PRIVACY POLICY
A legal disclaimer
The explanations and information provided on this page are only general and high-level explanations and information on how to write your own document of a Privacy Policy. You should not rely on this article as legal advice or as recommendations regarding what you should actually do, because we cannot know in advance what are the specific privacy policies you wish to establish between your business and your customers and visitors. We recommend that you seek legal advice to help you understand and to assist you in the creation of your own Privacy Policy.
Privacy Policy - the basics
Having said that, a privacy policy is a statement that discloses some or all of the ways a website collects, uses, discloses, processes, and manages the data of its visitors and customers. It usually also includes a statement regarding the website’s commitment to protecting its visitors’ or customers’ privacy, and an explanation about the different mechanisms the website is implementing in order to protect privacy.
Different jurisdictions have different legal obligations of what must be included in a Privacy Policy. You are responsible to make sure you are following the relevant legislation to your activities and location.
A. Privacy Policy Requirements
The following four items must be included in your Privacy Policy section:
A company's privacy policy must clearly state how customer information is collected, utilized, and shared.
The Privacy Policy must be easy to find and linked to from all pages (typically in the footer or header).
The policy must be on a single dedicated page or a single pop-up window.
The sharing section must explicitly include the following statement:
"Mobile Opt-in, SMS Consent, and phone numbers collected for SMS communication purposes will not be shared with any third party or affiliates for marketing purposes."
B. Required SMS Opt-In Language
If you are using a contact form to collect consent, you must incorporate an optional checkbox with this exact statement, customized with your company details and use case:
"By checking this box, you agree to receive SMS messages from [Your Company Name] related to [Your SMS Use Case, e.g., appointment reminders and billing updates]. You may reply STOP to opt out at any time. Reply HELP to [Your Phone Number] for assistance. Messages and data rates may apply. Message frequency will vary. Learn more on our privacy policy page and Terms & Conditions."
C. Your Terms & Conditions must include a dedicated SMS section covering the following eight points:
SMS Terms & Conditions
1. SMS Consent Communication
"The information (Phone Numbers) obtained as part of the SMS consent process will not be shared with third parties for marketing purposes."
2. Types of SMS Communications
If you have consented to receive text messages from [Company Name], you may receive messages related to the following specific examples:
Appointment reminders
Follow-up messages
3. Message Frequency
Message frequency may vary. You may receive up to 10 SMS messages per week regarding your appointments or account status.
4. Potential Fees for SMS Messaging
Please note that standard message and data rates may apply, depending on your carrier’s pricing plan. These fees may vary if the message is sent domestically or internationally.
5. Opt-In Method
You may opt in to receive SMS messages from [Company Name] in the following ways:
By submitting an online form
6. Opt-Out Method:
You can opt out of receiving SMS messages at any time. To do so, simply reply "STOP" to any SMS message you receive. Alternatively, you can contact us directly to request removal from our messaging list.
7. Help:
Help: If you are experiencing any issues, you can reply with the keyword HELP. Or, you can get help directly from us at [insert your support link or phone number].
8. Standard Messaging Disclosures:
Message and data rates may apply.
You can opt out at any time by texting "STOP."
What to include in the Privacy Policy
Generally speaking, a Privacy Policy often addresses these types of issues: the types of information the website is collecting and the manner in which it collects the data; an explanation about why is the website collecting these types of information; what are the website’s practices on sharing the information with third parties; ways in which your visitors and customers can exercise their rights according to the relevant privacy legislation; the specific practices regarding minors’ data collection; and much, much more.
To learn more about this, check out our article “Creating a Privacy Policy”.