Privacy is a trending topic in the digital realm considering how openly available and free flowing information can get in this space. There has been a lot of controversy as to how websites - including social networks - handle and process sensitive user information. We leave traces of our information in every website we visit - browsing information, email addresses, contact info, credit card details, etc. - and this kind of data is what a privacy policy for website should seek to protect. Customers are growingly cautious about the kind of information they leave in sites and it is up to website managers and business owners to ensure that their sites are GDPR compliant.
What is GDPR?
General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR was passed in May 2016 to establish digital rights for citizens of the EU. The regulation took effect in May 2018 and primarily covered EU websites although many websites all over the world have also started rolling out a website privacy policy template to comply with these regulations because it also covers any website that serves and collects information from an EU citizen.
Personal data refers to any information that can be connected to an individual. This includes identification, website data (IP address, location, cookies), biometric information, and health information among other things.
How does it affect your website?
GDPR focuses on ensuring that individuals understand how websites are collecting and using their data. If your website serves EU citizens or there is a chance that your website is accessed in the EU, you will need to comply with GDPR by implementing a privacy policy for your site.
Impact on digital privacy
If you have been visiting websites a lot, you will notice notifications detailing a site’s updated privacy policy, with clauses on how it collects, uses and stores visitor info, as well as warnings on the presence of third-party cookies on the site. You may also receive emails that seem to be taken out of a website privacy policy generator, asking for your consent to be marketed to. Websites are extra cautious because several countries have taken a leaf out of the EU’s legislative handbook and started implementing digital privacy regulations to protect their own citizens. If you’re a website with a global reach - as many websites do - you will need to start thinking about digital information protection seriously in the wake of all these new regulations.
How do you keep up?
If you haven’t done so by this time, it’s important to make sure that your website is compliant with the latest data privacy regulation. Websites powered by Strikingly can enable GDPR compliance on their websites in a few simple steps. Once you enable for GDPR, all the forms on your website will have a checkbox asking users to give their consent before submission. You get a free privacy policy for website implemented without having to worry about the legalese.
Another way of complying with data privacy laws is to add a privacy policy and terms of service to your page. You can get a web site privacy policy template from a number of different websites. Once you have the wording sorted, you can implement your policy statement on your Strikingly website through the Settings window.
Rolling out these privacy notification may sound so simple but they impact users in a big way. For one, users are now wary of how sites are collecting their information. Complying with data privacy regulation keeps their mind at ease when navigating around your website. It assures them that you are accepting accountability for any data breaches - a good way to build trust and confidence in your brand.
