At this time, there aren’t any federal laws the require companies in the US to have a Privacy Policy but it is considered best practice. If you are collecting personal data such as a name, email address, home address, phone number, IP address, or other pieces of data, it is important to have a privacy policy on your website.
Below are some of the key sections that should be included in your privacy policy:
What information your website collects
When the information is collected
How you use the information
The use of third parties
If your website uses cookies
How a user can review and request changes to the information collected (if there is a process).
How users are notified of changes to your privacy policy
The effective date of your privacy policy
In addition, below are a couple of laws that may need to be addressed:
COPPA: If you knowingly collect information from kids, there are certain requirements that need to be listed and followed. Click here for more information.
CalOPPA: The California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA) requires that a business must include a Privacy Policy if any personal information is collected from a user located in California. Click here for more information.
CAN-SPAM Act: This act sets rules for commercial emails where the primary purpose is commercial advertisement or promotion of a commercial product or service. Click here for more information.
Whether your policy is copied from a template or written by you, make sure the policy is written to reflect your business’ policy and make sure that you adhere to the statements in your privacy policy. As you make changes to your procedures or policy, make sure that you update the privacy policy on your website as soon as possible.
Here are some templates and privacy policy generators you can use to start your own privacy policy:
Template from the Better Business Bureau:
Free Privacy Policy Generators:
Other Privacy Policy Generators:
*This post is not intended to offer legal advice. This post is for informational purposes only. You should consult your own legal advisor for more information.