Why you need a privacy policy and how to generate one easily
Disclaimer: I am not a legal professional, and this article does not constitute legal advice. I am an affiliate of Termageddon and receive a commission when you sign up for their service at no extra cost to you. Save 10% with my link.
I regularly get questions about website policies and whether we really need them. And what is the difference between a privacy policy, terms of service, and disclaimer, and what about cookies? Ever since the GDPR ruffled our feathers a few years ago, many countries and regional states have introduced their own privacy laws.
This is important to note because it’s not your business’s location that counts when it comes to compliance but that of your site visitor or customer.
☞ Click here to watch my conversation with Termageddon founder Hans Skillrud, who explains how policies work and why every website owners needs them.
What is the difference between each policy?
1. Privacy Policy
This is all about the Use of Data.
A Privacy Policy explains how you collect, use, and disclose Personally Identifiable Information (PII), such as:
Name
Email address
Billing or shipping address
Phone number etc.
Many countries and states have privacy laws, such as the GDPR or CalOPPA, that require websites to have a privacy policy, irrespective of where a business is located. What matters is the location of your site visitors or customers, these laws seek to protect their own citizens. If you, for instance, have a newsletter or a contact form, you need a privacy policy.
A privacy policy also covers cookies, which are small pieces of code that websites place on users’ browser which improves website functionality and speed. Many privacy laws require user consent for the use of cookies and this is all addressed in the privacy policy.
2. Terms of Service
This is all about the Rules of Engagement.
The Terms of Service policy (also called Terms of Use or Terms & Conditions) covers the rules of using your website. Most websites these days need a Terms of Service policy, for instance, if you:
Offer 3rd party website links, like social media or online articles;
Want to protect yourself from accidental copyright infringement;
Have an online store.
3. Disclaimer
This is all about Liability.
A Disclaimer is a statement that limits the liabilities that a website owner may have depending on their content or services. A Disclaimer will protect you if you:
Advertise third party products or services.
Sell or display health products.
Share affiliate links on your website.
Provide health and fitness advice.
Provide information that others could see as legal advice.
Auto-generate your policies for peace of mind.
What is the best and easiest way to implement your policies and make sure they stay up-to-date as laws change or new ones are introduced? Use a policy-generator like termageddon.com!
About Termageddon
Donata Stroink-Skillrud Esq., CIPP, is a licensed attorney and a certified information privacy professional who often consults large corporations and government agencies. In fact, she is one of the leading privacy lawyers in the country. Her husband, Hans Skillrud, is a former web developer who oversees marketing and sales. I like knowing the people behind a business, and between them, they have created an awesome and affordable service for online businesses!
Five reasons why Termageddon makes it easy:
It’s Quick and Easy
Their step-by-step process makes implementing your policies quick and easy.They offer 1:1 Help
If you need a bit more help, they even walk their customers through it in person at no extra cost.Automated Updates
Once you’ve implemented your policies, any changes or new laws are updated automatically without you having to do anything! This is achieved by adding a small piece of code to your webpage, which is easy to implement in Squarespace via the code or markdown block. You know me, I am all about ease and automation, I love it!Cookie Policy Generator
This generator makes it easy to cover all things website cookies, including an optional Cookie Consent form.Peace of Mind
The Termageddon fee is very reasonable. For only $10 a month or $99 a year, you can have complete peace of mind about staying legal and protected.
In this video I had a lovely chat with Hans Skillrud, one of the founders. He explained all about the different policies and cookies and how Termageddon works. What was supposed to be a 15-20-minute chat conversation turned into a 40-minute conversation; who knew that this could be such a fascinating topic! It’s well worth watching if you ever wondered about legal website policies. You’ll walk away well-informed and confident about what you need.
If you don’t have any policies yet or want to bring yours up-to-date, I highly recommend Termageddon. They truly are the best service out there!
