It doesn’t matter what you need it for, making a website can be rather fun. You and the designers are choosing the best layout, colors, and font. You have to admit, it’s pretty entertaining. However, regardless of the website’s purpose, you have certain legal obligations you have to take care of in order for the site to be legal and function properly. This is where website policies come into play.
What are website policies, what are they for, when do you need one? If you want to have a proper website, you must find the answers to those three questions. Fortunately for you, we are willing to offer some help in this regard.
Here’s what you have to know about website policies.
What Is A Privacy Policy?
A privacy policy is basically a legal document or a statement you must have on the website. This statement explains to users and visitors of the site how their personal data will be collected, protected, and used.
The personal data in question usually includes personal names, addresses, email accounts, IP addresses, private phones, and, in cases of online stores, the necessary financial information. Therefore, if you own a website that collects any of the personal information we just mentioned, you have to write your own privacy policy.
Other than informing your users and visitors what kind of personal data you will collect from them, you also must explain to them how you will protect it and what legal repercussions you will have to face if you violate the privacy policy. Writing a statement like this can be a bit complicated, especially if you don’t have a lot of experience in this matter. Therefore, you should probably use a privacy policy generator in order to write your first privacy policy properly. Also, you should consult legal experts and ask them to help you create a document that will protect you and your users.
Who Needs A Privacy Policy?
Not every website needs a privacy policy. However, if you collect any kind of personal information about your users, even if you only track their location, you must write a detailed privacy policy in order to protect yourself and your visitors.
Simply put, if you own an eCommerce website, online store, or any site that uses cookies, you are obligated to have a privacy policy. This is the only way you will be able to avoid any legal issues that might occur in case you or people who work for you violate the said policy.
How To Write A Privacy Policy?
As you probably know, every country has different laws when it comes to websites and user privacy. That’s why there’s no exact answer to this question. You simply have to write your privacy policy according to your website’s purpose and practices. You know what kind of personal information you plan on collecting from your users and visitors, therefore, make sure to include that in the policy.
However, due to the nature of the internet and the fact that people from other countries will be able to use your site, you have to include common information foreign users will be able to understand.
Here is the necessary information your privacy policy simply must include.
- The information that you will collect from the users
- The exact and clear instructions on how the users can avoid the use of cookies on the website
- Information on how you will collect the personal data
- Detailed explanation on how the website will use the information and a statement concerning whether or not the personal data will be shared with third parties
- The explanation on how you will protect the user’s information
- Instructions on how users can choose not to agree to this policy
Make Sure You Are Transparent
When it comes to writing your own privacy policy, the most important thing you have to do is be transparent. This is how you build your online reputation. Regardless of the product you are selling or your niche, the users and visitors have to know what personal data you are collecting from them, how you are protecting the information, and in what situations you will be held accountable in case the policy is violated.
Make sure you write a clear and understandable privacy policy. This way you and your users will be able to avoid potential legal issues.
Legal documentation can be complicated, but if you follow the instructions we gave you today, you will be able to write a proper privacy policy for your website. Do everything by the book and you won’t have to worry about a thing.