Successful websites are curated according to their purpose; however, there are some essential pages needed to complete a professional look. If you’ve been on the internet, you’ve likely come across the privacy policy page. Its relevancy may not seem particularly important as other pages are more frequently viewed, but its content and purpose render its importance. In order to create the policy page, you should understand its relevance to your particular business.
As part of Marketing Favours website packages, we offer a privacy policy page using a standard template. We encourage all subscribers to review this template and update the information to best fit their business. Following this guide to learn the different elements of a privacy policy and understand what areas you need to consider updating on the template we provide you.
What Is A Privacy Policy Page?
Internet privacy is a hot topic in the digital era. There are real and valid public concerns regarding how personal information is being used by website owners and companies—which include:
· Web tracking
· Data collection
· Security breaches
· Misuse of information
· Third-Party data access
In simple terms, users care about who views their information and why. This is where privacy policies come in.
The policy page is a legal agreement detailing how your website collects, uses, manages and discloses user’s data. Additionally, it clearly lays out your legal rights to protect you from liabilities against the same. Depending on your country, you also may be legally obligated to outline your policy for visitors. Regardless of its legality, incorporating one is an ethical and prudent decision.
Do All Websites Require A Privacy Policy?
According to legal and ethical terms, any website that collects user information should incorporate a privacy page. Your page analytics, obtained email list and third-party user-related apps/features are all forms of collected personal data. Therefore, if your website is interactable by visitors, it should include your data protection protocols.
Guidelines for Writing A Privacy Policy
While it is a legal agreement, most individuals and companies do not need to hire a lawyer to produce a privacy policy. You can use a generator to provide you with an outline while using the below to personalise the details according to your website, business or company.
Understand the Law
Most countries around the world have data protection laws which websites operating from and/or within the region need to comply to. You will need to meet the major standards of your target audience; therefore, being informed about the law helps. Most regional internet protocols will be outlined for website owners, so there is no need to fret about knowing each protection guideline in detail. Additionally, it is important to note that data collection of children may be prohibited in many countries as well. The same will need to be highlighted within your policy to avoid legal liabilities.
What are some relevant data privacy laws?
· United Kingdom: Data Protection Act (DPA)
· Europe Union: General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
· United States: Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
· United States: California Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA)
· Canada: Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)
Know What to Include
In order to have a robust policy, the following detailed clauses should be covered by your outline:
Information Collected
Users need to be informed how using your website and/or services impacts their privacy. Therefore, you need to disclose what type of information is being gathered and how. For example, if your website connects to social networking sites and gathers user information from them, it needs to be disclosed. Make a checklist of all the information gathering methods your website is using to ensure you cover each and every one.
Use of Information
This section should cover why you require the data to be collected and how will it be used. For example, it may explain how users’ sign-up data can be used to send them requested information or promotional emails. It should be based upon your business model and provide transparency about the process.
Disclosure to Third Parties
You may opt to utilise third-party services to collect, report and analyse collected data. The scenario lends itself to be disclosed as per the above-mentioned parameters. By separating this information from the information collected section, you’ll make it easily searchable and be less likely to miss any aspect of third-party information sharing.
Protection of Information
Aside from the information you have, users should be aware of the protections in place to keep their personal details secure. It is a legal requirement to disclose your security measures; however, detail only as much as required.
Rights as Users
Part of data protection may include the right to view, opt-out and amend personal information. By informing the user of their relevant rights, you help to view you as a responsible data holder.
Notifications of Changes
Over time, you may end up making changes to your privacy policy; however, the user had agreed to the earlier statements only. Therefore, websites need to ensure users are notified of any amendments made to their policies and this section is to reaffirm that principle.
Contact Information
Lastly, as a good practice, include your relevant contact information in terms of email and/or mailing addresses, links or forms. Users can always end up having questions or issues in regards to your policy, and it is in your best interest to be able to proactively engage given privacy is a legal matter.
Write in Plain, Easily Understandable Words
This document is meant for everyday users and visitors to your website. Therefore, it should be clear, concise and to the point. If you’re using fancy jargon, you’re most likely going to end up confusing the reader. A good way to ensure you’re on the right track is to get feedback from friends, colleagues or family.
Format Away
In similar spirits, if you’re providing readers with a lump of text, it may simply overwhelm them. Your text should be easy to locate and formatted for readability. Make use of line spacing, paragraphing, headings/subheadings and bullet points as necessary.
Update When Necessary
Make it a point to review your policy once a year to ensure it is up-to-date with relevant information. Make changes to it whenever necessary, but remember to reach out to users via email to inform them of the revised information.
