Privacy Policy Generator

The World Wide Web has revolutionized the way we access information, socialize, and do business. But online privacy is an ongoing concern for both regulators and consumers.

From sign-up forms to website cookies, almost every online service requires users to share information about themselves.

Naturally, this has generated a host of privacy & policy issues, prompting governments around the world to regulate the collection, usage and sale of user data.

One of the earliest privacy laws passed in the US was the 2003 California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA), which required businesses to have a privacy policy featured on their website.

As the Internet and technology continue to evolve, however, regulators have had to play catch up with new challenges and grey areas around the way businesses and consumers track and exchange data, particularly in a globalized world.

What is the GDPR?

In 2016, the European Union enacted the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): the most comprehensive data privacy legislation that has been passed to date.

The GDPR consists of 99 articles that updated and expanded previous laws around data processing in the EU.

“Data processing” refers to the “collection, recording, organization, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction of personal data.” (European Commission).

It also provides EU citizens with a set of eight “data rights” that give them more control over their personal data and privacy.

For example, a person has the right to withdraw previously given consent for their data to be processed by an organization.

The reason why the GDPR has received so much attention from companies and regulators is because it has such a broad scope.

Any organization, regardless of where they are located, may need to comply with the GDPR if they process the data of someone based in the EU.

Unlike previous privacy policy laws, the GDPR is particularly harsh when it comes to enforcement.

Since coming into effect in 2018, regulatory authorities have handed down million-dollar fines to companies like Google and Facebook for failing to properly disclose how they were using people’s personal data, amongst other egregious offences.

Complying with the GDPR isn’t easy, but the laws have significantly changed the way many organizations manage user privacy and pushed for higher standards of transparency and data security. For more information, visit our GDPR compliance page for more information, or use our comprehensive privacy policy generator to generate a GDPR Privacy Policy Template.

Why is generating a privacy policy important?

Today, almost every business is legally required to have a privacy policy, as most countries have specific privacy laws that businesses must consider.

Given that users can access your website or app from any location around the world, it’s likely that your business will need a policy to avoid infringing on any local laws.

Including an online privacy policy statement on your website also builds trust with users, as it shows that your business takes their privacy & data protection seriously and explains the steps you take to protect their personal information.

Furthermore, many services require it, particularly if you collect personal data or personal information from your users. Whether you’re submitting your app on the App Store or Google Play store, use Google Analytics and Google Ads, you may have an obligation to comply with privacy laws in your country. Our Free Privacy Policy Generator can get you started for personal use, or use our Comprehensive legal documents to help you comply with CCPA, CalOPPA, GDPR plus the requirements of Google Analytics & iOS and Android App Stores, Facebook, Instagram and others.

What does a privacy policy need to include?

Your online privacy policy should clearly explain to users how their personal information is collected, used and protected by your business.

Here are some of the key details your policy needs to cover to meet compliance with privacy laws:

• The types of personal data your business collects about users.
• How you collect, store and secure personal data.
• How users can access, update or request the deletion of any personal data collected about them.
• Whether your website uses cookies and why.
• Whether you share user data with any third parties.
• How users are notified of updates to your policy.
• The measures users should take to protect their personal information while using your website or app.
• Your contact details, so that users can make enquiries about their data or submit a privacy complaint.

Back in the early days, most privacy policies for websites were excessively long and difficult to understand, and companies didn’t make it easy for people to opt out of data collection and tracking.

In order to save time and effort, a lot of website owners also tended to copy and paste generic website privacy policies from other websites, which resulted in a lot of inaccurate policies and essentially defeated the purpose of having one in the first place.

At GetTerms.io, we help online businesses quickly and easily achieve compliance with privacy laws through our personalized privacy policy template generator.

In 2023, however, protecting your customers’ privacy takes more than simply ticking a box.

To avoid violating the litany of data protection laws that exist today, you should always put user privacy at the forefront of your business operations. Use GetTerms’ Privacy Policies and our Free Privacy Policy Generator to get started today.