Fun fact: Not every website needs a Privacy Policy. That’s coming from us, a Privacy Policy Generator company.
But, there’s a ‘but.’
THE BUT: those websites are becoming increasingly rare as data collection and sharing are becoming more intertwined with modern websites. In fact, the moment you add something as basic as analytics, a contact form, or an embedded video, your site may start collecting or sharing user data, often without you even realizing it.
That’s where things get tricky.
Whether or not you need a Privacy Policy isn’t always obvious. It depends on what your website is doing behind the scenes and whose data is being collected. Both of these aspects of a website change often as business practices and privacy laws change.
We did put together a quick, 30-second quiz you can take to help take the guesswork out of the “do I need a Privacy Policy” question.
Table of Contents
30-second Quiz: Do I need a Privacy Policy?
Answer yes/no to each of the following questions:
- Does your website have a contact form? Yes/No
- Does your website use analytics (e.g. Google Analytics)? Yes/No
- Do you run digital ads and track them? (e.g. Meta Pixel)? Yes/No
- Do you embed videos on your site via YouTube/Vimeo? Yes/No
- Do you use map embeds (e.g. Google Maps)? Yes/No
- Does your website use security/spam prevention like reCAPTCHA? Yes/No
- Has it been over a year since your Privacy Policy was updated? Yes/No
- Can website users from anywhere access your site? Yes/No
- Does your website place non-essential cookies on browsers? Yes/No
- Can website visitors sign up for an email newsletter? Yes/No
- Can website visitors post comments? Yes/No
- Do you sell products/services online? Yes/No
(Graphic version):
Results: If you answered “Yes” to any of the above, you likely need a Privacy Policy on your website.
Not because the internet gods demand it as tribute, but because privacy laws do. And those laws don’t really care if you meant to collect data. They are designed to protect internet users. So, if your website is collecting, sharing, or storing personal information in any way, even passively, you’re stepping into regulated territory.
Here’s the part that catches people off guard: Most modern websites collect data.
And privacy laws like GDPR, CPRA, PIPEDA,. and others are written with that in mind. Despite this, we still often see pushback by website owners saying one of the following.
“But I don’t collect personal information…”
There’s often pushback when we tell website owners they are collecting personal information. That’s due to two misconceptions:
- Collecting data is bad
- Personal information is super secret and personal to an individual
Collecting data is bad
First off, collecting data is not a bad thing. Website users sometimes get this mixed up with selling personal information. That can get shady really fast, but simply collecting, sharing, and storing data is extremely common in today’s world.
Sharing a subscriber’s email with your email service provider (e.g. MailChimp, Hubspot, Active Campaign) involves collecting, sharing, and storing data. It’s a simple service that checks all three boxes. It’s not a sketchy practice to do this, it just requires you to add a few policies to your website to let people know this is happening.
Personal information is super secret and personal to an individual
Website owners also get a little thrown off by the use of “personal information.” To them, it can sound like they’re being accused of collecting:
- Medical information
- Social Security Numbers
- Financial information
However, this is not the personal information that most websites collect that require them to have a Privacy Policy to comply with laws. Personal information can be any of the following:
- IP Address
- Physical Address
- Phone Number
- Name
- Payment Information
This type of information is frequently collected via several of the methods mentioned in the quiz above. While it’s not as intense as the medical and social security information, it is information that still belongs to the user – not your business.
“So, what does a Privacy Policy do?”
Since is this type of information is the personal property of the website user, they ultimately get to decide how that information is used. That’s where a Privacy Policy comes in. A Privacy Policy tells your visitors:
- What data you collect;
- Why you collect it;
- Who you share it with;
- What rights they have over their data; and
- How to exercise those rights.
A Privacy Policy is basically a window into the how the website works to show website visitors that you recognize their privacy rights and you are providing all the information a user needs to make the right decision for them and their data.
And with website users becoming more privacy-savvvy than ever before, having a proper Privacy Policy in place can be a huge competatitve advantage.
“Where can I get a Privacy Policy?”
As a Privacy Policy Generator company, we’re obviously going to say your best bet is an… attorney?
That’s right. For businesses who can afford to have an attorney draft, update, and manage their policies, this is the best option as an attorney can offer legal advice where no Privacy Policy Generator can.
That being said, keeping an attorney on retainer can get expensive. Especially when privacy laws change often and your policies will need to frequently be updated accordingly.
That’s where a good, reliable Privacy Policy Generator comes in. A tool like the Termageddon Privacy Policy Generator can help you determine what laws apply to your website (based on very specific, business-related questions), draft the policies your specific website needs with all the disclosures required by applicable laws, and auto-updates these policies as privacy laws change or new laws go into effect. We’ve already had 3 new laws go into effect to start 2026 and we are currently working on two upcoming changes to existing laws.
We’ve also gone into more detail as to where you can get a Privacy Policy for your website in a previous blog.
Hopefully, you found this helpful, and if you’re already asking questions like “Do I need a Privacy Policy?” You’re on the right track to taking your visitors’ privacy seriously. Well done!
