If you have a website, chances are that you need a Privacy Policy. A Privacy Policy is a page on your website that concisely states how you gather, use, and disclose the personal data of visitors who access your page. It should be easily accessible to your visitors. While this may sound like news, almost every single website already has one in place. Here are our 5 reasons why your business’s website needs a strong Privacy Policy:
It’s the Law, Somewhere
For years, Europe and Canada have had widespread data laws that require websites to disclose what they do with the personal information they collect from their users. In some cases, they need to seek their user’s consent before even collecting the data. These laws affect not just companies based in those countries, but any website that has a visitor from them. For instance, if the website for your company based in Florida ever gets a visitor from Europe, it needs to comply with Europe’s data privacy regulations.
Recently, California passed legislation bringing international levels of data privacy to the United States for the first time. This means that legally, if your website is ever visited by someone who lives in California – and it probably will be – it needs a Privacy Policy. This is not just a case of following the law because you should, either – there are heavy fees for websites that choose not to comply.
Put Your Visitors at Ease
Beyond the legal requirements, your website’s visitors genuinely feel comforted knowing what is happening to their data. Having a clear Privacy Policy is a pro-consumer approach that helps make everyone happy. If customers feel comfortable visiting your website, it will lead to more business for your company, no matter whether you sell products online or services in person. We know plenty of people who don’t feel comfortable working with companies that lack clear Privacy Policies.
All Your Friends are Doing It
If your business is based in Florida and could somehow know that your website would only have visitors from Florida, you wouldn’t yet legally need to have a Privacy Policy – but you would still need it to work with most third-party companies. If you use marketing boosters like Google AdWorks or Microsoft Advertising, you are required to have a Privacy Policy. The same goes for Google Analytics, which you need in order to see certain statistics about your website. Also, if your website has an app that you want hosted on the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store, you need a Privacy Policy to be approved.
Do the Right Thing
Frankly, there’s more of a reason to have a Privacy Policy than just it putting your visitors at ease – it is just the right thing to do. If someone was collecting your e-mail address, home location, and name, you would want to know what they were planning to do with it. Having a Privacy Policy is just another way of showing your customers that you genuinely care about them and you have their best interests at heart.
You Can’t Phone It in
Your Privacy Policy needs to be accurate and transparent, which means that you cannot settle for copying and pasting a generic template. Your website needs a Privacy Policy that is carefully crafted to reflect your actual policies and follows all the legal regulations placed upon you. For help with all of your international and domestic business needs, contact Waserstein & Nunez today! We are detail-oriented and always provide you with the best service possible.
Waserstein & Nunez, PLLC
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