Privacy Policy / Legal Information

Thank you for visiting the Official Site of the City of Miami Beach, Florida. Our site adheres to the highest of Internet standards, complying with the State's Public Records statutes, observing and championing Net etiquette, linking externally without endorsements, and aiming for factual information throughout.

Privacy

It is the policy of the State of Florida that all state records are open for public inspection. This policy is embodied in the Florida Constitution, together with the right of an individual to be free from unauthorized governmental intrusion into their private life, as provided in Article 1, Section 23. In recognition of these policies, the City has established this Internet Privacy Policy. When you use our Site, you are acknowledging that personal information you provide is subject to Florida's Public Records Policy as stated in Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, and Article I, Section 24 of the state Constitution.

You do not have to give us personal information to visit our Web Site, download our publications, use our e-mail communications, or any other feature. We collect no personal information about you when you visit http://www.miamibeachfl.gov unless you choose to provide this information to us. We may use the information that you voluntarily provide to us to notify you of selected content changes or new publications. We may also use it to conduct statistical analyses of user activities in order to measure user interest in the information we provide and how we provide it. However, we do collect and store some non-personal information automatically.

What We Collect and Store Automatically

• Name of the domain from which you access the Internet (for example, xcompany.com, if you use a private Internet access account, or yourschool.edu if you connect from an educational institution's domain);
• The page from which you came and the pages that you access.
• Date and time you access our Site;
• Internet address of the website from which you linked directly to our Site;
• Your system's IP (Internet Protocol) address; and
• The type of browser and operating system you used to access our Site.

We use the information we collect in aggregate to count the number of and types of visitors to the different pages on our Site and to help us make our Site more useful to visitors like you.

How We use Cookies

In order to process some transactions (or in the future to customize content specific to your geographic area or interests), we use cookie technology. A cookie is data that is stored on your computer's hard drive or is stored temporarily by our system. This data allows your browser to communicate with our Web servers. We use the cookie to track your progress during e-commerce transactions. When your transaction is completed, the cookie is saved on your PC. The only time we create a cookie is when you conduct a multi-part transaction.  A cookie is data that is stored on your computer's hard drive or is stored temporarily by our system. This data allows your browser to communicate with our Web servers. 

You may choose to reject all cookies by modifying your browser preferences. However, if you do not accept cookies, you will not be able to use some of our functions that require their use.

Security

When you use your credit card to do business on the Official Site of the City of Miami Beach, Florida, we protect the integrity and privacy of your account information with advanced technologies. To guard against credit card fraud, we offer secure online ordering using the latest Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption technology. The connection between your browser and our servers is encrypted with industry-standard SSL technology, which scrambles transaction information so that only your browser and our servers can decipher it. To use this option you must have a browser that supports SSL, such as later versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Communicator.

However, even with advanced technologies, it is not always possible to prevent unauthorized access or unauthorized disclosure. The City makes no representation and assumes no responsibility or liability concerning the accuracy of the information or for any loss which might result to the user by the use of this Web Site. Please be aware that in the event unauthorized access, unauthorized disclosure, third party intervention, or any loss occurs due to error, omission, or inaccurate information being displayed on this Web Site, the City of Miami Beach reserves the right to recover any unpaid fees and taxes.

Disclaimer Regarding Accuracy of Information

Visitors to and users of the Official Site of the City of Miami Beach, Florida, are advised that information contained within the pages of the Site is believed to be accurate. However, errors can occur - even with computer-generated information. The City makes no representation regarding the completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of such information and data or that such information and data will be error-free. In the event that the information on the City's official printed documents differ from the information contained on this Web Site, the information on the City's official printed documents will control and take precedence. Please be aware that in the event an error or omission occurs, the City of Miami Beach will use all of its resources to recover fees and taxes due to it.

Visitors are encouraged to review the official version of all documents upon which they plan to rely. Any special notices related to the accuracy or the currency of specific elements of data presented in our Site will be defined on those specific pages.

Intrusion Detection

For security purposes and to help ensure this service remains available to you, we use special software programs for monitoring network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise to cause damage to this government computer system. These programs collect no information that would directly identify individuals, but they do collect information that could help us identify someone attempting to tamper with this Web Site.

If you use this system, you should understand that all activities may be monitored and recorded. Anyone using this system expressly consents to such monitoring. WARNING -- If such monitoring reveals possible evidence or information of criminal or suspicious activity, monitoring records may be provided to law enforcement officials.

Except for authorized law enforcement investigations, we make no other attempts to identify individual users or their usage habits. We only use raw monitoring data logs for determining trends in usage patterns and in diagnosing system problems.

Linkage

The Official Site of the City of Miami Beach, Florida, provides links to many web sites that are not controlled, maintained, or regulated by us. As such, we are not responsible for the content of those web sites. Use of information from those web sites is voluntary. Rely on that information only after undertaking an independent review of its accuracy. References at those web sites to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Official Site of the City of Miami Beach, Florida. When you link to another site you are subject to the privacy policy of the new site.

Terms of Use

By visiting the Official Site of the City of Miami Beach, Florida, users agree that they will not use the Site for any unlawful activity or use it in any way that would violate the following terms and conditions.

Use of Communication Forums

The Official Site of the City of Miami Beach, Florida, has, will, or may contain threaded discussions, chat rooms, list serves and other communication forums. By participating in any of these, users agree to send and receive messages that are both proper and related to the forum topic. The following actions are unacceptable practices:

• Defaming, harassing, threatening, or otherwise violating the legal rights of others, including their privacy (see below);
• Misrepresenting one's person, background, or character;
• Posting any defamatory, infringing, obscene, false, or unlawful material;
• Selling, advertising, or exchanging any goods or services unless expressly allowed;
• Posting any copyrighted material owned by a third party.

Also, you agree to use any Official Site of the City of Miami Beach, Florida forum at your own risk. While championing proper use of such forums, The City of Miami Beach cannot guarantee that violations of the above code will not occur.

If you have any questions or comments about the information presented here, please email webmaster@miamibeachfl.gov