Reasons To Have A Privacy Policy For Your Blog

Do you know how important it is to have a privacy policy for your blog?

Whether you are a new blogger or a seasoned blogger, having a privacy policy on your blog should be one of the first things that your website should have.

In this article, I will explain the top 3 reasons why you need to have a privacy policy for your blog as well as where you can get one.

Affiliate Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links which means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure policy here.

…

IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A PRIVACY POLICY ON YOUR BLOG

Just like you, when I first started blogging, I mainly cared about the theme, the pictures and graphics I used, and the topics I wrote about.

I did not think too much about the legalities attached to blogging. 

Back then I thought, “I am just a new blogger! I don’t sell anything on my blog. I don’t have an email list. So what do I need a privacy policy for?”

But just for the sake of it, I took a random privacy policy template from a free privacy policy generator online, then pasted it on my website.

It was a complete waste of my time, let alone I just put myself at high risk of getting in trouble.

Good thing I was lucky enough to snatch the Genius Blogger’s Toolkit while it was being offered on a limited time by Ultimate Bundles. For more than 90% off the regular price, the bundle contains tons of e-courses, e-books, and resources that are perfect for beginners.

Since I was so eager to legally protect my blog at that time, I went straight for the Privacy Policy Workshop + Template by Lucrezia Iapichino from Blogging For New Bloggers included in the bundle. 

To be honest, I was only expecting to receive a template and instructions on how to edit it but I was surprised to find so much more!

I found that privacy policy is not something you simply copy-paste on your header then call it a day.

It must adhere to certain country regulations and must be applied to any actions you do on your blog.

But before you proceed reading, just a brief disclaimer — I am not a lawyer nor an expert in blog legalities. I am simply sharing with you my major takeaways from Lucrezia’s course.

Now that I’ve cleared that up. Let’s begin.

WHAT IS A PRIVACY POLICY?

Basically, a privacy policy is a legal requirement stating which personal information you are collecting from your readers and how this will be stored and used.

What does personal information include?

It includes your users’ name, e-mail address, location, birth date, and more.

To get the full list, check-out the template here.

How do bloggers process personal data?

If you think that you can get away without having a privacy policy because you don’t have a newsletter or a shop page, think again. There are many ways that common data is being processed on your blog:

• Comment systems
• Contact forms
• Google Analytics
• Ads
• Affiliate portals, etc.

You can find out more about this in the Privacy Policy Workshop.

WHY DO I NEED A PRIVACY POLICY FOR MY BLOG?

If the fact that it’s a legal requirement is not enough to convince you, here are more reasons:

#1. Peace of Mind

Having a privacy policy on your blog will put your mind at ease especially if you are taking it seriously and planning to monetize it.

I mean, if you consider blogging as a business, you wouldn’t want to be against the law right?

But don’t just put any privacy policy template you see on the internet.

Remember when I mentioned that I got my first privacy policy statement from a free website?

Well, I never really felt confident about it and I always felt uneasy whenever I came across articles about blogging legally. I knew that I was not protected so I was so paranoid about getting in trouble for my blog.

True enough, when I started Lucrezia’s Privacy Policy Workshop, I knew I was right to be paranoid because my previous privacy policy did not adhere to GDPR and CCPA which are both critical in this statement. I will briefly discuss both later on.

My point is, make sure you have the right privacy policy template for your blog because sometimes, free stuff might cost you more in the long run.

#2. Transparency

Personally, before this workshop, I really didn’t care about whether a website has a privacy policy or not. I blindly sign up as long as I get a freebie. Now, I am more aware of who to give my personal information to. 

In this day and age, I’m sure a lot of your readers are too.

Getting the right privacy policy for your blog is a way to improve transparency between you and your visitors/readers.

It shows that you care about their privacy and that you are giving them a choice on how they want their private information to be handled and stored.

In return, your readers will trust you more and will not hesitate to sign up for your newsletter. 

Soon, you’ll find yourself having loyal subscribers and regular visitors on your blog, not to mention potential partnerships with brands, affiliate programs, and ad networks.

#3. Legal Protection

I’ve read so many articles about people getting sued or fined with a hefty amount just because they failed to protect their blog legally.

I don’t want to be one of those people.

And I’m sure you don’t want to be in trouble too for doing something you love.

I realized it’s better to spend time and a bit of money now in order to get things right rather than risking it then receiving lawsuits later.

CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT GDPR AND CCPA?

It is important to note you may be required to comply with GDPR and/or CCPA depending on your circumstances.

What does GDPR stand for and what is it about?

GDPR, which stands for General Data Protection Regulation, was established to ensure the data privacy of individuals based in the European Union (EU).

Since as previously mentioned, there are many ways we process personal data in our blog, therefore, we are legally bound to comply with this regulation.

My country does not belong to the EU. Do I still need to comply with GDPR?

Even if you are not based in the EU, as long as you get EU-based visitors or subscribers, you are still bound by the GDPR.

How about CCPA? What is it all about?

CCPA stands for California Consumer Privacy Act. It is a piece of legislation that aims to protect the privacy and consumer rights of California residents.

I don’t live in California though. Is this still required?

Depending on your circumstances or whether you meet the conditions, CCPA may or may not apply to you.

However, do note that CCPA may apply to you even if you are not based in California.

There are still certain grey areas in this regulation, however if you are planning to monetize your blog, it is highly suggested to just stay on the safe side and comply.

On the other hand, if you are just blogging as a hobby and you don’t want to monetize your blog, CCPA does not apply to you, only GDPR does.

If you need more clarification, Lucrezia gives a comprehensive explanation about this in her workshop. 

CAN I JUST COPY THE LEWI CREATIVE’S PRIVACY POLICY STATEMENT?

Believe me, there were so many times I was tempted to copy someone else’s privacy statement and just edit it with my details.

I mean, it would have saved me some money right?

However, when I started Lucrezia’s Privacy Policy Workshop, I realized it was not wise to simply copy someone else’s policy (and I’m glad I didn’t) for the following reasons:

• The workshop taught me how to legally comply with the privacy laws in various ways (i.e. using plugins which are GDPR compliant; where to place the privacy policy, etc.). Yes, you read that right. Simply having a privacy policy on your footer does not make you GDPR-compliant. 
• Not everything in the template was applicable to my blog. This means that by copying someone else’s, you might miss some very important information that is actually required for your blog.
• I received not just a simple template but a useful guide. For example, it included some tips on where to get specific information (i.e. list of cookies being used), and how to include it in the policy. 

All of those details I wouldn’t be aware of if I simply copied a template.

Finally, it is never okay to copy someone else’s work especially since a lot of bloggers highly invested time and money on their blog.

WHERE CAN I GET A PRIVACY POLICY TEMPLATE?

As mentioned above, when you take Lucrezia’s Privacy Policy Workshop, you don’t just learn how to comply with the law, you also get a legal template.

Aside from Privacy Policy, she also offers many other legal templates you can use for your blog which you can find through this link.

Are there other options?

Of course, there are other options.

If you know someone who is a lawyer, you can ask him / her to draft a policy for you.

You can also find other sources online. However, please be careful and do not rely on free privacy policy generators. That’s one of my blogging mistakes.

Finally, you can check out this privacy policy statement by Amira from A Self Guru who is also an accomplished lawyer and business coach. Although I personally haven’t tried her templates and workshops, I see a lot of great feedback from bloggers who have availed her services so it should be worth checking out.

…

So, that’s it!

I hope I was able to give you a clear idea on this topic.

I highly recommend though for you to check out the workshop. It’s a lot more comprehensive plus it’s always better to know the legalities directly from a legal professional.

…

Are you blogging legally? Check out these LEGAL Templates and Workshops that will save you from legal trouble.

• THIS FREE LEGAL WORKSHOP will give you a better idea of how to blog legally.
• Make sure your blog is GDPR compliant through THIS COURSE.
• THIS MASTERCLASS will show you how to become CCPA compliant.
• Get your Privacy Policy, Disclaimer Template, and Terms & Conditions Template plus tons of BONUSES without breaking the bank through THIS LEGAL BUNDLE.
• Finally, THIS LEGAL VALUE PACK also includes a Disclosures Template plus lifetime access to current and future versions of your purchase at such a HUGE discount!

…

Do you have a privacy policy for your blog? Where did you get it from? Let me know below!

• 

• 

•