It’s time to add a privacy policy to your website
If you haven’t added a privacy policy page to your website, it’s time to get that done. California has added a privacy law that may not require your small business to comply, but as more states add laws, expectations are raised for site visitors to see a privacy policy on your website. You definitely need a privacy policy in 2020 2022 if your website has:
- An online form
- Uses Google Analytics tracking
- Runs Facebook, Google or other social media ads
WordPress now comes with a default privacy policy, but the text on this automatically generated page is not complete.
What is a privacy policy?
A privacy policy is an agreement that informs your website visitors how you collect and use their personal data. I am not an attorney and can’t tell you exactly what you need in your privacy policy. I can tell you that having something on your site is better than nothing.
The law in California
For those of you in California, the California Online Protection Act went into effect this month. The law is targeting big businesses in the state. “Businesses will be required to comply with the new regulations if they have an annual gross revenue in excess of $25m, derive 50% or more of their annual revenue from selling consumers’ personal information, or annually buy, receive, sell, or share the personal information of more than 50,000 consumers, households, or devices for commercial purposes.” – California’s groundbreaking privacy law takes effect in January. What does it do? – The Guardian
As California goes, so goes the nation. It’s just a matter of time before more states pass similar laws.
How to get a privacy policy on your website
First, let’s talk about how not to get a privacy policy. Don’t copy someone else’s policy word for word from the internet. That’s copyright infringement.
Here’s a sample privacy policy from the Better Business Bureau so you can see an example.
I personally use a free privacy policy from a free generator I found online. I feel comfortable with this because I’m not asking for sensitive information from my clients like financial or medical information.
Here is a list of them for your review:
- https://wordpress.org/plugins/auto-terms-of-service-and-privacy-policy/
- https://www.freeprivacypolicy.com/
- https://termly.io/products/privacy-policy-generator
- https://www.termsfeed.com/privacy-policy-generator/
- https://www.privacypolicies.com/pricing/
- https://www.iubenda.com/en/privacy-and-cookie-policy-generator
Many of these also offer paid-for versions with more features. If you ask for medical information, you will want to consider these (or talk to an attorney).
Please reach out if you are interested in adding a privacy policy page to your website or have any questions.
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