ARPA-H Website Privacy Statement

On this page:

Overview

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). For detailed information about HHS-wide privacy practices, please see the HHS Privacy Policy on HHS.gov.

Protecting the privacy of visitors to ARPA-H websites is very important to us. ARPA-H websites may link to other ARPA-H and HHS sites, other federal agency sites, and private organizations. Once you leave ARPA-H.gov, you are subject to the privacy and security policies of the external site(s) you are visiting.

We do not collect any personally identifiable information (PII) about you during your visit to ARPA-H websites unless you choose to provide it to us. We do collect limited information about your visit to better understand how the public uses our site and to make it more useful. ARPA-H never collects information for commercial marketing or for any purpose unrelated to the ARPA-H mission and goals.

When visitors submit questions or comments through an ARPA-H online form, ARPA-H staff respond to the inquiries and file them. Only authorized staff may access or reply to these communications.

Contact Information

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Statement, how your information is handled, or ARPA-H privacy practices, please contact: 

For information about department-wide privacy policies, you may also visit:

Information We Automatically Collect and Store

When you browse any website, certain information about your visit may be collected. When you visit ARPA-H websites, we automatically collect and temporarily retain the following types of information about your visit:

  • The name of the domain you use to access the internet (for example, gmail.com if you are using a Gmail account, or seattle.edu if you are connecting from Seattle University’s domain)
  • The date and time of your visit
  • The pages you visited
  • Demographic and interest data
  • The address of the website that referred you to ARPA-H.gov

We use this information for statistical purposes and to help make our site more useful to visitors. Unless it is specifically stated otherwise, no additional information will be collected about you.

Systems of Records

Electronically submitted information is maintained and destroyed pursuant to the Federal Records Act and, in some cases, may be subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. § 552a).

Groups of records that contain information about an individual and are designed to be retrieved by the name or other personal identifier linked to the individual are covered by the Privacy Act. For these records, ARPA-H Systems of Records Notices (SORNs) are published in the Federal Register.

Data Safeguarding and Privacy

All uses of web measurement and customization technologies will comply with existing policies with respect to privacy and data safeguarding standards.

Information technology (IT) systems owned and operated by ARPA-H are assessed using Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) that are posted for public view on the Department of Health and Human Services website: https://www.hhs.gov/pia

Data Retention and Access Limits

ARPA-H will retain data collected using the technologies described in this statement only as long as necessary to achieve the specific objective for which they were collected.

The data generated from these activities fall under the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) General Records Schedule (GRS) 20, item IC “Electronic Records,” and will be handled in accordance with that schedule: http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/grs/grs20.html

Personally Provided Information

You do not have to provide any personal information to visit ARPA-H websites.

If you choose to provide us with additional information about yourself through an email message, form, survey, or other method, we may store the names, addresses, and other information you provide in order to: Respond to your request or inquiry, or otherwise resolve the subject matter of your communication. This information will not be used for any purpose other than to respond to your request or to carry out the purpose for which you provided it.

All communications addressed to ARPA-H staff or the ARPA-H webmaster are maintained as required by law for historical purposes. These communications are protected by the Privacy Act, which restricts our use of them while permitting certain disclosures as allowed by law.

Note: Please see the HHS website for further information regarding medical privacy.

How ARPA-H Use Cookies

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum M‑10‑22, Guidance for Online Use of Web Measurement and Customization Technologies, allows federal agencies to use session and persistent cookies.

What Are Cookies?

When you visit a website, its server may generate a small piece of text known as a “cookie” that is placed on your computer. Cookies allow the server to “remember” specific information about your visit while you are connected. Cookies make it easier for you to use dynamic features of web pages.

Cookies from ARPA-H web pages only collect information about your browser’s visit to the site; they do not collect personal information about you. There are two types of cookies: single-session (temporary) and multi-session (persistent).

Session Cookies

  • Session cookies last only as long as your web browser is open. Once you close your browser, the session cookie disappears.
  • We use session cookies for technical purposes, such as to enable better navigation through our site. These cookies let our server know that you are continuing a visit to our site.

Persistent Cookies

  • Persistent cookies are stored on your computer for longer periods between visits to our site, until they expire.
  • We use persistent cookies to enable web analytics to differentiate between new and returning visitors.

How to Opt Out or Disable Cookies

  • If you do not wish to have session or persistent cookies placed on your computer, you can disable them using your web browser settings. If you opt out of cookies, you will still have access to all information and resources on ARPA-H.gov.
  • Instructions for disabling or opting out of cookies in the most popular browsers are available at: http://www.usa.gov/optout_instructions.shtml
  • Please note that by following these instructions to opt out of cookies, you will disable cookies from all sources, not just those from ARPA-H.gov.

Website Security and Intrusion Detection

This site is maintained by the U.S. Government. It is protected by various provisions of Title 18, U.S. Code. Violations of Title 18 are subject to criminal prosecution in federal court.

For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, we employ software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise cause damage.

In the event of authorized law enforcement investigations, and pursuant to any required legal process, information from these sources may be used to help identify and prosecute individuals for illegal activity if they violate these laws.

Third-Party Websites and Applications

Third-Party Websites and Applications (TPWAs) are web-based technologies that are not exclusively operated or controlled by ARPA-H, such as non-.gov-hosted applications and those embedded on an ARPA-H webpage. These tools could cause PII to become available or accessible to ARPA-H, regardless of whether ARPA-H solicits or collects it.

As part of the Open Government Directive, ARPA-H uses a variety of technologies and social media options to communicate and interact with the public. These include popular social networking and media sites, open-source software communities, and more.

Below are the TPWAs that we use and their purposes. For any sites or applications that collect PII, this list also includes details on the information collected and how ARPA-H protects your privacy.

Facebook

  • ARPA-H page: https://www.facebook.com/ARPAHealth
  • On the ARPA-H Facebook page, staff post news and other items of interest to the public.
  • If you have a Facebook account or “like” ARPA-H Facebook pages, you can post comments or click on the “like” option for individual entries. If you comment or click “like,” PII may be visible to ARPA-H staff and other Facebook site visitors. The amount of visible PII depends on your Facebook privacy settings.
  • You can avoid displaying any PII by not creating an account, not posting comments, and not clicking on “like” options in Facebook.
  • ARPA-H staff do not collect, use, or disclose any information about visitors who comment on or “like” the ARPA-H Facebook site. Facebook collects and reports aggregate, non-PII data about activities on Facebook pages. This information is password-protected and available only to ARPA-H managers, members of the ARPA-H communications and web teams, and other designated staff who require this information to perform their duties.
  • Facebook Privacy Policy: http://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/

LinkedIn

  • ARPA-H page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arpa-h
  • ARPA-H uses LinkedIn (including the “groups” feature) to engage with current and past employees and members of the public.
  • To join an ARPA-H group on LinkedIn, you must register for a LinkedIn account and provide your first and last name and email address. After confirming your email address, you may provide information regarding your employment, country, ZIP code, job title, and more.
  • The amount of personal information visible depends on your LinkedIn privacy settings. You can avoid displaying any PII by not creating a LinkedIn account, not joining ARPA-H LinkedIn groups, and not interacting with those groups (e.g., private messaging, posting on group pages).
  • Although ARPA-H staff managing LinkedIn groups may view the information you provide when you request to join ARPA-H groups, ARPA-H staff do not collect, use, or disclose this information for other purposes.
  • LinkedIn Privacy Policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy

X (formerly Twitter)

  • ARPA-H account: https://twitter.com/ARPA_H
  • ARPA-H uses X to send short messages (“tweets”) to share information about ARPA-H with visitors and to respond to comments and inquiries sent via X.
  • Visitors may read ARPA-H tweets without subscribing, but those who wish to follow ARPA-H must create an X account at https://www.twitter.com. Creating an account requires some personal information, such as name, username, password, and email address. Visitors may optionally provide additional information, including a short biography, location, or a picture.
  • Most information associated with an X 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 (X) website.
  • ARPA-H staff members monitor the number of subscribers and respond to comments and queries via X, but do not take possession of the personal information belonging to X followers. ARPA-H does not collect, maintain, disclose, or share any information about people who follow ARPA-H on X.
  • X Privacy Policy: https://twitter.com/en/privacy

YouTube

  • ARPA-H channel: https://www.youtube.com/@arpa-h
  • ARPA-H posts videos on YouTube to make them widely available. You do not need to register with YouTube or Google to watch ARPA-H videos.
  • When visitors watch videos, YouTube may record non-PII about site usage—such as channels viewed, videos watched, and data transfer details—to improve its services.
  • If you log on to YouTube before watching ARPA-H videos, YouTube may associate information about your viewing activity with your YouTube account. If you log on and comment on an ARPA-H video, any personal information you include when registering your account may be visible to visitors who view your comment.
  • If you do not log in before watching ARPA-H videos posted on YouTube, your site use will not be associated with you or a YouTube account.
  • YouTube Privacy Policy: https://www.youtube.com/t/privacy

Instagram

  • ARPA-H account: https://www.instagram.com/arpahealth
  • ARPA-H uses Instagram to share images, videos, and stories with the public.
  • To interact with ARPA-H on Instagram (e.g., follow, like, or comment), you must create an Instagram account and may provide certain personal information. The amount of information visible depends on your Instagram privacy settings.
  • ARPA-H staff may see public information associated with your profile and interactions but do not collect, use, or disclose this information for purposes other than public engagement and communication.
  • Instagram’s privacy practices are described in Meta’s privacy policy, accessible through Instagram’s app or website.

Survey Disclaimer

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 5 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a current valid OMB control number.

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