Village of Hancock, Wisconsin – Privacy Policy

1 – Information We Collect

We do not collect personal information through our website. There are no contact forms, registration pages, login systems, newsletter signups, or any other mechanism on our site that asks you to submit personal data.

However, like virtually all websites, certain technical information is collected automatically when you visit:

• IP address (anonymized where possible)
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Pages visited and time spent on each page
• Referring website (how you found us)
• Date and time of your visit

This information is collected through standard web server logs and our hosting provider. It does not identify you personally and is used solely to understand general traffic patterns and keep the site running smoothly.

2 – Cookies & Similar Technologies

Our website may use essential cookies required for basic site functionality. We do not use advertising cookies, tracking pixels, or third-party marketing tools. We do not serve ads on our website.

You can configure your browser to block or delete cookies at any time. Because we do not rely on non-essential cookies, blocking them should not affect your experience on our site.

3 – How We Use Information

The limited technical data collected automatically is used to:

• Monitor website performance and uptime
• Identify and fix technical issues
• Understand general visitor traffic (e.g., which pages are most visited)
• Protect the site against security threats

We do not use any collected information for marketing, profiling, or targeted advertising purposes.

4 – Sharing of Information

We do not sell, rent, or share personal information with third parties. The only parties with access to the technical data described above are:

• Hosting provider — which processes server logs as part of delivering the site to your browser.
• Law enforcement or government agencies — only if required by law, court order, or to comply with Wisconsin public records requirements.

5 – Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to external websites or resources (for example, county or state government sites). We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those external sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

6 – Public Records

As a Wisconsin municipal government, we are subject to the Wisconsin Public Records Law (Wis. Stat. §§ 19.31–19.39). Information you submit to the Village through other channels (phone, mail, email, or in-person visits to the Village Office) may be considered a public record and could be subject to disclosure upon request, regardless of this privacy policy.

This website itself does not collect information that would be subject to public records requests.

7 – Children’s Privacy

Our website is a general-audience informational site. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone, including children under 13. Because we have no forms or data collection mechanisms on the site, there is no way for children (or anyone else) to submit personal data through our website.

8 – Data Security

Our website is served over HTTPS, which encrypts data transmitted between your browser and our server. While no method of internet transmission is completely secure, we take reasonable precautions to protect the limited technical data that is automatically collected.

9 – Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised effective date. Your continued use of the website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.