Privacy Policy Guide
What is a Privacy Policy?
A privacy policy is a document that outlines what your website collects, how you use the information and who you share the information with. It’s put in place to explain how you respect and uphold privacy of your users’ personal information. This kind of transparency into the inner workings of your website will give your website visitors peace of mind that you care for and respect their personal data and are committed to protecting their privacy.
What Does a Privacy Policy Contain?
- Details of personal information you’re collecting, e.g., name, phone, email, etc
- Details on how you’re collecting the personal information, examples could be through a form or by the use of cookies.
- Details on what you’re going to do with the information, which could include sending emails or SMS
- Details on what your company does to keep this data safe
- Details if and who you share information with
- Details on how someone can request their private information be deleted
Privacy Policies and 10dlc
A2P business SMS has a very strict requirement for recipient opt-in. If your opt-in solution is on your website, you’re collecting personal data, at the very least a phone number, but it’s more often other information as well, like a name or an email address. You need to convey to your new SMS recipient that you’re protecting that information with your life, or at least your business practices.
We’ve found that the privacy policies of US customers registering to send SMS with a 10-digit-long code are under even more scrutiny. Here’s a few suggestions we’ve found that consistently arise during registration:
- The link to the privacy policy (and your terms and conditions agreement document) must be in a very conspicuous place, especially when a form is present on the page. Even if you don’t used the number collected on this form for SMS, its still a possibility that you could. Make sure when people are submitting the form that they understand what they are agreeing to by supplying the information, even if it’s not SMS at that moment in time.
- Include the privacy policy in the footer of every page on your site.
- Check that any privacy policy link is active and doesn’t go to a 404 page.
- Most of all, make sure you and your team understand what’s in the policy and uphold any personal information and the policy with highest regard. You wouldn’t want your personal information supplied to any Joe-Schmoe, and neither will they.
Any other policy you refer to when providing service to your customers must be in compliance with the privacy policy, including your terms and conditions/service agreements, etc.
You should always run your policies through your legal team to make sure what you’ve included in the policy is truthful to your company and will stand up to any backlash. Red Oxygen is in no way claiming to be legal counsel, we’re reporting what we’ve encountered with other registrants and want to pass the information on to you, to help with a quick and seamless registration process.
Why Are Privacy Policies Such a Big Deal?
One of the most critical and criticized document on your website is your privacy policy. Are you covering all of your bases? Are you following your own policy?
Stop and review your policy regularly, but especially before registering your 10dlc messages with The Campaign Registry and the mobile carriers.
We’re here to help guide you through the requirements.
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