The South Carolina State Ports Authority (SCSPA) values the privacy of its customers, employees, and prospective employees. We strictly adhere to all regulatory requirements with regard to privacy, and our employees are educated on the importance of privacy and confidentiality. The purpose of this privacy policy is to inform you as to what information we collect from you, voluntarily and involuntarily, and what steps you may take to prevent divulging such information should you wish to do so. Please check this policy frequently, as we may amend it from time to time to reflect changes in our services and our policies. Amendments will become effective at the time they are posted on our website.

WHAT DO WE COLLECT AND WHY DO WE DO IT?

The SCSPA wants you to be aware of what we do collect from you and what we do not. The following sections explain what we collect from you without notice and what we collect with your consent as well as why we need the information. Please see the "Contact Us" section of this policy if you have any questions regarding our collection of data.

INVOLUNTARY

To help improve your browsing experience, the SCSPA utilizes web server logs that capture your IP address, browser type, and the pages on our site that you visit. This is a common practice on the web today, and is done solely so our webmaster(s) can improve our site, and make it more accessible to you. The IP addresses provide no identifiable information about you, and are not used to attempt to track individual persons. The logs are kept and used ONLY for INTERNAL statistical purposes such as page popularity.

VOLUNTARY

At some point in your browsing experience, you may choose to register for a particular service online, such as ORION WebConnect. In order to process your registration request, the SCSPA will request personal information, such as your name, address, phone, and e-mail. This information is collected so you can participate in the service, and the SCSPA will request no unnecessary information. We may use the information you provide to improve our services. Customers are free to inquire as to the need for the information at any point during the process. The SCSPA is a state entity and is subject to the state Freedom of Information Act.

We may e-mail or call you from time to time concerning either billing or service issues. However, the SCSPA will not disclose your e-mail address to any other parties unless it is for billing or service purposes.

WHO DO WE TELL?

The SCSPA does not sell or disclose any personally identifiable information to any third party unless it is necessary to provide you with a requested service or as may be required by law. The SCSPA does, however, reserve the right to target and market services based on user profiles.

The SCSPA reserves the right to share aggregate (statistical) information with third parties, provided the information contains no reference to any personally identifiable information.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PREVENT IT?

If you wish, you may keep the SCSPA from collecting personally identifiable information about you by simply not giving it when requested to do so. However, it is important to note that by opting out of such requests, you may keep the SCSPA from being able to provide you with some of the advanced features that we offer, such as web access to cargo information, on-line vessel scheduling, the TIDE LINE e-mail newsletter, and hazardous materials requests.

Should you also wish to prevent the SCSPA from collecting your IP address and other involuntary information as described above, you may simply discontinue your use of the site at any time.

SECURITY

The Internet is a rapidly growing and widely used method of communication across the globe. Unfortunately, the Internet is not immune to abuse and illegal use by persons. Because of this, the SCSPA cannot guarantee with 100% confidence that an unauthorized person will NEVER see the information you provide. However, the SCSPA makes every effort to insure the protection of the information you provide against loss, misuse, or alteration. We use the latest available technology, including firewalls and encryption technology to protect information you transmit on-line. In the case of on line services such as ORION Webconnect, your personal account is protected by your own User ID and password. To ensure optimum security of your account, the SCSPA encourages you not to share your password or User ID with anyone. The SCSPA employs a staff of highly trained professionals who work to make sure that every reasonable precautionary measure is taken to ensure security.

As mentioned above, the SCSPA educates its employees on the importance of privacy and confidentiality. Disciplinary action will be taken if any employee violates these standards of privacy and attempts to access information which he or she has no legitimate purpose viewing.

CONTACT US

You may contact us with any questions or concerns at the following addresses and phone number:

Mailing:
South Carolina State Ports Authority
ATTN: Chief Information Officer
PO Box 22287
Charleston , SC 29413

Street Address:
176 Concord Street
Charleston , SC 29401
Email: webmaster@scspa.com