Better to be safe than sorry. A website’s privacy policy is a document that clearly lists how information on the site will be used. Especially because this usually entails the information your site gathers from your users, the privacy policy acts as a form of protection against dreaded liability issues.
Decades ago, even the most digital-savvy users were fervently against the idea of sharing personal information on the Internet. Children were taught to disclose as little as possible, but those children make up today’s adult segment – most of who allow their personal data to be extracted from websites with a click of a button.
Indeed, the concept of disseminating your personal information (and much, much more) across the World Wide Web has been completely overturned. But this does not mean complete liberation from protocols. As a site owner, it is crucial that your privacy policy is in place.
Here’s why.
It’s A Legal Obligation
In Singapore, the Personal Data Protection Act dictates that organisations can collect an individual’s personal data under certain conditions. One of the conditions includes consent. Organisations may collect, use or disclose this information only with their consumer’s consent.
Displaying a privacy policy on your website, and obtaining the user’s acknowledgment, is one way of obtaining consent from your users. Even the act of collecting information from your users without a proper policy could thus be interpreted as breaking the law. For industries that are heavily regulated, you can expect more scrutiny in this area.
You Can Get In Serious Trouble
Aside from the obvious need to be law abiding, the abuse of personal data lands you in a tight spot – this tight spot being a jail cell for up to 12 months. Hefty fines of up to $10k can also be placed on individuals, whereas the amount can stretch up to $100k for organisations.
Large organisations are not spared from data breaches. In fact, the larger the organization, the higher the risk. Non-compliance to the terms outlined in the privacy policy, including failing to follow standard operating procedures to ensure that standards are met, can result in a big dent in the accounting books.
One such firm in Singapore – Toh Shi Printing, had failed to do exactly that. This resulted in the personal data leak of more than 8000 people – a definite hit on the trust and reliability of the company.
You Can Get In Serious Trouble
While there are a fair number of free privacy policy generators on the Internet, you’d want to exercise caution in just using a template. Drafting up a policy is not something to be taken lightly.
For starters, the policy has to be easily understood by users. Deliberate obstruction of understanding and hidden clauses are not deemed to be acceptable. Big words will not be of any salvation here.
In addition to that, duplicating a privacy policy that you ripped off the Internet means that it will not be unique to your site. Your website users will be able to sieve this out, and this calls into question the integrity of your privacy policy. Your privacy policy thus serves to establish trust between your users and your site. This loyalty could go a long way in building your brand.
Know Your Policy – To Know What to Change
Companies grow, evolve and readjust their priorities in due time. With the policy changes that come along with that, changing your privacy policy could be part of that growth. Companies often change, or update, the privacy policy on their sites to match their evolving needs.
Typically, the news will be pushed down to users (via email or in-app) to notify them of the alterations in the policy. This is an acceptable, and expected, part of maintaining your website.
If you do not value the importance of the privacy policy from this angle, it is very likely that you do not know the contents inside out. When the time comes for you to change or address gaps in the policy, changing the document could pose as a struggle for your organization. If the document is not updated, and your practices are not accurately reflected, your company is once again vulnerable to a breach in personal data protection.
A Privacy Policy Gets You the Data You Need
At the end of the day, the presence of a privacy policy establishes trust with your users. The more reliable the company projects itself in personal data protection, the more willing your current and new users will be willing to share.
Big data is about learning, through analytics, the various aspects of your consumer’s lifestyle and choices. Once you have studied your consumer base inside out, this information will help you market your products in a targeted manner.
It all starts with an agreement with the user to allow you to learn all that you need to. The power to do so has never been as prevalent as it is today. Use your privacy policy to unlock this potential – your competitors are already doing it.
At Krome, we specialise in website design and development services. If you or your client are interested in creating a site, it’s time to tell us about your project or have a chat about what we can do. You can contact us here.