As online spaces continue to evolve, so do key ethos’ that drive them. The most recent push is for transparency, especially where personal data is involved. This has given rise to the importance of a privacy policy, which is a legal requirement in many countries. The remote element of the internet means it is harder to evade these laws, as even if your company is hosted in a country without online data laws, your users may be and this could make you vulnerable to legal retribution.
Who Needs a Privacy Policy?
Any website that collects data from its users. This could be overtly acquired in form submissions or through cookies, but if any data is collected, you need to have a privacy policy explaining what data you collect and how you use it. This improved transparency is not only a legal requirement, but it also helps build customer trust.
Specific Privacy Policies
Remarketing
If you are targeting people who have previously visited your site, you are collecting and using data on their movements online. This means you definitely need a privacy policy and Google suggests it should include:
- An appropriate description of how you're using remarketing or similar audiences to advertise online.
- A message about how third-party vendors, including Google, show your ads on sites across the Internet.
- A message about how third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on someone's past visits to your website.
- Information about how your visitors can opt out of Google's use of cookies by visiting Google's Ads Settings. Alternatively, you can point your visitors to opt out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page.
Personalized Ads
To make sure your ads are seen by the right people, you can collect data on and then target specific user groups within Google Searches. However the data accumulation and deployment of ads, especially surrounding behaviour and interest data has caused Google to come up with additional guidelines due to the sensitivities associated with user ad targeting. To read the full list of guidelines associated with Personalized Ads, their prohibited categories and banned actions, see this Google Support Page.
Your Privacy Policy
If you do not already have a privacy policy or fear it is in need of an update, we have found some tools that will help you meet the legal requirements. It does not have to be an arduous task full of legal speak, instead it can be completed in under half an hour.
This site offers a free and simple process to an up to date privacy policy. Claiming that the privacy policy can be created in fifteen minutes, it is a quick (and free) solution.
For a more policy that is perfectly tailored to your site and its requirements, head to this site and ensure your are both quickly and completely covered when it comes to legal requirements.