Alzheimers.gov Policies and Notices

Copyright and Trademark Information

The public may reproduce without permission information from the Alzheimers.gov website, except for documents that state another copyright policy applies to them. Restrictions on the reproduction of a document may arise if a private party has sponsored it. Information presented on the Alzheimers.gov website is authored and owned by the federal government, and that content is in the public domain.

However, using the Alzheimers.gov website, you may encounter documents, illustrations, photographs, or other information resources contributed or licensed by private individuals, companies, or organizations that may be protected by U.S. and foreign copyright laws. Transmission or reproduction of protected items beyond that allowed by fair use as defined in the copyright laws requires the written permission of the copyright owners. See Copyrighted Materials section for further details.

Any information that is reproduced from this site should contain proper acknowledgement of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Alzheimers.gov as the originator and the Alzheimers.gov website (www.alzheimers.gov) as the source.

Copyrighted Material

Some information on the Alzheimers.gov website may be subject to copyright restrictions. This information includes documents, images, or multimedia in which another copyright policy applies to them. This information may include but not limited to:

• Rights-managed images, documents, or multimedia
• Royalty-free images, documents, or multimedia
• Privately sponsored images, documents, or multimedia
• Documents, images, or files marked with a copyright symbol
• Documents, images, or files displaying the phrase, “All Rights Reserved”

Note: United States law does not require a copyright notice, and therefore, not all copyrighted material available on the Alzheimers.gov website will be necessarily marked in these ways. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the person/agency using or copying the information to research whether the information is copyrighted and under what laws the material falls as well as what restrictions for use may be applicable.

If a page is copyrighted, transmission or reproduction of protected items beyond that allowed by fair use as defined in federal copyright laws may require written permission of the copyright owners.

Information Quality

Alzheimers.gov adheres to HHS’s standards for information quality. Learn about Plain Writing at NIH's clear communications website.

Digital Strategy

Learn more about HHS Digital Strategy, including information on governance and data publication processes.

Open Government

Read the Open Government Plan from HHS, our parent Agency.

No FEAR Act: Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act

On May 15, 2002, President Bush signed into law the Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation (No FEAR) Act (Public Law 107-174) to increase federal agency accountability for acts of discrimination or reprisal against employees. The No FEAR Act became effective on October 1, 2003.

This act requires that federal agencies post on their public websites certain summary statistical data relating to equal employment opportunity complaints filed against the respective agencies.

Statistical information in accordance with the No FEAR Act relating to HHS equal employment opportunity complaints is available on the HHS website.

Nondiscrimination Notice

Read HHS's Nondiscrimination Notice. 

Cookies

Websites can automatically place small text files, known as "cookies," on their visitors' computers. Cookies identify the unique browser used by the visitor unless you delete the cookies or they expire. On each subsequent visit to the website, the visitor's browser will retrieve the cookie, allowing Alzheimers.gov to aggregate the number of return visitors. Alzheimers.gov uses "cookies" to test and optimize our website design and content. We use two types of cookies on Alzheimers.gov websites:

• We use session cookies to gather data for technical purposes, such as improving navigation through our website and generating statistics about how the website is used. Session cookies are temporary text files that expire when you leave our website. Cookies delete automatically from your computer as soon as they expire. We do not use session cookies to collect personally identifiable information, and we do not share data collected from session cookies.
• We use multi-session cookies, or persistent cookies, to customize our website for frequent visitors and to test variations of website design and content. Multi-session cookies are stored over more than a single session on your computer. We do not use multi-session cookies to collect personally identifiable information, and we do not share data collected from multi-session cookies. Our multi-session cookies expire two years after your last visit to our website. These cookies delete automatically from your computer as soon as they expire.

You can block cookies from your computer by opting out. Blocking session cookies from your computer will not affect your access to the content and tools on our websites. Blocking multi-session or persistent cookies may affect the personalization of the information on these websites.

Privacy Policy

When you visit our websites, we use Google's Universal Analytics software to automatically gather and temporarily store a variety of information about your visit. Of the information we learn about you from your visit to the Alzheimers.gov website, we store only the following: the domain name from which you access the internet, the date and time you access our site, your location at the time of your visit, down to city level, and the internet address of the website from which you direct-linked to our site. This information is used to measure the number of visitors to the various sections of our site and to help us make our site more useful to visitors. Unless specifically stated otherwise, no additional information will be collected about you.

We do not associate any of the data we automatically collect with your personally identifiable information. Instead, we aggregate this data from all users' visits in order to improve our website and provide a better user experience to our visitors. The aggregate data is available only to web managers and other designated staff who require this information to perform their duties. We retain this information only for as long as needed for proper analysis. Read the Google Analytics Privacy Policy.

When inquiries are emailed to us, we store the question and the email address so that we can respond electronically. Unless otherwise required by statute, we do not identify publicly who sends questions or comments to our website. We will not obtain information that will allow us to personally identify you when you visit our site unless you chose to provide such information to us.

To protect your privacy, be sure to close your browser completely after you have finished visiting the Alzheimers.gov website. If you are concerned about the potential use of information gathered from your computer by cookies, you can set your browser to prompt you before it accepts a cookie. Most web browsers have settings that let you identify and/or reject cookies.

How Alzheimers.gov Uses Third-Party Websites and Applications

As part of the OMB Memo M-10-06, Open Government Directive, Alzheimers.gov uses a variety of new technologies and social media options to communicate and interact with citizens. These sites and applications include popular social networking and media sites, open-source software communities, and more. Third-party websites and applications (TPWAs) are web-based technologies that are not exclusively operated or controlled by Alzheimers.gov, such as applications not hosted on a .gov domain or those that are embedded on Alzheimers.gov webpages. Users of TPWAs often share information with the general public, user community, and/or the third-party operating the website. These actors may use this information in a variety of ways. TPWAs could cause personally identifiable information (PII) to become available or accessible to Alzheimers.gov and the public, regardless of whether the information is explicitly solicited or collected by Alzheimers.gov.

The following list includes some of the TPWAs we use and their purpose. Alzheimers.gov sometimes collects and uses PII made available through third-party websites. However, we do not share PII made available through third-party websites. Your activity on the third-party websites we use is governed by the security and privacy policy of those sites, which we have linked below. You should review the third-party privacy policies before using the sites and ensure that you understand how your information may be used. If you have an account with a third-party website, and choose to follow, like, friend, or comment, certain PII associated with your account may be made available to Alzheimers.gov based on the privacy policy of the third-party website and your privacy settings within that third-party website. Therefore, you should also adjust privacy settings on your account to match your preferences.

For any Alzheimers.gov TPWA that collects PII, the list below also includes details on the information Alzheimers.gov collects and how we will protect your private information.

Third-Party Websites and Applications

Facebook: Alzheimers.gov links to the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Facebook account. NIA uses Facebook to share consumer health information with the public. If you have a Facebook account and "like" or "follow" the NIA page, you can post comments on posts or click the "like" option for individual entries. If you comment or click on the "like" button, PII will be visible to the NIA staff and other Facebook site visitors. The amount of visible personal information will depend on your own Facebook privacy settings. You can avoid sharing any PII by not creating an account, not posting comments, not sharing posts, and not clicking on the "like" options in Facebook, etc. NIA does not collect, use, or disclose any information about visitors who comment or "like" these pages. Facebook collects and reports on information about activities on Facebook pages. However, as a practice, our comments moderation policy requires the removal of any comments that contain spam or are improper, inflammatory, or offensive. All posts or comments from the public will be saved as part of our record retention policy. It is saved on a password-protected, encrypted drive accessible to NIA staff and contractors who require this information to perform their duties. The Facebook privacy policy is posted on the Facebook website.

Twitter: Alzheimers.gov links to the NIA Twitter account. NIA uses Twitter to send short messages or "Tweets" to share information about NIA with you and respond to your comments and inquiries sent via Twitter to NIA. While you may read the NIA Twitter feed without subscribing, if you want to subscribe to (or follow) NIA Twitter feeds, you must create a Twitter account at www.twitter.com. To create an account, you must provide some personal information, such as your name, username, password, and email address. You have the option to provide additional personal information including a short biography, location, or a picture. Most information you provide for a Twitter account is available to the public, but you can modify how much of your information is visible by changing your privacy settings at the Twitter.com website. NIA staff members monitor the number of subscribers and respond to comments and queries via Twitter, but the staff never takes possession of the personal information belonging to you as a Twitter follower. However, as a practice, comment moderator policy requires the removal from the NIA Twitter pages of any comments that contain spam or are improper, inflammatory, or offensive. The information is then saved on a password-protected shared drive accessible to NIA managers, system owners, communications staff, web teams, and other designated staff who require this information to perform their duties. The Twitter Privacy Policy is posted on the Twitter website.

YouTube: Alzheimers.gov links to the NIA YouTube account. NIA posts videos on YouTube to make them available to the public. You do not need to register with either YouTube or Google (YouTube Owner) to watch NIA YouTube videos. When you watch videos, YouTube may record non-PII about your site usage, such as channels used, videos watched, and data transfer details to improve its services. If you log in to the YouTube site before watching NIA videos, YouTube may associate information about your site usage with your YouTube account. If you log in to YouTube and comment on an NIA video, any personal information you included on your YouTube public profile page will be visible to visitors who click on the comment field. If you do not log in before watching NIA videos posted on YouTube, you cannot comment on NIA videos and your site usage will not be associated with you or a YouTube account. The YouTube Privacy Policy is posted on the Google website.

MailChimp: NIA uses MailChimp to send email communications to people who voluntarily sign up to receive them. To subscribe, you must provide an email address and indicate which subscriptions you'd like to receive. MailChimp provides NIA with nonidentifying, aggregate usage statistics about the number of emails sent, received, and opened, and links within emails clicked. MailChimp password-protects the subscriber lists and aggregate usage statistics, and only designated NIA staff and contractors who manage email communications via MailChimp have access to the information. NIA never allows access to the subscriber lists to anyone outside of NIA for any purposes. Review the MailChimp Privacy Policy.

For more information on the uses of social and news media for which the U.S. General Services Administration has negotiated a federally-friendly Terms of Service Agreement, visit the HHS Center for New Media.

Questions about Alzheimers.gov privacy policies should be sent to the NIH Privacy Act Officer.

Website Security

This website is part of a federal computer system used to accomplish federal functions. Computer software programs as well as other methods are used to monitor network traffic on this website for security purposes. By accessing this website, you are expressly consenting to these monitoring activities.

Unauthorized attempts to defeat or circumvent security features; to use the system for other than intended purposes; to deny service to authorized users; to access, obtain, alter, damage, or destroy information; or to otherwise interfere with the system or its operation are strictly prohibited. Evidence of such acts may be disclosed to law enforcement authorities and may result in criminal prosecution under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act of 1996, as codified at Section 1030 of Title 18 of the United States Code, or other applicable criminal laws.

Open Data

The HHS website, healthdata.gov, makes health data available to entrepreneurs, researchers, and policy makers in the hopes of better outcomes for all.

Vulnerability Disclosure Policy

HHS is committed to ensuring the security of the American public by protecting their information from unwarranted disclosure. This policy is intended to give security researchers clear guidelines for conducting vulnerability discovery activities and to convey how to submit discovered vulnerabilities to HHS. This policy describes what systems and types of research are covered under this policy, how to send vulnerability reports, and how long HHS asks security researchers to wait before publicly disclosing vulnerabilities. Read the HHS Vulnerability Disclosure Policy.

Website Linking Policy

Links to Non-Federal Government Websites

The Alzheimers.gov website links to various other website, including those that are not owned or sponsored by the U.S. federal government. These sites provide information and/or services not available on an official U.S. federal government website. Alzheimers.gov provides these links for public service only and does not imply endorsement nor does it guarantee the quality or credibility of any external organizations, services, advice, or products included on these other sites. Furthermore, the U.S. federal government neither controls nor guarantees the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of the content contained by these external links.

Notification

A notification page will alert a website visitor before he or she is redirected to a non-federal government website. The notice page shall state:

"You are now leaving the official Alzheimers.gov website for [External URL]. Alzheimers.gov is not responsible for the availability or content of these external sites, nor does Alzheimers.gov endorse, warrant or guarantee the products, services or information described or offered at other internet sites.”

Evaluation Criteria

(See Disclaimer of Endorsement for more information on this topic.)

Alzheimers.gov evaluates all suggested links using the criteria noted below with an approval review process conducted by Alzheimers.gov.

Required:

The linked website must have one or more of the following elements:

• The linked website provides official federal government information or services.
• The linked website complements existing information, products, and services on the Alzheimers.gov website.
• The linked website’s information appears to be accurate and current as indicated by references, and date of creation and/or revisions submitted.
• The linked website is accessible and applicable to a wide audience.
• The linked website provides citizens, businesses, and/or government officials with the information they need to interact directly with government organizations (e.g., clearly available telephone numbers, street addresses, email addresses, and instructions).
• The linked website provides community-level information and services.

Links to U.S. Federal Government Websites

Alzheimers.gov can link to any U.S. federal government website that is publicly available. Acceptable U.S. federal government-owned or government-sponsored website domains include .gov, .mil, and .fed.us. Alzheimers.gov also provides links to: quasi-government agencies and websites created by public sector/private sector partnerships, state and local government sites (e.g., www.maryland.gov), and some websites that end in .com, .org, or .net.

Disclaimer of Endorsement

The information posted on the Alzheimers.gov website includes hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and/or private organizations. Alzheimers.gov provides these links solely for our users' information and convenience. When users select a link to an outside website, they are leaving the Alzheimers.gov site and are subject to the privacy limitations and policies of the owners/sponsors of that website.

• Alzheimers.gov does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of information contained on a linked website.
• Alzheimers.gov does not endorse the organizations sponsoring linked websites and does not endorse the views they express or the products/services they offer.
• Alzheimers.gov cannot authorize the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked websites. Users must request such authorization from the sponsor of the linked website.
• Alzheimers.gov is not responsible for transmissions users receive from linked websites.
• Alzheimers.gov does not guarantee that outside websites comply with Section 508 (accessibility requirements) of the Rehabilitation Act.

During your visit to our website, your web browser may produce pop-up advertisements. These advertisements were most likely produced by other websites you visited or by third-party software installed on your computer. Alzheimers.gov, along with other agencies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, does not endorse or recommend products or services that may appear as pop-up advertisements on your computer screen while visiting its site.

Scheduled Review Process of Links

The links provided in the Alzheimers.gov website are reviewed on a quarterly basis at a minimum or more frequently as required by HHS management and/or relevant regulation changes, to ensure the links are still operational and still provide value to the mission of the Alzheimers.gov website.

If a user encounters a link that is no longer operational, she/he is encouraged to email details of this error to the Alzheimers.gov webmaster at NIAAlzheimerswebteam@mail.nih.gov.

Linking to the Alzheimers.gov Website from Your Website

Alzheimers.gov encourages links to its public web resources.

Individuals or organizations wishing to link to the Alzheimers.gov website should direct their link to www.alzheimers.gov. If a description is to be provided with the link, the following wording shall be used:

“The Alzheimers.gov website (www.alzheimers.gov) is a federal government portal for accurate and up-to-date information about Alzheimer’s and related dementias, clinical trials, and educational materials and resources for the general public and for researchers and health professionals.”

Links to individual pages within the Alzheimers.gov website are also permissible, using the above paragraph and any descriptive notes that accurately reflect the content of the linked page(s).

Alzheimers.gov periodically redesigns its website, so content may be located at different webpage addresses. Every attempt is made to ensure existing links will continue to forward a user to their requested page(s). However, it is strongly recommended that organizations review their external links frequently to ensure each link referenced is still operational.

Media

If you are a reporter, please send questions to the NIA Office of Communications and Public Liaison through standard channels rather than by submitting questions as comments.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this comment policy or the privacy policy, please contact NIAAlzheimerswebteam@mail.nih.gov.