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Website Privacy Policy Samples

Sample Privacy Policies

Please Do NOT Simply Cut & Paste the Policy As Is

During the Interim of 2015-2016, the State Administration & Veterans’ Affairs Interim Committee did a study on privacy online, which led to a discussion on privacy policies, and the committee requested that privacy policies be posted on local government websites.  To help in your endeavors regarding this issue, attached are two sample privacy policies that can be used as guides (one for a website that does not collect any personally identifiable information and another for a website that does collect personally identifiable information) as well as some optional clauses.  Depending on what information you collect, the clauses may need altering or more clauses may need to be added.  If using these samples, please be sure to personalize them.  DO NOT simply cut-and-paste this policy as is.

Examples of personally identifiable information collected on a website includes but is not limited to:

  • Newsletter signup forms
  • Online surveys
  • Online contact forms
  • Online purchasing (if people can pay for something via a credit card via your website)
  • Any tracking or use of any identifying code linked to a user of a service or website, including the use of cookies and/or analytics, such as Google Analytics

If you have a person who manages your website, please send them this email and have them read the following statutes:

  • Section 2-17-552 (Collection of personally identifiable information – requirements); and
  • Section 2-17-551 (Definitions–defines personally identifiable information)

It is important to note that because this is a policy, it must be adopted.  Whatever final policy you develop is up to you and will be your responsibility to maintain.  Your county bears full responsibility for the policy that you post.  Once a privacy policy is posted online, it is crucial that it is adhered to.  An online service provider that doesn’t follow its privacy policy may violate state and federal consumer protection laws.