Creating a Privacy Policy

5 min read
As concerns about the protection of personal information are increasing worldwide, it is important that businesses, both small and large, implement and provide their site visitors with a comprehensive privacy policy.

What is a privacy policy?

A privacy policy is a statement that discloses some or all of the ways a website collects, uses, discloses, and manages the data of its visitors and customers. It fulfills a legal requirement to protect a visitor or client's privacy.
Countries have their own laws with different requirements per jurisdiction regarding the use of privacy policies. Make sure you are following the legislation relevant to your activities and location. 
Important:
The explanations and information provided herein are only general explanations, information and samples. You should not rely on this article as legal advice or as recommendations regarding what you should actually do. We recommend that you seek legal advice to help you understand and to assist you in the creation of your privacy policy. 

Creating your privacy policy

There are multiple aspects of privacy law that all website owners must comply with when handling personal information. Below is a list of topics you should consider when implementing a privacy policy for your website:

What type of information do you collect?

Clarify the type of personal information you collect from your site visitors, such as email, name, IP addresses, billing details, social security number, etc. Collected information may be provided by the visitors and users of your website or collected automatically through monitory tools.

How do you collect information?

In this section you should explain your processes in collecting your site visitors' personal information. For example, when your client sends you a message through a contact form, when they purchase a product in your store, or when they subscribe to your newsletter.

Why do you collect such personal information?

This section should explain why you collect your site visitors' personal information (PI). For example, you might collect email addresses for your marketing campaigns, or their addresses for shipping purposes. 

How do you store, use, share and disclose your site visitors' personal information?

Your privacy policy must detail how you store and use your site visitors' personal information that you've collected. You should also inform your site visitors of the website if, when and how such information is shared with third-party services and/or with legal enforcement agencies, according to relevant local regulations.

How do you communicate with your site visitors?

If applicable, you should explain your means of communication (e.g. email, text message, etc.,) and for what purposes (e.g. marketing campaigns, promotions, updates, etc.). Explain exactly how you contact your site visitors by using personal information collected on your website and how they can opt out of receiving such messages.

How do you use cookies and other tracking tools?

If your website tracks personal information through the use of cookies, for example, you must make this clear to your site visitors. Be clear about what tracking tools (e.g. cookies, flash cookies, web beacons, etc.,) your website employs, what personal information they gather and why they are being used.

It's important to note that third-party services, such as Google Analytics or other applications offered through the Wix App Market, placing cookies or utilizing other tracking technologies through Wix´s services, may have their own policies regarding how they collect and store information. As these are external services, such practices are not covered by the Wix Privacy Policy.
Click here to view which cookies are stored on your site visitors' computer. 

You must explain how your site visitors can withdraw their consent for collection of personal information, as well as how they can delete or change the collected information.

Privacy policy updates

We recommend that you inform your users about your ability to change or update your site's privacy policy.

Questions and your contact information

Provide valid addresses/channels in order for your users or site visitors to be able to contact you. 
Note:
Once you've created your privacy policy, we recommend you add it to your site's footer.

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