Writing Privacy Policies
There is no getting around it, every company and website needs a privacy policy. You need to display a link to your privacy policy statement from every page on your site. As your website grows make sure your privacy policy statement is up to date.
The following links will get you started on creating a privacy policy. After using the generators you will have to adjust your privacy statement to best reflect your policies. If you have a large website that collects a lot of information it is best to contact a lawyer to make sure you are following all current laws and are fully protected.
To better serve you I have created two example privacy statements (see below) for small web sites who only collect data on visitors who contact you directly and those who collect online payments. Please modify them to reflect your current policies. If you have questions please contact me.
Helpful Links
Privacy Policy - The Nuts and Bolts
Tiny url: http://tinyurl.com/3kpbj
Federal Trade Commission information on e-commerce and the internet laws
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menu-internet.htm#bized
Federal Trade Commission For The Consumer
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/coppa/index.html
OECD Guidelines on the Protection of Privacy
Tiny url: http://tinyurl.com/29jhjm
A search on the web will show a variety of generators to help you create one specific to your website. Here are a few:
OECD Privacy Statement Generator
http://tinyurl.com/5ybrs
DMA's Privacy Policy Generator
http://www.the-dma.org/privacy/creating.shtml