Quick Start: Privacy Policies

Privacy policies form the foundation of trust between users and the entities that collect their data. They are also often strictly regulated under data privacy laws and platform terms of service. Balancing user expectations and regulatory requirements can be difficult enough for developers without the added challenge of writing a legal document.

If you are creating or managing a privacy policy for the first time, start by following these best practices:

1. Tailor your policy

   If you are working from a template or a previous version of a privacy policy, review and update each section to ensure it is tailored to your business and data practices.

2. Ensure compliance

   Determine which laws or regulations you are subject to and outline the disclosures that are required under each. Then, review your privacy policy against those requirements. Follow the same process for requirements outlined in the terms of service for each of your platform partners.

3. Prioritize easy access

   Host your privacy policy on a website that is live, publicly accessible, and dedicated to the policy.

4. Review your policy regularly

   Set a recurring time to review and update your privacy policy.

5. Keep your users informed

   When you make a change to your policy, let your users know immediately.

Hi Kimber,

We've recently updated our Privacy Policy, effective December 22, 2022. We are committed to being transparent and keeping you informed on any changes to our platform. You can read the full updated Privacy Policy here.

At a glance

• We added language to describe in more detail the data we collect and your data collection choices
• We've included additional notices to comply with new California laws and other upcoming U.S. privacy regulations
• We've added more clarity on how data about you may be used in conjunction with third-party advertising under Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Please take a few moments to read our updated policy and note that your continued use of Faire signifies your acknowledgement of the updated Privacy Policy.

Thank you for being part of the Faire community,

The Faire team

Consider providing a summary of updates for users to see at a glance. That will make it easy for your users to see what has changed without having to read the entire document again.

Check your math

Once your policy is written, evaluate it to ensure it will meet user expectations and stay compliant. Start with these criteria:

Policy Content

Our privacy policy outlines...

1. exactly what data we collect
3. how we collect each type of data (cookies, web forms, etc.)
5. how we process data
7. for what purpose(s) we process data
9. what, if any, data is shared with or sold to each specific third-party partner and for what purpose(s)
11. how and when users will be informed about updates to the privacy policy
13. how we protect users' personal information, in detail

Format & Readability

Our privacy policy is...

1. hosted on a publicly available web page dedicated to the privacy policy
3. written in clear language, not legalese or jargon
5. divided into clearly marked sections that make it easy to read and search
7. searchable with command or control + F
9. easy to find on our website
11. available to users when they are providing consent

User Acceptance

Our privacy policy provides...

1. a mechanism for users to accept and agree to the terms of the policy
3. an option to opt out
5. instructions about who to contact, and how, to ask questions about the privacy policy
7. instructions on how to access and update their information

Reminder: This checklist is not exhaustive. Review your privacy policy for all information and disclosures required under all applicable data privacy regulations and platform terms of service.