No matter how big or small your website is, you need a privacy policy. Chances are high that you collect information from your visitors, track them with your analytics program, and/or use display ads. Data is the new currency online, and you must be transparent with visitors about how you use that data. This is our guide to help you when generating a privacy policy for your website.
What is a Privacy Policy?
A privacy policy is a document that is available to all visitors on your website. It should detail the kinds of information you collect from your visitors and also how you use it. The policy should also specify how you keep that data private. The exact verbiage and contents of your policy will depend on current laws or policies. Laws from both your country and other countries apply to international websites. Personal information collected includes names, email addresses, IP addresses, and browser cookies. Due to the variations in what constitutes “personal information”, we strongly advise you to contact a legal advisor for assistance in crafting your privacy policy.
Do I Really Need One?
Yes, you do need a privacy policy on your business website. If you collect any sort of information from your visitors, various international laws require that you disclose how you use personal data from visitors. Failure to provide this information can result in hefty fines and penalties for your businesses. A few of the laws to be aware of are:
- GDPR, which stands for General Data Protection Regulation. This EU law specifies how personal data is lawfully collected, used, and protected. This law applies to your business whether you are located in the EU or not.
- Australia’s Privacy Principles is a collection of 13 principles which guide the handling of personal information. The principles dictate that you must manage personal information in a transparent way.
- The California Online Privacy Protection Act was amended in 2013 to require new privacy disclosures regarding the tracking of online visitors.
Privacy Policy Generators
There are a variety of privacy policy generators and templates available online to assist you in crafting a privacy policy. As you can see from the sampling of laws listed above, the legal requirements for what information to include in your policy changes often. A privacy policy generator might not be up-to-date and could leave your business exposed to penalties. It is possible that you collect data which is not included in the online privacy policy generators. This omission could leave your site vulnerable. We do not recommend privacy policy generators because they are not always current and do not meet the needs of every website.
When generating a privacy policy for your website, unfortunately, there is no “one size fits all” solution. Every business and website collects information and uses it in different ways. For this reason, it is important that you consult a privacy attorney to ensure that your website’s policy is in compliance with the law. A well crafted privacy policy assures visitors that you commit to keeping their personal information safe. So, we recommend that every website, no matter the size, have a privacy policy in place.