Understanding GDPR: Why a Privacy Policy is Required
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies to all businesses in the European Economic Area (EEA), including the UK. If you collect, process, or store personal data, you must have a clear and accessible privacy policy to comply with the law. Personal data includes any information that can identify an individual, directly or indirectly. Therefore, if your website collects any form of personal data, such as names, email addresses, or IP addresses, a privacy policy is necessary.
Do I Need a Privacy Policy?
In today's digital world, privacy policies are essential for any business that collects customer data. For small local UK businesses, having a solid privacy policy isn't just a good idea, it may be a legal requirement and a crucial way to earn customer trust. Here are some scenarios which require you to have a privacy policy:
- Contact Form, Registration Form or Feedback Form: If you have any of these forms on your website, they collect personal data such as names, email addresses, phone numbers, etc.
- E-commerce: If you run an online store, you collect personal data for orders, payments, shipping, and customer service.
- Reviews & Comments: If your website allows users to post reviews or comments including personal data.
What to Include in a Privacy Policy
Here’s a list of important information you must include in your privacy policy:
Types of Data Collected: You must detail the types of personal data your business collects (e.g. names, email addresses, browsing behaviour) and explain why this data is necessary for your business.
Purpose of Data Collected: Explain why this data is necessary for your business.
Third-Party Sharing: Explain if and how personal data is shared with third parties, such as service providers or partners, and the purposes of such sharing.
Data Security and Protection: Your privacy policy should detail the measures you take to protect customer data, including encryption, data breach protocols, and regular security checks. By being transparent about how you collect, use, and store data, you can build trust and credibility with your customers.
Customer Rights and Consent: GDPR grants customers specific rights over their personal data, such as the right to access, correct, or delete it. Your privacy policy should explain these rights and how customers can exercise them. Additionally, it needs to outline how customers can withdraw consent or opt out of data collection, giving them control over their information.
Data Retention Policies: Specify how long you retain personal data and how you determine retention periods.
This isn't a list of all the information required, it is just a guide to help you decide on whether you need one and offer some examples of what to include. Make sure you include a link to all these important pages such as privacy policies and cookie policies somewhere on your site! We keep ours in the footer and cookie consent pop up.
What is a Cookie?
Some website interactions leave behind traces called cookies. But what exactly is a cookie? Simply put, it's a small piece of data stored on a user's device by a website, often containing information about the user's browsing behaviour or preferences.
Do I Need a Cookie Policy & Consent Pop-Up?
It's important to understand when you need to include a cookie policy and pop-up on your website. If you use one of the following, you need to have a policy and consent pop-up:
- Analytics Tools: Using data insight tools like Google Analytics, tracks visitor behaviour and collect data through cookies.
- Advertisements: If you run advertisements that involve third-party services, then you collect data about your users for targeting purposes.
What to include in a Cookie Policy & Consent Pop-Up?
GDPR and PECR require you to obtain consent from customers before storing cookies on their devices. To comply, you need a cookie consent pop-up or banner on your website. The pop-up should inform users that your site uses cookies, explain their purpose, and provide options for consenting or managing preferences. Your cookie policy should further detail what cookies are used, why, and how customers can manage their preferences. This transparency empowers customers and fosters trust.
Data Privacy and Protection: Your cookie policy should outline the types of cookies used and their purposes, whether for tracking, analytics, or personalisation. Informing customers about how their data is handled demonstrates your commitment to privacy and can enhance their confidence in your business.
Enhancing Business Reputation: A cookie policy and consent pop-up demonstrates your dedication to customer privacy and legal compliance. By being transparent about cookie usage, you build trust and credibility with your customers.
In summary, a cookie policy and consent pop-up are essential for some small local UK businesses to comply with regulations, build trust, and protect customer data. Make sure you include a link to this somewhere on your site!
