Learn about our use of cookies, IP addresses, social media, and related matters.
Bank of Canada Website Privacy Statement
The Bank of Canada is committed to providing visitors with a website that respects their privacy. Important information about our data gathering and dissemination practices follows:
IP Address
Web servers automatically collect information about visits to a website, including the visitor’s Internet Protocol (IP) address. IP addresses are unique numbers assigned to all devices used to access the Internet. The IP address, on its own, does not identify an individual. However, in certain circumstances, such as with the co-operation of an ISP for example, it could be used to identify an individual using the site. For this reason, the Bank considers the IP address to be personal information.
The Bank of Canada employs software programs that monitor network traffic and detect unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. These programs record the IP addresses of computers that visit this site. They also record the date and time of visits, the pages viewed, and the browsers and operating systems used by visitors. We do not attempt to link this information to the identities of individual users, unless an attempt to damage the site has been detected.
IP addresses of visitors may, on occasion, be anonymized and used by the Bank to produce statistical reports to allow us to evaluate the geographical origin of visitors to the Bank’s site.
Visitor IP addresses are also recorded by the Google Analytics software installed on the Bank website.
Cookies
The Bank of Canada website puts small files (known as ‘cookies’) onto your computer to collect information about how you browse the site.
Cookies are used to:
- measure how you use the website so it can be updated and improved based on your needs
- remember preferences you’ve chosen, such as language
- remember the notifications you’ve seen so that we don’t show them to you again
Bank of Canada cookies aren’t used to identify you personally, or to track your behavior on other sites.
By using this website, you consent to having its cookies placed on your device – unless you have disabled them. For help managing cookies, consult the settings for your web browser.
Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics software to collect information about how you use the website. We do this to help make sure the site is meeting the needs of its users and to help us make improvements.
Google Analytics stores information about:
- the pages you visit on our website, and how long you spend on each page
- how you got to the site
- what you click on while you’re visiting the site
- your demographics and searches
- how often you visit a given page or pages
Google Analytics doesn’t collect or store your personal information (e.g., your name or address.)
- Google (privacy policy)
We don’t allow Google to use or share our analytics data.
Data collected by Google Analytics is sent to Google servers which might be located in the United States and may be subject to the governing legislation in that country (for example, the USA Patriot Act). Your IP address is anonymized prior to being stored on Googles' servers in order to help safeguard your privacy.
If you do not wish to have your information shared with the Analytics software, Google makes available a “plug-in” for users of the Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari and Chrome browsers which prevents your browser from sharing any information with the Analytics software. You may download and install the “plug-in” here: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
Surveys
Occasionally the Bank of Canada conducts online surveys, some of which are managed on the Bank’s behalf by a third party. The third party uses cookies to identify unique visitors, to provide per-user customization, and to make the site easier to use. It does not share its cookies, or use them to track your behavior on other sites.
Third-Party Social Media
The Bank of Canada’s use of social media serves as an extension of its presence on the Web. Social media accounts are public and are not hosted on the Bank’s servers. Users who choose to interact with the Bank via social media should read the terms of service and privacy policies of these third-party service providers and those of any applications you use to access them. The Bank participates in three social media services:
- Facebook (privacy policy)
- Instagram (privacy policy)
- X (privacy policy)
- YouTube (privacy policy)
- Flickr (privacy policy)
Outside Links
This site contains links to other sites. The Bank of Canada is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such websites.
More Information
Questions or comments regarding this statement, or the administration of the Privacy Act at the Bank of Canada, may be directed to Access to Information and Privacy Office:
Phone: 613‑782‑7669
Toll free: 1‑866‑478‑3059
Fax: 613-782-7317
Email: