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The answer is YES! That's an all caps YES! Privacy Policies are not for show or not to look more professional! Privacy Policies are to protect your butt! The truth is, you could be breaking federal law if you don’t have a Privacy Policy. So it is EXTREMELY important you have this element on your website. As a small business owner, none of us can afford to pay thousands and dollars in legal fines to just for this mistake. I suggest saving yourself major coin by investing in a Privacy Policy before it is too late.
Why Do I Need a Privacy Policy?
A Privacy Policy explains the personal information you collect from visitors and what you do with that data. If you’re collecting visitor data from your website, you must disclose this on your website. Visitors take their privacy seriously and sometimes want to know how you’re using it. It is illegal not to disclose this information, and you may lose leads/sales because they cannot trust your business/website.
If you have any tool that collects personal information on your website, you need one right away! It can include analytics, payment processing, contact forms, chat widgets, newsletter, etc.
Here are some regulations that require a Privacy Policy:
Even if you are located in the United States and don’t have European clients you still need to be GDPR compliant. Why? It’s not just about your specific location, but about your visitor’s location. If your website is accessible for anyone in the world to view, you need to follow all the laws. They could easily stumble across your website, and you don’t even know it.
What is GDPR Compliance?
GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation, which was set by the European Union. When starting my business, I found this to be pretty stressful as they seem to have the strictest laws surrounding data privacy. If you collect data from any citizens in the European Union’s 28 countries, you need to comply with their new rules.
When looking for a Privacy Policy either from online or from a lawyer, you have to make sure it’s GDPR compliant. Not following theirs can be fined up to €20 million. Most fines given so far have been pretty small, but it’s better to get a privacy policy and not worry about it.
So, How Do I Get a Privacy Policy?
It all depends on you and the type of business you have. You can get a privacy policy custom drafted by a lawyer or use a premade template. The Contract Shop or The Legal Page. These shops are excellent and make sure you’re protected when you’re starting, without breaking the bank. It’s the perfect solution for small business owners with a smaller budget!
Feel Protected?
I hope this post gave you clarity if you weren’t aware how serious it is to have one on your website. Stay protected & feel confident that you’re following all the laws!
Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer; this is just my personal opinion/recommendation. I always recommend looking at their website and information to see if it’s right for your business type before making your purchase.