Ensuring that your website has an effective privacy policy includes providing users with detailed information regarding: (1) what information will be collected, (2) how the information will be collected, (3) where the collected information will be stored, and (4) how the information will be protected.
What Information is Collected
The type of information collected by a website will differ based on the purpose of each website. A blog may only be collecting names and email addresses for those that sign up for a weekly newsletter or post comments on the website. A website that allows users to purchase items through it may collect much more information, such as billing and shipping information. The information that users provide on the website should be listed specifically in the privacy policy.
In addition to user provided information, most websites automatically collect information about the visitor, such as the date and time of the visit, the internet protocol (IP) address, the type of browser he or she is using, domain names, and the operating system of the computer. This type of information will also be specific to the website and the information that the operator of the website wants to collect.
How Information is Collected
In addition to providing information on which information will be collected, it is important to indicate how that information is collected. Some of the information, such as the date and time of the visit will be collected automatically, whereas other information will be provided manually by the user.
Where Information is Stored
The privacy policy on a website should provide visitors and users with information on where the information that the website collects is stored. Is it stored on the website’s servers? Or is it a cloud based storage? Or is the information stored with a third party? The privacy policy should clearly indicate the location of the data.
How Information is Protected
The privacy policy should detail the precautions taken to safeguard information that is collected. This will include information about the specific program used to protect the date through encryption. Additionally, this clause should indicate to the users that they should safeguard their username and password information for this website to ensure that there is no breach on their part.
Creating a privacy policy for a website that includes all of the appropriate information can be difficult, but Rincker Law, PLLC is prepared to help you write an effective privacy policy that protects you and provides your visitors with verification that their details are protected.