Information presented via this web service is considered public information and may be distributed or copied.

This Privacy Policy explains AFRICOM's online information practices, including how information is collected and used. 

It does not apply to third-party websites that you are able to reach from this website. We encourage you to read those privacy policies to learn how they collect and use your information. AFRICOM's Privacy Impact Assessments for the third-party websites are available here.

What we automatically collect online

During your visit, the following information is gathered and stored automatically and does not identify you personally:

• the internet domain (for example, "xcompany.com" if you use a private Internet access account, or "yourschool.edu" if you connect from a university's domain) and IP address from which you access our website
• the type of browser and operating system used to access our site
• the date and time you access our site
• the pages you visit
• if you linked to the U.S. Africa Command website from another website, the address of that website

** For public users, completion of the Contact Us and Civilian Casualty Reporting features are entirely voluntary. While names are requested, aliases/pseudonyms can be used. A valid email is required for a response to be provided. Users may also elect to provide additional PII, but it is not requested. 

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

Except for authorized law enforcement investigations, no other attempts are made to identify individual users or their usage habits. Raw data logs are used for no other purposes and are scheduled for regular destruction in accordance with National Archives and Records Administration General Schedule 20. All data collection activities are in strict accordance with DoD Directive 5240.1.

Unauthorized attempts to upload information or change information on this service are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act.

Many AFRICOM pages use a third-party tracking service called Google Analytics that uses cookies to track non-personally identifiable information about visitors to our site. You may decline Google's cookies by setting your browser preferences to disallow third-party cookies. If you choose to allow the cookies, Google will use them to collect generic information about how the public uses our website (including your IP address), and will store the information on their own servers in the U.S. Learn more by visiting the website for Google's Privacy Policy.

We use the information compiled by Google Analytics to help us make our site more useful for you. We learn about the number of visitors to our site, which features/links that are most popular, and the types of technology our visitors use.

Why we collect information

The AFRICOM website uses persistent cookies only to remember visitors for the purpose of improving the user experience. These cookies are not used to track or monitor user activities when not on the AFRICOM website.

For public users, completion of the Contact Us and Civilian Casualty Reporting features are entirely voluntary. While names are requested, aliases /pseudonyms can be used. A valid e-mail is required for a response to be provided. Users may also elect to provide additional PII, but it is not requested.

Sharing your information

We may share personally identifiable information you provide to us online with representatives within U.S. Africa Command, the Department of Defense, other Federal government agencies, or other named representatives as needed to speed your request or transaction. In a government-wide effort to combat security and virus threats, we may also share some information we collect automatically. For example, your IP address, could be shared with other Federal government agencies.

Also the law may require us to share collected information with authorized law enforcement, homeland security, and national security activities. Learn more about this on our U.S. Africa Command Privacy Program page.

We do not intentionally collect information from children under the age of 13. If in the future we choose to collect personal information from children, we will comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

A “cookie” is a small text file stored on your computer that makes it easy for you to move around a Web site without continually re-entering your name, password, preferences, for example.

We use “session” cookies on our website. This means we store the cookie on your computer only during your visit to our website. After you turn off your computer or stop using the internet, the cookie disappears with your personal information. U.S. Africa Command websites may use session cookies for technical purposes such as to enable better navigation through the site, or to allow you to customize your preferences for interacting with the site.

U.S. Africa Command websites may also use “persistent” or “multi-session” cookies. This means we store the cookie on your computer even after you visit our website. Some of these cookies may collect your information. U.S. Africa Command websites may use these cookies to remember you between visits so, for example, you can save your customized preference settings for future visits.

You also have the right to “opt-out” of the use web measurement and cookie technologies. If you “opt-out,” your access to information on our website will not be limited. Click here for instructions on how to opt-out of these technologies.

A complete list of the web measurement and persistent cookie technologies in use on the U.S. Africa Command websites is provided here: (coming soon).

Securing Your Information

Properly securing the information we collect online is a primary commitment. To help us do this, we take the following steps:

• Employ internal access controls to ensure that the only people who see your information are those with a need to do so to perform their official duties
• Train relevant personnel on our privacy and security measures
• Secure the areas where we hold hard copies of information we collect online
• Perform regular backups of the information we collect online to insure against loss
• Use technical controls to secure the information we collect online including but not limited to:
  • Secure Socket Layer (SSL)
  • Encryption
  • Firewalls
• We periodically test our security procedures to ensure personnel and technical compliance
• We employ external access safeguards to identify and prevent unauthorized tries of outsiders to hack into, or cause harm to, the information in our systems

Tampering with U.S. Africa Command’s Web site is against the law. Depending on the offense, it is punishable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act.

Your Rights Under the Privacy Act of 1974

The Privacy Act of 1974 protects the personal information the federal government keeps on you in systems of records. The Privacy Act regulates how the government can disclose, share, provide access to, and keep the personal information that it collects. The Privacy Act does not cover all information collected online.

The Act’s major terms require agencies to:

• Publish a Privacy Act Notice in the Federal Register explaining the existence, character and uses of a new or revised SOR
• Keep information about you accurate, relevant, timely and complete to assure fairness in dealing with you
• Allow you to, on request, access and review your information held in an SOR and request amendment of the information if you disagree with it

When U.S. Africa Command collects information from you online that is subject to the Privacy Act, we will provide a Privacy Act Statement specific to that collected information. This Privacy Act Statement tells you:

• The authority for and the purpose and use of the information collected subject to the Privacy Act
• Whether providing the information is voluntary or mandatory
• The effects on you if you do not provide any or all requested information

Our Privacy Practices

For more information or for comments and concerns on our privacy practices, please contact the U.S. Africa Command Privacy Office at: (coming soon).

Learn more about the U.S. Africa Command Privacy Program:

Last updated: Sept. 28, 2020