Yes, You Need a Privacy Policy

Are you collecting emails for a newsletter (hopefully your answer is, well DUH⁉️)  
If so, THIS policy is legally required if you are collecting any type of personal information (yep, that’s what an email addresses is) and sending out newsletters to your tribe.

A PRIVACY POLICY

A privacy policy is basically a disclosure document, the main purpose of which is to inform (and therefore protect) consumers.  It’s a declaration you are making to visitors of your website about how you are gathering information about them and what you intend to do with it. 

If you are collecting any ‘personally identifiable’ information, even just a name and email, the requirement for a privacy policy is triggered.  Most countries have some sort of privacy policy requirement in place.  

There are requirements for what needs to be included in a website Privacy Policy, such as what type of information the website is collecting, what you are doing with that information, whether third-parties are involved, whether you collect cookies, etc.  

AND WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF YOU DON’T HAVE ONE?

You can get banned from THE GOOGLE for violation of their Terms of Service, which if you use Analytics or other Google products – a Privacy Policy is REQUIRED.

In the US, all websites must have this (thank you California) because ANY business that collects emails in California must comply with the California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA) stating you have to have a Privacy Policy on your homepage and any other place you are collecting emails (think LeadPages or ClickFunnels).

Most countries have such laws (hello GDPR, learn all about that HERE), and even if you aren’t selling products or exchanging money with your audience, you still need a privacy policy. 

So where does my Privacy Policy go?  So you know you need a privacy policy and that it's legally required on your website.  Go you, you’re a legal rockstar. 

If you don’t have one yet/know what it is, a privacy policy is basically a disclosure document, the main purpose of which is to inform (and therefore protect) consumers.  It’s a declaration you are making to visitors of your website about how you are gathering information about them and what you intend to do with it (how you collect data, cookies policy, spam compliance, etc.) 

Some type of privacy policy is required by law in most countries and it definitely is in the United States.  

When you have your privacy policy, you want to put in the footer (in a separate document from your Terms of Service) and have it on every page of your website.  

What many people don’t always know is that it also should be on any landing page or opt-in that collects email addresses. If you have LeadPages you know that they provide a link for this that stays empty unless you add your link (tip - ADD YOUR LINK!)  Facebook DOES check your landing pages also and sometimes won’t approve your ad if the right legal links aren’t on it.  

Need a Privacy Policy for your website? Grab it HERE. 

Sarah Kornblet Waldbuesser, Esq.
Attorney for Coaches & Online Business Owners

After several years at a law firm and a few career jumps, she ended up falling in love with online business and loves helping entrepreneurs achieve their dreams in a smart and protected way. She is also an adventurer, traveler, and food and wine lover. When not at her computer, she loves hanging with her family, having wine with friends, flying around the globe and connecting with other online business owners.