How to write a Privacy Policy for a website?

Download this mobile app or go check it on that website. Very commonly used terms and sentences these days. Isn’t it? But there is something that you often face while searching for something on a website or after downloading a particular mobile app. What is it? In most cases, it asks for your permission to to access your data, contacts, camera etc. The users sometimes think and fear before entering their data and very rightly so. But then all these websites and mobile apps have a privacy policy. Similarly, if you are planning to have a website of your own or have any mobile app, a privacy policy is something that you be aware of. This is because data collection about your website visitors and customers is regarded as a strong marketing practice. Now the question is how do you write a privacy policy for a website. Keep scrolling to learn more about what should a privacy policy look like? or what should a privacy policy include? Let’s see how one should write a privacy policy for a website.

What is a privacy policy?

The one who owns a website is the one who provides services through technology. This technology-linked website interface is the means of data collection and hence it is the website owner’s responsibility to assure the users about a privacy statement. A privacy policy or a privacy statement should state and reflect everything about your website, the purpose of data collection, and its use. Also, a privacy policy should declare whether the information that is collected is kept confidential or not. You need to write a privacy policy for a website but what is it? ‘ How do I write a small business privacy policy? ’ Well, this question must be wondering in your minds. Right? Here are a few steps that you should look upon while you think about how to write a privacy policy for a website.

• A privacy policy or a privacy statement should be clear and directly stated with easily understandable words and ways.
• The technical jargon and law-related terminologies should be the least used.
• The users should always be the priority and they should receive the first information about any change or modification in the way through which the user’s personal information will be in use.
• Not only does the privacy policy of a company’s website needs to be strong but also the implementation of those privacy policies by the company employees should be as effective as the privacy statement.

What is the purpose of a privacy policy?

As for how to write a privacy policy for a website is important, similarly, it is important to know the purpose for which you will write a privacy policy for a website. Here are a few points which will help you understand the purpose and importance for which you write a privacy policy for a website.

• Customer data is collected through websites and apps through cookies, weblogs, surveys, web forms, etc. A privacy policy is important to ensure that the information collected is not misused.
• Secondly, inform your customers and website visitors about the data that the site collects, reasons for why it is being collected, and the ways they are used will help in building up customers’ faith as well as the company’s loyalty towards them.
• Another way through which customer information is collected is through online payments. But if a proper privacy statement will help in establishing trust among the customers, the sale of products will be supreme and customers will be confident of not being trapped by any fraud site.

Does privacy policy help in ranking your website?

Definitely yes. The more clear and open will be your privacy policy statement, the more trust and belief will grow among your visitors and customers. The more you understand the value of a simple privacy policy, the easier will it be to understand how to write a privacy policy for a website. As stated in the purpose on why to write a privacy policy for a website, if the trust factor could be built upon the customers through the transparency of your privacy policy, automatically the ranking of the websites can go higher.

Privacy policies in different country or region –

Many privacy policies are existing to safeguard the privacy of the website customers. So, if you are planning to write a privacy policy for a website or if you are willing to know how to write a privacy policy for an app, or how to write a privacy policy for a website, you need to be well aware of the most prominent privacy policies that are existing in different countries. Some privacy policies from different countries are as follows:-

• The GDPR or the General Data Protection Regulation is one of the most popularly known privacy policies implemented by the European Union.
• CCPA or the California Consumer Privacy Act was a landmark in the field of privacy policy laws.
• COPPA or the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act from the US.
• CalOPPA or the California Online Privacy Protection Act from California.
• ePrivacy Directive and Regulation was the main regulator to safeguard the privacy policy of the European Union. This law was implemented even before CCPA and GDPR.

Privacy Laws in the US 

Though there is no federal-level privacy policy like the European Union yet on the contrary the US has some privacy laws. Let’s have a look at what are those privacy laws before you move on to think about how to write a privacy policy for a website.

• The US Privacy Act of 1974.
• HIPAA or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was passed in the year 1966.
• COPPA or the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
• GLBA or the Gramm-Leach-Billey Act was implemented during the legislation of the late 90s.

   CalOPPA

          The California Online Privacy Protection Act is fondly referred to as CalOPPA. This law was designed in such a way that the residents of California can be assured of complete privacy of the data that is being collected. The main aim of this act is to protect  “personally identifiable information”. This is one of the largest privacy laws operating in the US these days and the law is not only applicable in California but all virtually operating websites that collect personal data should conform with CalOPPA.

 How a privacy policy can comply with CalOPPA

The strict rules that are imposed by CalOPPA provide utmost privacy protection to the customers of California. Here are a few steps stating how a privacy policy can comply with CalOPPA.

• The users or the customers should be aware of what personal information is being collected.
• The users should be notified as and when their data is being shared with a third party.
• The customers should have access to change the information that they have given or also in case of reviewing.

Privacy Laws in the EU

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the most popularly known law implemented by the European Union and was endorsed in the year 2018. The regulations that are stated in the laws give rights to the website visitors about the data that is collected, the way it is collected, and when the data is getting collected.

GDPR

You should know what GDPR is before thinking about how to write a privacy policy for a website.

• GDPR or the General Data Protection Regulation is a European Union-based law that aims at data protection of website customers.
• The main aim of this law is to enhance the right and control of an individual over the data that is being collected by websites and mobile apps.

Privacy Laws in the Canada

To know how to write a privacy policy for a website, the first thing that one should know is the privacy laws. Here are some Canadian privacy laws:-

• The Privacy Act of 1983 was passed by the Canadian Parliament.
• The Access to Information Act was another privacy law passed by Canada in the year 1985.
• The Freedom of Information Act was passed in the year 1996. This act further enhanced the principles stated in the Privacy Act and Access to Information Act.

Privacy Laws in Australia

• The Privacy Act of 1988 is the main privacy law of Australia. This law promoted the privacy of Australian residents.
• The law also helps in the regulation of the government agencies in Australia in handling personal information.
• This Act has 13 Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). These principles are applicable in Australian government organizations and agencies.

Include a ‘Do Not Track’ clause

• Do Not Track or DNT signal is something that must be equipped with all the website browsers.
• The DNT signal in websites enables the website customers to decide if they want to have cookie tracking or not in their website browsers.

Include a contact us email/phone 

     A contact us to email/phone must be included in a website privacy policy. One of the main points to keep in mind while thinking about how to write a privacy policy for a website. This is because:-

• The customers have the right to know where their information is getting stored and are being processed.
• The contact details should be such that it would be used both ways as in data collector and data processor.

Conclusion

Well, while you were wondering if can you write your own privacy policy or not; we hope that these preliminary tips and guidance would come in handy for the ones who wish to know how to write a privacy policy for a website. So, without any further delay, you can start drafting your own privacy policy.

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FAQs

What is a privacy policy?

In simple words, a privacy policy states and assures a user about how, where, and when the user information is getting collected and its usage.

Do you need a privacy policy?

Yes. It is very important to make your website legally approved and a proper privacy policy will provide you with an assured customer base.

Privacy Laws in the US 

Here are few examples of free privacy policy generator for your website –  

• freeprivacypolicy.com
• privacypolicies.com
• privacypolicygenerator.info