Privacy Policy Template

BY TERMLY LEGAL TEAM

4 MONTHS AGO

A privacy policy outlines how your website collects, uses, shares, and sells the personal information of your visitors. Our simple privacy policy template will help you comply with strict privacy laws, and build trust with your users.

Download the free privacy policy template below, or copy and paste the full text onto your site. If you’d rather let us help you customize a document that’s tailored specifically to your business, our privacy policy generator will create one for you in minutes.

Table of Contents

1. Simple Privacy Policy Template for Website

Expand the box below to view the sample privacy policy text. Copy and paste the text onto your site, or download the privacy policy template PDF or Word document.

Website Privacy Policy Template [Text Format]

Last updated 30-03-2020

INTRODUCTION

[BUSINESS ENTITY NAME] (“we” or “us” or “our”) respects the privacy of our users (“user” or “you”). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website [name of website.com] [and our mobile application], including any other media form, media channel, mobile website, or mobile application related or connected thereto (collectively, the “Site”). Please read this privacy policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the site.

We reserve the right to make changes to this Privacy Policy at any time and for any reason. We will alert you about any changes by updating the “Last Updated” date of this Privacy Policy. Any changes or modifications will be effective immediately upon posting the updated Privacy Policy on the Site, and you waive the right to receive specific notice of each such change or modification.

You are encouraged to periodically review this Privacy Policy to stay informed of updates. You will be deemed to have been made aware of, will be subject to, and will be deemed to have accepted the changes in any revised Privacy Policy by your continued use of the Site after the date such revised Privacy Policy is posted.

This Privacy Policy was generated by Termly’s Privacy Policy Generator.

COLLECTION OF YOUR INFORMATION

We may collect information about you in a variety of ways. The information we may collect on the Site includes:

Personal Data

Personally identifiable information, such as your name, shipping address, email address, and telephone number, and demographic information, such as your age, gender, hometown, and interests, that you voluntarily give to us [when you register with the Site [or our mobile application,] or] when you choose to participate in various activities related to the Site [and our mobile application], such as online chat and message boards. You are under no obligation to provide us with personal information of any kind, however your refusal to do so may prevent you from using certain features of the Site [and our mobile application].

Derivative Data

Information our servers automatically collect when you access the Site, such as your IP address, your browser type, your operating system, your access times, and the pages you have viewed directly before and after accessing the Site. [If you are using our mobile application, this information may also include your device name and type, your operating system, your phone number, your country, your likes and replies to a post, and other interactions with the application and other users via server log files, as well as any other information you choose to provide.]

Financial Data

Financial information, such as data related to your payment method (e.g. valid credit card number, card brand, expiration date) that we may collect when you purchase, order, return, exchange, or request information about our services from the Site [or our mobile application]. [We store only very limited, if any, financial information that we collect. Otherwise, all financial information is stored by our payment processor, [Amazon Payments,] [Authorize.Net,] [Braintree Payments,] [Chargify,] [Dwolla,] [Google Checkout,] [Paypal,] [SafeCharge,] [Stripe,] [WePay,] [2Checkout,] [other], and you are encouraged to review their privacy policy and contact them directly for responses to your questions.]

Facebook Permissions

The Site [and our mobile application] may by default access your Facebook basic account information, including your name, email, gender, birthday, current city, and profile picture URL, as well as other information that you choose to make public. We may also request access to other permissions related to your account, such as friends, checkins, and likes, and you may choose to grant or deny us access to each individual permission. For more information regarding Facebook permissions, refer to the Facebook Permissions Reference page.

Data From Social Networks

User information from social networking sites, such as [Apple’s Game Center, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter], including your name, your social network username, location, gender, birth date, email address, profile picture, and public data for contacts, if you connect your account to such social networks. [If you are using our mobile application, this information may also include the contact information of anyone you invite to use and/or join our mobile application.]

Mobile Device Data

Device information, such as your mobile device ID, model, and manufacturer, and information about the location of your device, if you access the Site from a mobile device.

Third-Party Data

Information from third parties, such as personal information or network friends, if you connect your account to the third party and grant the Site permission to access this information.

Data From Contests, Giveaways, and Surveys

Personal and other information you may provide when entering contests or giveaways and/or responding to surveys.

Mobile Application Information

If you connect using our mobile application:

Geo-Location Information. We may request access or permission to and track location-based information from your mobile device, either continuously or while you are using our mobile application, to provide location-based services. If you wish to change our access or permissions, you may do so in your device’s settings.
Mobile Device Access. We may request access or permission to certain features from your mobile device, including your mobile device’s [bluetooth, calendar, camera, contacts, microphone, reminders, sensors, SMS messages, social media accounts, storage,] and other features. If you wish to change our access or permissions, you may do so in your device’s settings.
Mobile Device Data. We may collect device information (such as your mobile device ID, model and manufacturer), operating system, version information and IP address.
Push Notifications. We may request to send you push notifications regarding your account or the Application. If you wish to opt-out from receiving these types of communications, you may turn them off in your device’s settings.

USE OF YOUR INFORMATION

Having accurate information about you permits us to provide you with a smooth, efficient, and customized experience. Specifically, we may use information collected about you via the Site [or our mobile application] to:

Administer sweepstakes, promotions, and contests.
Assist law enforcement and respond to subpoena.
Compile anonymous statistical data and analysis for use internally or with third parties.
Create and manage your account.
Deliver targeted advertising, coupons, newsletters, and other information regarding promotions and the Site [and our mobile application] to you.
Email you regarding your account or order.
Enable user-to-user communications.
Fulfill and manage purchases, orders, payments, and other transactions related to the Site [and our mobile application].
Generate a personal profile about you to make future visits to the Site [and our mobile application] more personalized.
Increase the efficiency and operation of the Site [and our mobile application].
Monitor and analyze usage and trends to improve your experience with the Site [and our mobile application].
Notify you of updates to the Site [and our mobile application]s.
Offer new products, services, [mobile applications,] and/or recommendations to you.
Perform other business activities as needed.
Prevent fraudulent transactions, monitor against theft, and protect against criminal activity.
Process payments and refunds.
Request feedback and contact you about your use of the Site [and our mobile application].
Resolve disputes and troubleshoot problems.
Respond to product and customer service requests.
Send you a newsletter.
Solicit support for the Site [and our mobile application].
[Other]

DISCLOSURE OF YOUR INFORMATION

We may share information we have collected about you in certain situations. Your information may be disclosed as follows:

By Law or to Protect Rights

If we believe the release of information about you is necessary to respond to legal process, to investigate or remedy potential violations of our policies, or to protect the rights, property, and safety of others, we may share your information as permitted or required by any applicable law, rule, or regulation. This includes exchanging information with other entities for fraud protection and credit risk reduction.

Third-Party Service Providers

We may share your information with third parties that perform services for us or on our behalf, including payment processing, data analysis, email delivery, hosting services, customer service, and marketing assistance.

Marketing Communications

With your consent, or with an opportunity for you to withdraw consent, we may share your information with third parties for marketing purposes, as permitted by law.

Interactions with Other Users

If you interact with other users of the Site [and our mobile application], those users may see your name, profile photo, and descriptions of your activity, including sending invitations to other users, chatting with other users, liking posts, following blogs.

Online Postings

When you post comments, contributions or other content to the Site [or our mobile applications], your posts may be viewed by all users and may be publicly distributed outside the Site [and our mobile application] in perpetuity.

Third-Party Advertisers

We may use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit the Site [or our mobile application]. These companies may use information about your visits to the Site [and our mobile application] and other websites that are contained in web cookies in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you.

Affiliates

We may share your information with our affiliates, in which case we will require those affiliates to honor this Privacy Policy. Affiliates include our parent company and any subsidiaries, joint venture partners or other companies that we control or that are under common control with us.

Business Partners

We may share your information with our business partners to offer you certain products, services or promotions.

[Offer Wall

Our mobile application may display a third-party hosted “offer wall.” Such an offer wall allows third-party advertisers to offer virtual currency, gifts, or other items to users in return for acceptance and completion of an advertisement offer. Such an offer wall may appear in our mobile application and be displayed to you based on certain data, such as your geographic area or demographic information. When you click on an offer wall, you will leave our mobile application. A unique identifier, such as your user ID, will be shared with the offer wall provider in order to prevent fraud and properly credit your account.]

[Social Media Contacts

If you connect to the Site [or our mobile application] through a social network, your contacts on the social network will see your name, profile photo, and descriptions of your activity.]

Other Third Parties

We may share your information with advertisers and investors for the purpose of conducting general business analysis. We may also share your information with such third parties for marketing purposes, as permitted by law.

Sale or Bankruptcy

If we reorganize or sell all or a portion of our assets, undergo a merger, or are acquired by another entity, we may transfer your information to the successor entity. If we go out of business or enter bankruptcy, your information would be an asset transferred or acquired by a third party. You acknowledge that such transfers may occur and that the transferee may decline honor commitments we made in this Privacy Policy.

We are not responsible for the actions of third parties with whom you share personal or sensitive data, and we have no authority to manage or control third-party solicitations. If you no longer wish to receive correspondence, emails or other communications from third parties, you are responsible for contacting the third party directly.

TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES

Cookies and Web Beacons

We may use cookies, web beacons, tracking pixels, and other tracking technologies on the Site [and our mobile application] to help customize the Site [and our mobile application] and improve your experience. When you access the Site [or our mobile application], your personal information is not collected through the use of tracking technology. Most browsers are set to accept cookies by default. You can remove or reject cookies, but be aware that such action could affect the availability and functionality of the Site [or our mobile application]. You may not decline web beacons. However, they can be rendered ineffective by declining all cookies or by modifying your web browser’s settings to notify you each time a cookie is tendered, permitting you to accept or decline cookies on an individual basis.

[We may use cookies, web beacons, tracking pixels, and other tracking technologies on the Site [and our mobile application] to help customize the Site [and our mobile application] and improve your experience. For more information on how we use cookies, please refer to our Cookie Policy posted on the Site, which is incorporated into this Privacy Policy. By using the Site, you agree to be bound by our Cookie Policy.]

Internet-Based Advertising

Additionally, we may use third-party software to serve ads on the Site [and our mobile application], implement email marketing campaigns, and manage other interactive marketing initiatives. This third-party software may use cookies or similar tracking technology to help manage and optimize your online experience with us. For more information about opting-out of interest-based ads, visit the Network Advertising Initiative Opt-Out Tool or Digital Advertising Alliance Opt-Out Tool.

Website Analytics

We may also partner with selected third-party vendors[, such as [Adobe Analytics,] [Clicktale,] [Clicky,] [Cloudfare,] [Crazy Egg,] [Flurry Analytics,] [Google Analytics,] [Heap Analytics,] [Inspectlet,] [Kissmetrics,] [Mixpanel,] [Piwik,] and others], to allow tracking technologies and remarketing services on the Site [and our mobile application] through the use of first party cookies and third-party cookies, to, among other things, analyze and track users’ use of the Site [and our mobile application], determine the popularity of certain content and better understand online activity. By accessing the Site [,our mobile application,], you consent to the collection and use of your information by these third-party vendors. You are encouraged to review their privacy policy and contact them directly for responses to your questions. We do not transfer personal information to these third-party vendors. However, if you do not want any information to be collected and used by tracking technologies, you can visit the third-party vendor or the Network Advertising Initiative Opt-Out Tool or Digital Advertising Alliance Opt-Out Tool.

You should be aware that getting a new computer, installing a new browser, upgrading an existing browser, or erasing or otherwise altering your browser’s cookies files may also clear certain opt-out cookies, plug-ins, or settings.

THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES

The Site [and our mobile application] may contain links to third-party websites and applications of interest, including advertisements and external services, that are not affiliated with us. Once you have used these links to leave the Site [or our mobile application], any information you provide to these third parties is not covered by this Privacy Policy, and we cannot guarantee the safety and privacy of your information. Before visiting and providing any information to any third-party websites, you should inform yourself of the privacy policies and practices (if any) of the third party responsible for that website, and should take those steps necessary to, in your discretion, protect the privacy of your information. We are not responsible for the content or privacy and security practices and policies of any third parties, including other sites, services or applications that may be linked to or from the Site [or our mobile application].

SECURITY OF YOUR INFORMATION

We use administrative, technical, and physical security measures to help protect your personal information. While we have taken reasonable steps to secure the personal information you provide to us, please be aware that despite our efforts, no security measures are perfect or impenetrable, and no method of data transmission can be guaranteed against any interception or other type of misuse. Any information disclosed online is vulnerable to interception and misuse by unauthorized parties. Therefore, we cannot guarantee complete security if you provide personal information.

POLICY FOR CHILDREN

We do not knowingly solicit information from or market to children under the age of 13. If you become aware of any data we have collected from children under age 13, please contact us using the contact information provided below.

CONTROLS FOR DO-NOT-TRACK FEATURES

Most web browsers and some mobile operating systems [and our mobile applications] include a Do-Not-Track (“DNT”) feature or setting you can activate to signal your privacy preference not to have data about your online browsing activities monitored and collected. No uniform technology standard for recognizing and implementing DNT signals has been finalized. As such, we do not currently respond to DNT browser signals or any other mechanism that automatically communicates your choice not to be tracked online. If a standard for online tracking is adopted that we must follow in the future, we will inform you about that practice in a revised version of this Privacy Policy. Most web browsers and some mobile operating systems [and our mobile applications] include a Do-Not-Track (“DNT”) feature or setting you can activate to signal your privacy preference not to have data about your online browsing activities monitored and collected. If you set the DNT signal on your browser, we will respond to such DNT browser signals.

OPTIONS REGARDING YOUR INFORMATION

[Account Information]

You may at any time review or change the information in your account or terminate your account by:

Logging into your account settings and updating your account
Contacting us using the contact information provided below
[Other]

Upon your request to terminate your account, we will deactivate or delete your account and information from our active databases. However, some information may be retained in our files to prevent fraud, troubleshoot problems, assist with any investigations, enforce our Terms of Use and/or comply with legal requirements.

Emails and Communications

If you no longer wish to receive correspondence, emails, or other communications from us, you may opt-out by:

Noting your preferences at the time you register your account with the Site [or our mobile application].
Logging into your account settings and updating your preferences.
Contacting us using the contact information provided below.

If you no longer wish to receive correspondence, emails, or other communications from third parties, you are responsible for contacting the third party directly.

CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS

California Civil Code Section 1798.83, also known as the “Shine The Light” law, permits our users who are California residents to request and obtain from us, once a year and free of charge, information about categories of personal information (if any) we disclosed to third parties for direct marketing purposes and the names and addresses of all third parties with which we shared personal information in the immediately preceding calendar year. If you are a California resident and would like to make such a request, please submit your request in writing to us using the contact information provided below.

If you are under 18 years of age, reside in California, and have a registered account with the Site [or our mobile application], you have the right to request removal of unwanted data that you publicly post on the Site [or our mobile application]. To request removal of such data, please contact us using the contact information provided below, and include the email address associated with your account and a statement that you reside in California. We will make sure the data is not publicly displayed on the Site [or our mobile application], but please be aware that the data may not be completely or comprehensively removed from our systems.

If you have questions or comments about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

[Company Name]

[Street Address]

[City, State Zip]

[Phone Number]

[Fax Number]

[Email]

Not what you’re looking for? check out our library of privacy policy templates at the end of the article.

2. What is a Privacy Policy?

A basic privacy policy outlines your website’s relationship with users’ personal information.

To succeed online and avoid legal turmoil, your website needs a privacy policy agreement. The first step to creating a compliant and comprehensive privacy policy is understanding exactly what that is.

Privacy Policy Definition

A privacy policy is a legal document that informs your site’s users about how you collect and handle their personal information. You may also hear privacy policies referred to by the following names:

Privacy notice
Privacy policy statement
Privacy page
Privacy clause
Privacy agreement

A general privacy policy explains a platform’s interactions with the personal information and personally identifiable information (PII) of its users. PII is information that can be used by itself, or combined with other information, to identify an individual.

Specific platforms or services may require a unique privacy policy template — for example, there are app privacy policies, privacy policies for blogs, and ecommerce privacy policies. However, a standard privacy policy template will likely satisfy user demands and legal requirements for your website.

Standard Privacy Policy for Website

We’ll dive into details later on in What to Include in a Boilerplate Privacy Policy, but a basic privacy policy outlines the following:

What information is collected
Where information is collected from
Why information is collected
How information is collected (including through cookies and other tracking technologies)
Who information is shared with or sold to
What rights users have over their data
The site’s contact details

Privacy policies should be clear, thorough, and easy for internet users to find on any given site.

3. Is a Privacy Policy Required by Law?

If your website uses personal information (e.g, collected names, email address, or credit card information), most legislations around the world require that you have a privacy policy.

If you run a website, mobile app, or desktop app, you are likely legally required to have a privacy policy somewhere on your site. You must display links to your policy clearly, prominently, and conspicuously, so that users can navigate to it quickly and easily.

As data collection and processing becomes more ubiquitous across the internet, privacy laws in the US and around the world set strict requirements for privacy policies. Here are the major laws that affect your website privacy policy:

GDPR

If you target users in the European Economic Area (EEA), you’re subject to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The GDPR is one of the world’s most comprehensive privacy laws, setting international standards for appropriate data handling. Article 12 of the GDPR grants users the right to transparent information about how their data is collected and handled. For business and website owners, this means that transparent privacy policies are mandated by the GDPR.

COPPA

If your website markets to children, strict rules and regulations apply. Most notably, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) governs websites that market specifically to kids.

If the target audience of your site is children under the age of 13, federal law requires you to include a company privacy policy that covers very specific information about your business.

CalOPPA

The California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA) was the original privacy law in the US which mandated that websites make privacy policies available to users. The act also outlines what information needs to be made available regarding data handling — including what data is collected, where from, and whether it’s shared or sold.

CCPA

Currently the most comprehensive data privacy law based in the US, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) builds on the online privacy policy requirements of CalOPPA. It builds on CalOPPA’s privacy policy standards, demanding that businesses and websites implement even more transparent and comprehensive policies.

In effect since January 1, 2020, the CCPA sets an annual update requirement for privacy policies. Therefore, you will need to update your website’s privacy policy every year.

PIPEDA

For businesses operating in Canada, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) outlines ten fair information privacy practices and principles, including “openness.”

In action, complying with this principle means website operators need to make transparent privacy policies available to their users.

Other Notable Laws

Depending on where your website is based, who your audience is, and what data you collect, there are various laws that may apply to you and your privacy policy.

For example, if you send marketing emails or newsletters, you’re subject to comply with the CAN-SPAM Act, which requires a clearly posted privacy policy.

If your website is “significantly engaged” in financial activities, you may be subject to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which requires the publication of “clear, conspicuous and accurate statements” regarding information collection and sharing practices.

There are over one hundred privacy laws around the world and new internet laws coming out each year. Creating and maintaining a good privacy policy is essential to legally running your website or business.

4. What Should I Include in a Boilerplate Privacy Policy?

A basic privacy policy template includes the what, when, who, why, and how of your data collection practices. While every website and business should have a policy tailored to its own operations, even the most simple privacy policy will include the following information:

What Information You Collect

At the heart of your website’s privacy policy is a disclosure of what data you collect from users. Some common types of data that you’ll find in website privacy policy templates are:

Personal data (like names and email addresses)
Derivative data (like IP addresses and browser types)
Financial data (like credit card details)
Social network data (like Facebook login information)
Mobile data (like mobile device IDs and manufacturers)
Third-party data (like social network friends lists)

Both the GDPR and CCPA state that privacy policies should disclose what types of information a website collects. The above are only some basic examples of what types of information may mean for your site.

Why You Collect Information

Another legal necessity under various privacy laws, your data collection needs an explicit purpose — and that purpose needs to be written out in your privacy policy.

Here are just a few examples of ways you may use the user data you collect:

To send marketing materials or newsletters
To process orders
To complete transactions
To enter users in sweepstakes, contests, or surveys
To create and maintain user accounts
To prevent fraudulent activities

If you engage in any of the above activities — or others that require the collection of data — you need to list them in your privacy policy.

Whether You Disclose Data to Third Parties

It’s not uncommon for a website to be integrated with other sites and services. For example, nearly 30 million live websites use Google Analytics. Given this online ecosystem, it’s only to be expected that your website might need to transfer data to third parties to operate smoothly.

To stay compliant with the law and maintain a transparent privacy policy, you must disclose the categories of third parties with whom your site may share information. Some common categories of third parties include:

Service providers
Ad vendors & networks (like Google Adsense)
Social networks
Business partners
Affiliates
Other site users

Along with which categories of third parties you may share information with, you should note the purposes behind the data exchange. Here’s an example of how we accomplish this in the downloadable privacy policy template above:

Third-Party Service Providers

Marketing Communications

With your consent, or with an opportunity for you to withdraw consent, we may share your information with third parties for marketing purposes, as permitted by law.

Interactions with Other Users

.
The green text highlights the type of third party that user information could be shared with, while the blue section gives a brief explanation of how and why that information may be shared.

User Rights Over Their Data

Your privacy policy should have a section outlining what rights users have over their data, and how they can act on those rights.

For example, users from the EEA or California have the right to request access to data that has been collected about them. Specify this right in your privacy policy, including instructions on making such requests.

Check out how it’s done in Airbnb’s privacy policy:

This section of Airbnb’s policy goes on to specify four more data rights, and includes links to pages with more information on acting on those rights.

Links to Other Policies

Many sites label their network of legal policies collectively as their “Terms.” Your site’s terms will most likely include a privacy policy, terms of use, and disclaimer.

Also gaining increasing popularity and legal necessity are cookie policies. All of these documents should link to one another, so users can always find answers to their questions about your site’s operations.

5. Website Privacy Policy Examples

Even if you’re using the above privacy policy template for small business, it’s good to check out large companies’ privacy pages for reference.

Here are some privacy statement examples from notable companies:

YouTube Privacy Policy

YouTube has interesting privacy terms, as its privacy policy is one-and-the-same with Google’s privacy policy.

However, Google’s privacy policy links out to YouTube’s privacy guidelines:

YouTube’s privacy guidelines expand upon Google’s privacy policy by covering the topics seen above inside the red box. While the privacy policy deals with data collection, distribution, and use, these guidelines explore privacy specifically as it relates to video content posted to YouTube.

Twitter Privacy Policy

Twitter’s privacy policy retains the site’s aesthetic with a unique appearance and user-friendly interface:

Not only does Twitter’s policy notice include a navigable sidebar menu, but it also highlights important words and phrases in each section as you scroll down the page.

Like Twitter, you should always consider how you can make your privacy policy as user-friendly as possible, and ensure your site visitors always find the answers they’re looking for.

NewsCorp Privacy Policy

Privacy policies for news websites are unique in that they tend to focus less on data collection and transfer for business purposes, and more on user accounts and user-to-user interactions.

Nonetheless, a basic website privacy policy can take a tip or two from news privacy policies. Take, for example, News Corp’s privacy notice:

While the privacy policy doesn’t list as many third-party data recipients as other privacy policies, notice how it discloses the company’s use of Google Analytics.

It clearly states the reason data is shared with this service, by what means that data is collected, and how users can opt out of their data being shared with Google Analytics.

This is the level of transparency and control a good privacy policy should offer users.

6. Conclusion

Your website needs a privacy policy. Having one promotes user trust in your site and keeps you on the right side of stringent privacy regulations like the GDPR and CCPA.

Save yourself the hefty fees of hiring an attorney for legal advice and document drafting, and download our free privacy policy template. Tailor it to your website for a low-cost, high-reward legal agreement. Save even more time by creating a privacy policy in minutes with our free generator:

Email:ranasarfraznawaz@gmail.com

Generate Privacy Policy

If you’re looking for a different type of privacy policy template, have a look at our other options to find what you need:

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GDPR Privacy Policy Template	A GDPR-ready privacy policy for any online business.
Mobile App Privacy Policy Template	A privacy policy for apps on the App Store and Google Play.
Ecommerce Privacy Policy Template	A privacy policy built specifically for online ecommerce stores.
Email Marketing Privacy Policy Template	A privacy policy for email newsletters and email marketing.

Privacy policy