If you just did a search for “Do I need a privacy policy on my website?” we have your answer. Yes! Every website should have a privacy policy.
What is a privacy policy?
A privacy policy is documentation of how your website collects visitor information and what you do with that information. Sections in a privacy policy generally include the following:
- Introduction about your company.
- What information is collected and how?
- How is that information used?
- How is the information stored/protected?
- If/how the information is shared.
- If/how the site uses cookies.
- Your company’s contact information (email, phone and mailing address).
- Notification that by using the website, the visitor consents to the terms.
Why is a privacy policy important?
Being upfront and transparent about how you manage personal information is key to building trust with consumers. A privacy policy is also important for your business from a legal standpoint. It puts your practices on Personally Identifiable Information (PII) out in the open, fulfilling a legal requirement to protect the privacy of a consumer or client. Laws and regulations differ from state to state and country to country. For Example, the California Online Privacy Policy Act (CalOPPA) requires commercial websites and online services that collect personal information from consumers who live in California to have a privacy policy on their website and that it is easy to find.
In addition to CalOPPA, you should be aware of other regulations that require a privacy policy:
- Childrens’ Online Privacy Policy Protection Rule – this is aimed at protecting the information of children and their personal information online
- EU General Data Protection Regulation – if you do business in Europe, you need to be familiar with this
- Privacy Shield – designed to protect data shared amongst EU, Switerland, and USA businesses
Many third party tools, like Google Adwords and Facebook applications, require your website to have a privacy policy if you intend to use their services.
How do I get a Privacy Policy?
You are responsible for the content on your privacy policy, not your web developer or an online generator you might have used. You. If you have a legal team or are in a place to hire a legal professional to create one for you, do that. If you are going to take it on yourself, make sure it accurately represents how your website works. Update it when policies change.
To give you a starting point, there are several online privacy policy samples and generators available. Some sites are free and others charge a service fee. Remember, in the case of free generators or samples, these should be considered starting points, not finished works.
Free Samples and Generators:
Better Business Bureau’s sample Privacy Policy
Lege Nova Privacy Policy Generator
Again, the websites listed above are for information and unless stated otherwise, do not offer legal advice. In addition, this article by NetSource is intended to help educate our audience, not provide legal advice. Consult an attorney for professional legal advice.