What every website owner needs to know about privacy notices and cookies
What you say about the cookies on your website can make the difference between them being declined or accepted.
If your website collects and holds personal data, you are required to create and display a privacy notice. Privacy notices are simple to write once you know what to include. Read on to discover the four questions that need to be answered and how to make the cookies on your website more digestible.
Many visitors will agree to cookies, provided they understand how and why their data needs to be collected. The ICO (Information Commissioner's Office) provides helpful advice for website owners and businesses who need to collect and use personal data. You will find a link to their free privacy notice template page at the bottom.
Here is what the ICO has to say about collecting personal data. If your website includes a contact form, it will help you understand who owns the collected data.
"Sharing data helps make life easier, more convenient and connected. But your data is your data. It belongs to you, so it's important your data is used only in ways you would reasonably expect, and that it stays safe. Data protection law makes sure everyone's data is used properly and legally."
Your privacy notice needs to answer four questions
1. Why do we need to collect your personal data?
2. What do we plan to do with it?
3. How long are we going to keep it?
4. Will we share your personal data with anyone else?
Are your cookies easy to digest?
The ICO clearly states that we must explain how the cookies on our websites work and how we intend to use them. They also say the explanation must be 'clear and easily available.'
How can this be achieved?
Talk to your website designer about adding a privacy notice to your website and about adding a cookie notice. If you would like help to draft your privacy notice, follow this link https://www.creative-insights.co.uk/connect. We will be happy to help.
Most importantly, make it easy for your visitors to understand the consequences of allowing cookies, and why they are helpful for you as the website owner. The ICO also advises that the language and level of detail in Privacy Policies should be tailored to suit our website users.
Helpful takeouts from the ICO
Explain clearly what you plan to do with people's data
Make sure that they know about this in advance
Being transparent builds trust and avoids potential confusion
Review your privacy notice regularly
Make sure that it is up-to-date
Proactively bring any changes to people's attention
Inform visitors to your website about why cookies are required and what they do
If the cookies aren't strictly necessary for how your website functions, you need the user's agreement to use them
Data protection explained in 3 minutes by the ICO:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/YJInlE99vSs
Need help to create your website privacy notice?
Follow this link to open the ICO's website and find out more. If you'd like help with writing a privacy notice or creating inclusive website content, please do get in touch.
https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/sme-web-hub/
About Us: Creative Insights is an Essex-based website content-writing service. We also offer a website privacy notice writing service. You’ll find us at www.creative-insights.co.uk
