Do I need a Privacy Policy

In today’s digital age, safeguarding users’ private information is not just a matter of trust but a legal obligation. If you run a website in Australia or cater to Australian users, collect ANY customer or website visitor information, you’re subject to Australia’s privacy laws.

This includes:

So even if you have a basic Contact Form on your website you MUST have a Privacy Policy.

Australian law requires you to have one on your website.

Fines: The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) can impose hefty fines for serious or repeated breaches.

Compensation: Individuals affected by a breach can seek compensation.

Google requires you to post one. Google checks if your website has a Privacy Policy.

And if you don’t, you’ll get penalised in Google search results.

Being transparent about how you deal with visitors private information, helps build a trustworthy relationship with your visitors.

Make sure your Privacy Policy is well-written, easy-to-understand and comprehensive.

Much of the information on this page has been garnered from Legal 123, a Sydney-based company.

Their website has lots of great information that will help you draft a transparent and easy-to-understand Privacy Policy and a section that also deals with Terms and Conditions.

Before drafting a policy, you need to think about all the ways your business collects, holds, uses and discloses personal information.

If you don’t have time to make sure these policies are relevant to your business, they also have a paid service that offers a Website Legal Package for $179 +GST and a Privacy Policy for $79 +GST.