WordPress Privacy Policy Tool
As the official start of GDPR loomed, WordPress rolled out an update designed to assist website admins in preparing and publishing a privacy page for their websites. After you installed the update on your WordPress sight, you were prompted via pop-up to visit Settings –> Privacy to utilize this new privacy policy feature.
GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulations and is a European Union data protection law that will go into effect May 25, 2018. Designed to give people more control over how the data they provide to businesses is used, businesses – even those not in the EU – are required to comply or else face hefty penalties.
How can a US based business need to follow these EU rules? US based businesses who sell to citizens in the EU or who have people who live in the EU signing up for their email lists are two ways a non-EU business is obligated to follow these new laws.
One part of GDPR is having a privacy policy on your website that states things like what data you collect and how you use that data. Think: Facebook pixel code, Google Analytics tracking code and your email newsletter opt-in, to name a couple.
While the implications of GDPR extend far beyond simply adding a Privacy policy to your website, this new WordPress feature serves as a helpful start for getting GDPR-compliant and also something all website admins should have anyway.
The purpose of this Privacy Policy tool, according to WordPress:
As a website owner, you may need to follow national or international privacy laws. For example, you may need to create and display a privacy policy. If you already have a privacy policy page, please select it below. If not, please create one.
The new page will include help and suggestions for your privacy policy. However, it is your responsibility to use those resources correctly, to provide the information that your privacy policy requires, and to keep that information current and accurate.
After your privacy policy page is set, we suggest that you edit it. We would also suggest reviewing your privacy policy from time to time, especially after installing or updating any themes or plugins. There may be changes or new suggested information for you to consider adding to your policy.
The first step is either choosing your existing privacy policy page from the drop-down or clicking to create a new one.
If you choose to create a new Privacy Policy page, a new Page draft will open with suggested text for your page.
You can follow the prompt near the top of the page and click to view a further explanation of each part of the privacy policy to help you better understand and tailor it to your website's needs. It's very possible that you won't need every section of this recommended policy, and also equally possible you'll need to add in more information than what you are specifically prompted to. For example, this privacy policy includes information on how WordPress comments are handled, but doesn't automatically discuss other types of tracking or data collection you might be doing.
It's a great start, though, to your website's new privacy policy.
Once your new privacy policy page reads as you like it, you'll need to publish it and then add it to your Menu or link it in your footer area of your site. It's important to have a link to your privacy policy available on any page of your website.