Today's business world is largely dependent on data and the information that is derived from that data.
Data is critical for businesses that process that information to provide services and products to their customers. From a corporate context, in a company - from the top executive level right down to the operational level - just about everyone relies heavily on information.
In a complex environment where so much depends on the data that businesses collect and process, protecting that information becomes increasingly important. Among the steps business owners take to protect the data of their users, drafting a clear and concise Privacy Policy agreement holds central importance.
In this article, we will discuss the elements of a Privacy Policy to help you better understand the constructs of an effective Privacy Policy agreement that instills faith and trust in your customers and protects you from a number of liability issues.
What is a Privacy Policy?
A Privacy Policy is a statement or a legal document that states how a company or website collects, handles and processes data of its customers and visitors. It explicitly describes whether that information is kept confidential, or is shared with or sold to third parties.
Personal information about an individual may include the following:
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
- Age
- Sex
- Marital status
- Race
- Nationality
- Religious beliefs
For example, an excerpt from Privacy Policy agreement clearly describes the information Pinterest collects from its users as well as from any other source that users enable Pinterest to gather information from. The information that the user voluntarily gives includes names, photos, pins, likes, email address, and/or phone number etc., all of which is regarded as personal information.
Why you Need a Privacy Policy
Privacy is not a new concept. Humans have always desired privacy in their social as well as private lives. But the idea of privacy as a human right is a relatively modern phenomenon.
Around the world, laws and regulations have been developed for the protection of data related to government, education, health, children, consumers, financial institutions, etc.
This data is critical to the person it belongs to. From credit card numbers and social security numbers to email addresses and phone numbers, our sensitive, personally identifiable information is important. This sort of information in unreliable hands can potentially have.
Companies or websites that handle customer information are required to publish their Privacy Policies on their business websites. If you own a website, web app, mobile app or desktop app that collects or processes user data, you most certainly will have to post a Privacy Policy on your website (or give in-app access to the full Privacy Policy agreement).
There are several reasons for a website to post its Privacy Policy agreement on its website.