Where do I get a Privacy Policy for my website?
Privacy policies – that’s one of those documents written in legalese that no one reads, right? Do I really need one on my website? And if so, where do I get one?
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What is a Privacy Policy?
A privacy policy is a legal document that tells your visitors what kinds of information you are collecting from them (for example: your location, if you are using Google Analytics), how you are collecting the information (ex: cookies), why you are collecting the data (how will it be used), and who is using it (does it get sent to third party apps).
Or, as the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada puts it, “A good privacy policy should tell you—clearly, specifically and in plain language—what you need to know in order to understand how the organization will handle your personal information.”
Do I need to have one on my website?
Short answer, if you’re like me and you’re a business based in Canada, serving Canadian clients, then yes, you need a privacy policy on your website.
To give the longer answer, there are several laws around the world that require you to have a privacy policy. These include Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA).
Some of the most popular and commonly used third party services on the web also state that you must have a privacy policy in order to use their services.
These include:
Google Analytics
Google AdSense
Facebook Ads
Apple App Store
Where do I get a Privacy Policy?
Generally, as a web designer, I like to give my clients some help with their web content. In fact, I give my clients a whole content document to help get them started on their text and images.
A privacy policy is a different situation. It’s a legal document. And, since I’m not a lawyer, I leave this one to the experts.
You can get a privacy policy by consulting a lawyer, or you can use one of the following policy generators or templates.
*Most of these were written by lawyers, but check the FAQs and information to make sure they cover all the laws that affect you.
Privacy Policy Generators:
I scoured the internet to compile a list of some of the best reviewed privacy policy generators. Policy generator are a great solution as they make it easy to create a policy simply by taking you through a series of quick questions.
Most these generators do have a free version available, however they tend to be very basic and often require you to show their branding. Depending on location, and third party services that are used, many small businesses will need to upgrade to a paid version. For instance, some of these generators will add a fee to show that you are using Google Analytics.
Privacy Policy Templates:
The Contract Shop
TCS offers privacy policy templates* for several different types of websites (e-commerce, online courses) bundled with website terms and conditions. You get the templates, usage guide, and future updates to the templates.
Whether or not you need one because it is required by law or a third party service that you use, it’s a good idea to have a website privacy policy. In the end, having a privacy policy also helps your visitors to feel more at ease and builds trust in your business.
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