When running a company with a website or mobile application, you need a privacy policy to protect their rights. In 2022, consumer data collection is a major concern, and laws and regulations are in place to protect their identities.
A privacy policy is a legal statement describing how a company collects user information. It also outlines how an organization handles and processes its users’ information.
Using privacy policies ensures legal compliance and demonstrates how your business protects and respects its customers’ personal data.
Privacy policies must be written clearly, so they’re easy for anyone to understand. At the same time, businesses must adhere to different regulations and requirements. Working with an attorney can help ensure your company has the most comprehensive privacy policy that protects your website/application and customers equally.
Here is an article that defines privacy policy in more detail.
What Is a Privacy Policy Lawyer?
A privacy policy lawyer drafts and reviews privacy policies for companies in various sectors. They can make policies designed for specific web applications, like blogs and e-commerce store websites, as well as desktop applications and mobile applications.
The privacy policy lawyer’s primary goal is to ensure that a company adheres to any necessary laws regarding the use of customer data. A privacy policy is often part of a greater user agreement, which covers the terms and conditions of a user’s right to access and utilize a digital platform or service.
Here is an article that gives an overview of privacy policy law.
See Privacy Policy Pricing by State
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
What Do Privacy Policies Do?
Privacy policies protect people’s identifiable data online and help businesses comply with privacy data laws and regulations.
A privacy policy is mandatory in the United States, but terms and conditions or terms of use are not. Why?
This is because privacy policies explicitly refer to the data companies collect to identify a person. Without protection, there would be no limits on what companies do with that information.
Examples of data privacy policies protect include:
- First and last name
- Date of birth
- Location — including geo-location and IP address
- Marital status
- Level of education
- Shipping and postal address
- Email address
- Social media account handles and profile links
- Social security numbers
- Payment information — credit card and debit card numbers, PayPal accounts, Venmo accounts, etc.
In some cases, even anonymous data classifies as personally identifiable if it can be traced back to a person, such as an IP address on a web server.
If you live in the EU, companies must adhere to GDPR. In the United States, no federal laws mandate privacy policies. Still, there are many state and local regulations that you must follow.
These include:
- The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
- The Americans With Disability Act
- The Consumer Credit Reporting Control Act
- The California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA)
- The California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA)
Most states develop their privacy laws, meaning you have to know which regulations apply to your company’s governing law.
Here is an article with more information about privacy laws by country.
How Much Does a Privacy Policy Cost?
The privacy policy cost when written with a privacy policy lawyer, the cost of the privacy policy can range between $300 to over $5,000. The rate will vary based on your company’s size, the type of data you collect, and the scope of the policy.
Another factor that affects the cost of a privacy policy lawyer is expertise. Attorneys with more experience in law and contract drafting tend to charge more for their services. In addition, if you need your policy urgently, you can expect to pay more for expedited documents.
Based on ContractsCounsel’s marketplace data, a privacy policy lawyer's average flat fee is $370.83.
There is no one-size-fits-all model for privacy policies. Every business has a unique audience, so the data they collect and usage policies will vary. When you work with a lawyer, you can handcraft the most personalized version of a privacy policy that fully reflects your business and protects your consumers.
You can still learn much about a privacy policy and how a privacy agreement works online for free. However, we advise doing your due diligence and researching them in-depth before consulting with an attorney. This can help you express your wants and needs more effectively when working with a lawyer.
Here is an article with a full breakdown of privacy policy costs on ContractsCounsel.
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Key Terms in a Privacy Policy
Working with a privacy policy lawyer makes it far easier to ensure your document fully complies with the laws in your state and any regulations in your industry. That being said, you can also look online for privacy policy templates that make it easy to develop your own.
If you do decide to go with a template, here are some key terms to include in a privacy agreement:
- Type of customer data. Your policy should specify exactly what types of data it collects.
- Data collection methods. Outline your methods to collect data, such as cookies and pixel tags.
- Storage and protection. Detail where users’ data is stored, how that information is protected, and who has access to it.
- Tracking. Mention the use of any and all tracking tools, like tracking cookies and log files.
- Usage. Explain, in layperson’s terms, how your company uses the data it collects and processes that information for different purposes.
- Third-party access. Disclose any third parties that may be given access to users’ information and how these services will use their data.
- Marketing purposes. Mention if your company uses the information it collects to automatically enroll users in marketing promotions, such as using their email to send them promotions.
- Opt-out clauses. Users should be given the right to opt-out of data collection and to request a copy of their data at any time.
- Contact information. List the best way to contact your company if users have questions about their data collection or usage.
You may include additional clauses in your policy depending on your business and industry. Of course, all of this depends on what data you collect and how you use it. Other provisions add another protection layer, furthering customers' trust in your company.
Here is an article with ContractsCounsel’s guide to privacy clauses and what you must include in a privacy policy.
Do I Need a Lawyer for a Privacy Policy?
You can use an accessible privacy policy template online to make your own. Still, having a lawyer review it before using it is helpful.
Suppose you are trying to decide what to include in a privacy policy. In that case, working with a privacy policy lawyer can help you write the most secure document for your company.
Another reason to work with an attorney is access to qualified legal advice. For example, you can ask them questions about how a privacy policy works, what to include in a privacy policy, and what type of privacy policy you need.
ContractsCounsel can help you learn how to write a privacy policy in 6 steps and provide suggestions on connecting with a vetted attorney through ContractsCounsel’s legal marketplace.
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