Website Privacy Policy Template

What is a Website Privacy Policy?

A Website Privacy Policy is a statement on a website specifying how a business collects, uses, and manages a user’s personal data. A Website Privacy Policy is mandatory for most websites.

This policy discloses the ways a party gathers, uses, discloses, and manages a customer or client’s data. It covers what information you collect about users/visitors when they visit your website or use your products or services. Also, how you use, share, store, and secure the information. And, how users/visitors can access and control their information.

Is a Website Privacy Policy Required?

In a word: yes. This policy is a legal requirement to disclose your practices on protecting personal information. Additionally, it’s a good way to build trust with your users. It shows you have procedures in place to handle their personal information with care.

How to write a Privacy Policy

Because of the broad nature of international privacy legislation, an adequate privacy policy must cover a range of topics and processes. Essentially, it should include what information is collected, how it’s collected, how it’s stored, who can access it, who it’s shared with, how to access it, how to control it, who’s responsible for it, and more. Generally, using a tool like the Zegal GDPR Privacy Policy to help you generate a suitable privacy policy will make this a much easier undertaking.

Where should I publish my Website Privacy Policy?

Chiefly, a Website Privacy Policy should be easily accessible. This means the link to your privacy policy should be clear and prominent. Concretely, these days it is best practice to link to your privacy policy in your website footer. Also, link to it in any privacy notices to users as well as alongside any forms that gather personal information.

Why publish a Website Privacy Policy?

Publishing a Privacy Policy is the law in most jurisdictions. In addition, some privacy law regimes (notably the European Union’s GDPR) even require overseas companies and websites to adhere to their privacy requirements if any of the data pertains to EU residents (data subjects). Whilst it has always been best practice to publish a website privacy policy; these days it is usually a requirement.

Is the Zegal Website Privacy Policy GDPR compliant?

Yes, the Zegal document builder and template will generate a GDPR compliant Website Privacy Policy. Create an account for free to preview our sample privacy policy template and the Zegal conditions generator will guide you through creating a privacy policy for your website.

Is this Website Privacy Policy compliant with other legislations?

Likely, the answer is yes. The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has set the bar very high and a privacy policy that has been generated to be compliant with GDPR will most likely also be compliant with most local privacy legislation.

Do I need a Privacy Policy if I use cookies?

In most situations, the answer is yes. You need a privacy policy if you use third-party services that track user browsing behavior or that use location data. Many third-party websites make use of third-party cookies as part of their operation. Some of the most well-known services like Google Analytics or Google Adsense require that you publish, and include this information, in your website privacy policy. In addition, most email marketing platforms and other web-based interactive services will require that you publish a privacy policy in order to use them.

Do I need a Privacy Policy for my mobile app?

Yes, and the same privacy policy can apply to both a website and a mobile app. However, you should ensure that for iOS apps or Android apps, your privacy policy includes information about the mobile-app aspects of your service. This includes the collected personal information as well as information about a user’s device, location, and other sensor data you collect or use.

How can my website be compliant for everyone?

Likely, you will have website visitors from all over the world, and you may want to provide products or services to them. These days it’s no longer a recommendation to just do the minimum requirement. Specifically, take the time to draft a proper GDPR compliant Privacy Policy. Then, once implemented properly it will likely be compliant in most jurisdictions. However, you should always check if any local legislations have specific requirements you also need to incorporate.

What other privacy legislations require privacy policies?

Firstly, other well-known legislations that require a Website Privacy Policy include the California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Secondly, the Australian Privacy Act 1988, the United Kingdom’s Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA), the Canadian Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). Additionally, Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA), Malaysia’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), and Hong Kong’s Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (PCPD).

What data collection requires a Privacy Policy?

In general, virtually anything relating to a person, whether or not for marketing purposes. Typically, this goes far beyond the obvious collection of a person’s name and e-mail, residential, or business address. For example, a person’s date of birth, marital status, contact information, ID issue, and expiry date. Also, their financial records, credit information, medical history, where one travels, and intentions to acquire goods and services. In addition, information that is ‘Personally Identifiable Information may also be governed by privacy legislation.

What is Personally Identifiable Information?

In short, the definition of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) –as well as its interpretation– varies across jurisdictions. Some systems will place emphasis on information directly correlated to an individual (as above). Whilst others will consider any information that can be used to identify a person. Essentially, information that can be used might not amount to personally identifiable information by itself but amount to personal information if viewed in context. These days it is prudent to consider any information you store and protect as personal information that pertains to a user or its behaviour as personally identifiable.

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