Tag Archives: Privacy Policy Statement
Professional Privacy Policies
Introduction
A privacy policy is a written statement that outlines how a client’s information may be used. Any individual doing business online needs a privacy policy. This is because they are responsible for data supplied to them by their client.
In this small article we will articulate an example of a professional privacy policy.
(Note that we will not use any company name… Hence X = a fictious company name.
A Professional Privacy Policy Statement
We at company X take our responsibility towards our clients seriously. This policy statement expresses in clear language how we will use information sent to us by our clients.
By using X’s Services you are consenting to the following… we may disclose your name and email address to other members of X. We may contact you and other members may contact you. Content that you supply us with is also freely available for other members to access.
Terms of Usage
What Information is collected by us?
Member’s Information Sent to us – Due to the very nature of our business it is a necessity on our part to collect individual’s personal information from our members. We gather this information during the registration process. This personal data includes the clients full name and their email address, and their country of origin. It is the members individual responsibility to refrain from providing X with information that they do not want to be seen or read by other members of X.
Opt-out
Our website possesses an opt-out option concerning receiving communications from us. If the customers uses this option then he or she will no longer receive messages from other members. In order to opt out the individual needs to log-in to their profile page and click on the option to cease receiving messages from X. Who Do We Share Information With?
Other Members
We are not responsible concerning how a specific members information is used by other members. It is a question of ‘trust’ and it is entirely the individual’s responsibilty to decide whether he or she trusts X and its members or not.
You Need a Privacy Policy
Introduction
A privacy policy equates to a statement (or in some cases, a legal document) that clearly states the ways in which a client’s information will be used.
Any person that conducts business on the internet needs a privacy policy. The reasons for this are outlined in this small article.
Individual Responsibility
One of the key reasons why the individual needs a privacy policy is because they are responsible for any information entrusted to them by their clients. This is irrespective of the location of the client(s) and is also irrespective of the site owner’s location. If X is doing business online then X has the responsibility to safeguard all information that (s)he collects. The only circumstance that enables X to use the information obtained, occurs when the sender of the information sends X the data and instructs X to use it in some specified way. However the data cannot be used in a way different to that stated by the client.
In extreme circumstances the individual can be sued for failure to safeguard information obtained from a client.
Safeguarding Oneself
A basic privacy policy is simple to create. Let’s say that X collects names and email addresses of specific contacts and then uses the information in such a way as to annoy one of those contacts. The angry contact then sues you. Again, this is extreme and rare. Nevertheless if you prefer to be safe, rather than sorry, then the way to protect yourself from this is to put a privacy policy statement in-place that is clear in what it says. It could, for example, say something along the following lines… ‘Any information sent to me will be used as follows. I will use the data for purposes of forwarding it to other members and I will also get in-touch (by email) with you. Other members may also contact you if you send me your name and email address’.
Legal Matters
Anyone who is worried due to uncertainty about whether they could get into trouble is advised to seek legal advice. The most obvious way of doing this is to contact a lawyer. Alternatively (to save on money) you can research this legal area online. In the meantime such a person should write out a policy statement on their website.