Data protection and privacy is a serious matter every business needs to take care of to protect their customers and users. If you’re collecting or processing the data of your users in any way, you have to make sure you’re doing it according to the laws and regulations that concern you. That’s why you need a well-written privacy policy that will set the rules and explain how you handle people’s data.
And, General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR is the most important regulation in the EU. It was created to ensure that all businesses and organizations respect the rights of their users and only use their data as is allowed. To help you write your user policy and make sure it’s GDPR-friendly, we’ve created this guide.
Here are the ultimate writing tips for a GDPR-friendly user policy.
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1. Read & Understand GDPR
If you want to respect the rules imposed by the GDPR, you first need to read them and fully understand them. Here, we’ll explain the main principles that GDPR is based on, and the essence of what it stands for.
So, GDPR is a regulation that:
- is imposed by the EU that focuses on data protection and security
- affects all businesses whose users are on the EU territory
- requires transparency, security, and fairness in collecting and processing people’s data
So, your business doesn’t have to be based in the EU to fall under the jurisdiction of this law. If you have EU customers and users, GDPR applies to you as well.
Also, learn about the 7 principles the regulation is based on:
- Lawfulness, fairness, and transparency
- Purpose limitation
- Data minimization
- Accuracy
- Storage limitation
- Integrity and confidentiality
- Accountability
Once you read and understand this, you can start writing your user policy.
2. Provide Your Business Details
The first thing your user policy needs to clearly state is the details of your business. You are the one collecting and controlling the data, so the users need to know more about you.
Open your user policy with the following details:
- name and contact details of your business
- information about who you are and what you do
- identifying yourself as the collector and controller of user data
Also, make this information user-centric by explaining how your company aims to protect and respect the rights of the customers and users who decide to trust them with their data.
This gives the users a feeling of safety and helps them understand who they’re sharing their data with.
3. Explain What Data You Collect
Next, your user policy needs to clearly state what type of data you collect. You need to specify and narrow the term “personal data” down since it’s such a broad notion and can include all kinds of data.
So, go into details about:
- the data you collect automatically
- the data the users provide by interacting with your website
- different categories of the data you collect
Be as specific as possible, providing examples and making it clear to your users how things work. Don’t leave any room for doubt or misunderstandings.
Also, state that you’re only collecting the data that you have to collect, and promise you won’t collect any additional data.
4. Tell Them What You Use the Data For
There’s a reason you’re collecting and processing the data of your users. You need to tell them the main reasons you’re doing this, and how you’re using this data later on.
This section of the user policy should, thus, cover using data for:
- identifying users as they interact with your website
- creating personal advertisement experiences for them
- sending them information, emails, messages, and notifications
- creating special deals and offers
- controlling their user activity, memberships, registration, or shopping
They have the right to know how you use their data and why you’re collecting it. So, make a list of all the uses of the data and ensure they have a clear idea of what the data is used for.
5. Discuss Data Security
Now that your users understand what data you’re collecting and why you need to make sure they understand you’re handling their data safely. They need assurance that security is guaranteed.
So, discuss data security in your user policy.
This means you’ll have to provide the following information:
- where do you store their data
- how long is it stored for
- who has access to it
- is there a third party involved
- what security measures do you use
Your user policy needs to clearly state what measures of precaution and security you’re respecting to keep your data safe and protected.
6. Use Simple Language
Remember that your users are ordinary people, who don’t have a background in law or data security. Don’t confuse them with complicated language or terminology they don’t understand.
Just try to write your user policy the following way:
- use ordinary, everyday language
- avoid technical vocabulary
- provide definitions and explanations of the terms they might not understand
You could also find writing experts to handle this task, and make your user policy more user-friendly. You’ll find them online by googling “write my paper”, so consider this option as well.
Final Thoughts
To write a GDPR-friendly user policy, you need to respect the principles set by this regulation and the rights of your users. Make sure you cover all the main aspects of how and why you collect and process the data, using the language everyone can understand.
Hopefully, the tips we’ve shared above will help you write a transparent and professional GDPR- friendly user policy.