When you’re implementing your company’s privacy policy, the first question you might ask yourself is if you actually need one. And let me tell you the short answer is “yes”. Every business, and every website that business operates, needs a privacy policy. Furthermore, not only are companies legally required to implement a privacy policy, but they have to allow everyone access to the policy.
What is a privacy policy?
A privacy policy is a document, or agreement between your business and every individual that you gather personal information from. The policy should demonstrate transparent clarifications as to what personal information you’re collecting, how this information is used and stored, and if/when the personal information is disclosed to a third-party company.
The nature of personal data which can be collected includes, but is not limited to Names, IP and Physical Addresses, Telephone numbers, Date of birth, Financial information, such as debit or credit card details, Browsing behavior, Political inclinations, and more.
Every business should have a privacy policy implemented if they collect any data on anyone who interacts with their business. Considering most websites will use cookies to gain comprehension on their website visitors’ behavior, any business with an online presence should have a privacy policy.
The collection of data could be facilitated through email, website landing pages, letters, in-person forms, phone calls, and more. If you gather data in any manner, you need a privacy policy. Furthermore, if your privacy policy is deemed ineffective towards protecting the data rights of your visitors, customers, or employees you could face significant fines and even litigation taken against you or your company.
Why is it important to have a privacy policy?
First, it is considered a legal requirement. Without a well written and comprehensive privacy policy, you risk the possibility of being sued. For instance, large corporations such as Google, have faced large lawsuits in the past over their questionable privacy policies.
Also, many third-party applications and programs require you to have a firm privacy policy in place. For example, companies such as Google and Apple, will be asking you to display a privacy policy on your website if you wish to use their product. Even if your business is not consciously collecting this data, if you use services like Google Analytics, these third-party services collect data and you will need to convey this information accordingly.
It is crucial to show and highlight your commitment to keeping your customers’ privacy safe. More than ever, the public is on guard for bad practices by business, especially after such large cases as Facebook’s user data breaches, and Apple’s glitch that allowed users to surreptitiously listen in on others. Having a robust privacy policy sends a clear message to your customers saying “We value your privacy”. Note that by law, everyone who you collect data on needs access to your policy.
At a standard level, most privacy policies should include age appropriateness, information pertaining as to what data will be collected and used, handled, cookie data, GDPR, and all the changes introduced to your website.
Privacy policies can become a tough task but are legally required. It’s crucial that you do it the right way and with the right legal knowledge. Feel free to create your customized privacy policy that fits your business needs, and don’t hesitate to contact our expert lawyers for any clarification.
Legally Yours,
