Does Your Blog Need a Privacy Policy?

If you run a blog, you may be wondering: does my blog need a privacy policy?

The answer is yes. Your blog needs a privacy policy as soon as you begin collecting any personal information from your readers. Examples of collecting personal information include using cookies, using Google Analytics, requesting email addresses for a newsletter, or selling any products or services.

Why You Need a Privacy Policy as a Blogger

You’re required by law to have a privacy policy as soon as you begin collecting personal information from your users. You may think that because you’re not selling anything, you don’t collect personal information, but that’s usually not the case.

For instance, do you use Google Analytics? If so, you’re required to have a privacy policy: it’s part of Google’s own terms and conditions for using the service, which requires site owners to disclose the use of cookies and similar tracking technology, and to explain how Google Analytics collects and processes data.

Do you run a newsletter for your readers? If so, you’re collecting their email addresses, which is personal information, and that requires a privacy policy.

Do you use an affiliate program? Amazon’s Associates program, for example, requires participants to accurately disclose in a privacy policy how they collect, use, store, and disclose visitor data, including that third parties (including Amazon and other advertisers) may serve content and ads, collect information directly from visitors, and place cookies, along with information on how visitors can opt out of online advertising where required by law.

Do you participate in an advertising program like Google AdSense? AdSense requires your privacy policy to disclose that third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on prior visits to your site or other sites, and to let users know how to opt out of personalised advertising (via Google’s Ads Settings, or via general opt-out services like aboutads.info).

Having a privacy policy on your blog reassures your readers: it shows you’re taking measures to protect their personal information and that you understand the need to handle their data carefully.

What Needs to Be Included in Your Privacy Policy?

There are a number of things a blog’s privacy policy should cover. Depending on which programs you participate in, there may be specific things you need to include. Here are the main areas to cover:

1. Personal information: let your users know what type of personal information you collect, how you collect it, and for what purpose. Outline how you keep it secure, and, to be GDPR compliant, how they can opt out of supplying personal information and how that affects their use of your site.
2. Cookie policy: all websites use cookies to perform different functions that improve the user experience. Include a cookie policy that defines what cookies are, lists which ones you use, explains their function, and gives instructions for opting out.
3. GDPR compliance: under the GDPR, you’re legally required to disclose your users’ data protection rights: the right to be informed, access, rectification, erasure, restrict processing, object to processing, data portability, and object to automated processing.
4. Children’s privacy: comply with COPPA (the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) by including a clause stating you do not knowingly collect information from children under 13.
5. Contact information: make sure readers can contact you about anything in your privacy policy, including your contact email.

Generate a Privacy Policy You Can Trust

Hiring a lawyer to draft a privacy policy isn’t in most people’s budget, which is why we’ve built an affordable alternative. Our privacy policy generator produces a lawyer-drafted, GDPR/CalOPPA/COPPA-compliant policy that’s highly customisable, so you only include what’s relevant to your own blog.

Generate your own professional privacy policy today and make sure your blog is legally covered.

The information in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any matter, and does not create a lawyer-client relationship.