Creating a privacy policy statement may seem like a tedious task, but it’s important to have one if you’re collecting personal information from your website visitors. Especially if you’re a Health & Wellness practitioner, a privacy statement is another guarantee that you can be trusted. Those seeking to put their health in your hands are looking for reasons to trust you with their personal details.
What is a privacy policy statement?
A privacy policy statement is a document that discloses and explains how you collect, use, and protect the personal information of your website visitors.
Most websites collect some form of personal information from their visitors. This can include things like names, email addresses, and IP addresses. And if you’re collecting this information, then you need to have a privacy statement that discloses what you’re doing with it.
Why is a privacy policy statement important
A privacy policy statement is important for two main reasons. First, it’s required by law in many jurisdictions. Second, it builds trust with your visitors by letting them know how their personal information will be used.
How to write a privacy policy statement
There are a few essential items for your privacy statement. Here’s a list of what you need to include:
- Disclose what personal information you’re collecting from your visitors and why you’re collecting it.
- Explain how you’re going to use this information.
- Disclose who will have access to this information.
- Explain how you’re going to protect this information from misuse.
- Tell your website visitors what they can do if they want to access or change their personal information.
- Include a date at the top of your privacy statement so that your visitors know when it was last updated.
- Ensure that your privacy statement is easily accessible from your website. The best place to put it is in the footer of your website so that it’s visible on every page.
If you’re not sure how to write a privacy policy statement, there are a few resources that can help you. Simply Business has a sample privacy statement that you can use as a starting point.
The Information Commissioner’s Office also has some helpful resources on their website.
Interested in getting help?
We offer multiple packages that suit all types of Health & Wellness businesses.
Click on the link below to find out more.
How to deal with a dispute over a privacy statement
By taking the time to create a privacy policy statement, you can avoid legal penalties and build trust with your visitors. But even if you have a privacy statement, there’s still a chance that you could get into a dispute with one of your visitors over how their personal information is being used.
If this happens, the first thing you should do is try to resolve the issue directly with the person who is raising the concern. If you can’t come to an agreement, then you can contact the relevant regulator in your jurisdiction.
In the European Union, it would be the Data Protection Authority in the country where the person raising the concern is located. In the UK, if you need any advice you should contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). And in the United States, the FTC would be the regulator to contact. In Canada, it would be the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.
If you’re not sure who the relevant regulator is in your jurisdiction, you should contact a lawyer for help.
Still unsure? We can help!
We hope you’ve found this useful! And if you’re still unsure about writing a privacy policy for your Health and Wellness business, reach out to us for help!