active until its predetermined expiration date. You can manually delete persistent Cookies through your browser settings.
First and Third-party Cookies. Cookies may either be “first-party” or “third-party” Cookies. A first-party Cookie allows your web browser to talk to the actual Site that you are visiting (i.e. this Site). A third-party Cookie allows your web browser to talk to a third-party website, such as the source of an ad that appears on the website you are visiting or a third-party analytics provider. We may not have control over how a third-party uses information collected through third-party Cookies.
How do you manage Cookies or opt-out? Most browsers automatically accept cookies. You can disable this function by changing your browser settings, but disabling cookies may impact your use and enjoyment of the Site. Not all features or functions of the Site may work properly if you disable Cookies. You cannot disable all Cookies, such as Cookies that are essential to the functioning of the Site.
The Services are powered by our third-party provider Zendesk. For additional information about how and when Zendesk uses Cookies, please see the Zendesk In-Product Cookie Policy found at https://www.zendesk.com/company/policies-procedures/cookie-policy/.
Google Analytics. We use Google Analytics to collect and process information about your use of the Site. Google sets cookies on your browser or device, and then your web browser will automatically send information to Google. Google uses this information to provide us with reports that we use to better understand and measure how users interact with our Site.
To learn more about how Google uses data, visit Google’s Privacy Policy and Google’s page on “How Google uses data when you use our partners’ sites or apps.” You may download the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on for each web browser you use, but this does not prevent the use of other analytics tools. To learn more about Google Analytics cookies, visit Google Analytics Cookie Usage on Websites.
Video Content. The Site may contain videos and embedded content provided by the AOIC and other parties, including visible content and/or feeds scripts embedded in the Site's code. The AOIC and such other parties may collect data about how you interact with such content. For example, YouTube may collect usage data on videos embedded on the Site. Even if you do not watch videos, YouTube may still collect certain information about your interactions with our Site if you are signed into your YouTube account or Google account when accessing our Site. YouTube, LLC is owned by Google. Please see Google's Privacy Policy for more information.
Data from Other Sources
We obtain data about individuals from various public sources and we may combine that data with other Personal Information. This enhances our existing data about our users and improves our ability to assist you.
Social Media
We may be active on social media, including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn (“Social Media”). Anything you post on Social Media is public information and will not be treated confidentially. We may post (or re-post) on the Site and our Social Media pages any comments or content that you post on our Social Media pages.
The Site allows you to connect and share data with Social Media platforms. These features may require us to use cookies, plug-ins, and APIs provided by such Social Media platforms to facilitate those communications and features. The Site may use advertising networks and services offered by Social Media platforms to deliver advertising content. Use of these services requires Social Media platforms to implement cookies or pixel tags to deliver ads to you while you access the Site.
Your use of Social Media is governed by the privacy policies and terms of the providers that own and operate those websites and not by this Policy. We encourage you to review those policies and terms.
How We Use Personal Information
We use Personal Information for the following purposes:
As Stated or Agreed to at the Point of Collection. We may use Personal Information for the purposes stated or agreed-to (or as is obvious) at the point of collection. For example, we use Personal Information to respond to your questions or comments. We may also use Personal Information as requested or consented to by you.
Administration. We use Personal Information for administrative purposes, such as facilitating transactions, to inform our business strategies, to understand the Services, including the Site’s demographics and user preferences, and for evaluating inquiries as well as the resolutions.
Site Management. We use Personal Information for Site management, such as troubleshooting problems, improving the content and functionality of the Site, statistical and other analyses of the Site, and to customize the Site to you and our users.
Communications. We may use Personal Information to notify you of new Services or programs, to notify you of new features of our Site, to notify you of changes to our Terms or this Policy, and for other similar communications.
To Protect Our Rights. We may use Personal Information to protect our legal rights or interests, or those of other parties, including to bring a legal action against you or anyone who may be causing harm to us, our Site, or to other users of the Services.
Retention of Personal Information
We will keep Personal Information for the period necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this Policy, unless a longer retention period is permitted or required by law.
Disclosure of Personal Information
We do not sell, rent or lease Personal Information to any third party. We may share Personal Information with the following parties, in compliance with applicable laws:
Employees and Affiliates. We may share Personal Information with our employees and affiliates who have a need to know the information for our business purposes.
Third-Parties and/or Service Providers. We may share Personal Information with third parties and/or service providers that provide services for us. For example, we may share Personal Information with vendors to help us host and manage the Services; provide targeted advertising and other marketing; improve the content and functionality of the Services; perform data analysis and statistical analysis; troubleshoot problems with the Services; provide payment processing services and online storefronts; provide public relations; provide learning management systems; provide email services; provide data processing; and support or provide the security of the Services.
Government Officials / Law Enforcement. We will cooperate with law enforcement and other governmental agencies, and may disclose Personal Information: (i) if we believe in good faith we are legally required to disclose that Personal Information, (ii) if we are advised to disclose Personal Information by our legal counsel, or (iii) when necessary to identify, contact or bring a legal action against someone who may cause or be causing harm to, or interfering with the legal rights of, the AOIC or any other party.
Professional Advisors. We may share Personal Information with our professional advisors, such as our attorneys, accountants, financial advisors and business advisors, in their capacity as advisors to the AOIC.
Change in Ownership or Control. In the event the Services are subject to a change of control or ownership, in whole or in part, or in the event of a bankruptcy, we may provide Personal Information to the subsequent owner(s) of the Services.
Public Records Law. The AOIC may be required by state public records law to disclose Personal Information, and will do so in compliance with applicable laws and/or at the direction of its legal counsel.
Other. We may share Personal Information with third parties when explicitly requested by or consented to by you, or for the purposes for which you disclosed the Personal Information to us as indicated at the time and point of the disclosure (or as was obvious at the time and point of disclosure).
Use and Disclosure of Non-Personal Information
The AOIC may collect, use, share, transfer and otherwise process de-identified and aggregated information that it receives or creates for any purposes in its sole discretion, in compliance with applicable laws. The AOIC is the sole and exclusive owner of such de-identified and aggregated information, including if the AOIC de-identifies Personal Information so that it no longer considered Personal Information under applicable laws.
Children's Information
The Services are not directed at children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect, use, or share Personal Information from children under 18. If a parent or legal guardian learns that their child provided us with Personal Information without his or her consent, please contact us and we will make commercially reasonable attempts to delete such Personal Information.
Data Security
We use commercially reasonable technical and organizational measures to help secure Personal Information against loss, misuse, and alteration appropriate to the type of Personal Information processed. If a breach of your Personal Information occurs, we will notify you of the breach if required under applicable law.
You understand that no data transmission over the internet or device can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. While we strive to protect Personal Information, we do not guarantee the security of Personal Information and you provide Personal Information at your own risk.
Access from Outside the United States
If you access the Services from outside the United States, please be aware that Personal Information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States. Certain governmental authorities may not consider the level of protection of Personal Information in the United States to be equivalent to that required by the in other jurisdictions.
Third-Party Websites
The Site may link to, or be linked to, websites not controlled by us. We are not responsible for third-parties’ privacy policies or practices. This Policy does not apply to any third-party websites or to any data that you provide to third parties. You should read the privacy policy for each website that you visit.
Access & Update Your Personal Information
To access or update your Personal Information as it exists in our records, please contact us using the information below.
Contact Us
If you have questions or concerns regarding this Policy, contact us at:
The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts
Access to Justice Division
Email: accesstojustice@illinoiscourts.gov