Why a Privacy Policy is so important for web resources
With the development of cybercrime, data security on the Internet has become one of the most important factors. The safety of the personal information of millions of users around the world depends on it. The Privacy Policy warns users about the collection of their personal information. In this way, the site allows the user to refuse to visit the site if he or she is not satisfied with the conditions described.
A Privacy Policy is a document that details what kind of data the site collects and for what purpose. This document is also called a personal data processing regulation or policy.
A site collects data through special forms in which the user enters his or her name, e-mail address, telephone number, home address, and other data. Such forms can be found, for example, in online stores during checkout.
In addition, the site uses cookies of which the user is necessarily warned. These files allow the resource to remember the password of the personal account, the sections of the site visited by the user, and the duration of the visit.
It’s important to write the Privacy Policy correctly so that the user has no additional questions or misunderstandings. There are no specific rules for the Privacy Policy, but there are some recommendations that should be considered when writing it.
The main points of the document should include information about the operator – an individual or organization that processes user data. If this information changes, it is very important to update it in time. It is also necessary to provide a list of documents that allow data to be collected. It is important to prove that the site owners have a reason to do so. In addition, it is necessary to list the purpose of collecting information. For example, online stores collect data for ordering, various blogs – for personal account registration, and corporate websites – for customer personalization.
It is especially important to specify the types of information the site collects or tracks through cookies. And also tell what the operator does with this data: stores, processes, clarifies, or deletes it altogether. It is necessary to list all of these actions to inspire user confidence.
Trust is also fostered by the last and most important point – ensuring data security. It is necessary to explain how the user’s personal information is stored and what exactly ensures its security.
It is also important to tell the user that they have the right to withdraw their consent to data processing at any time. It is necessary to tell how to do this. Maybe the site has a built-in mechanism – and the withdrawal can be done with a single click in a certain box. Or maybe you need to send a written request.
The text of the document should be structured and properly designed: contain headings, lists, indents, etc. Important points and phrases can be highlighted in bold to attract the user’s attention. The document can also be created separately in PDF format. For more convenience, you should use navigation and place the content with hyperlinks.