The Top Three Frequently Asked Questions
The short answer is probably yes.
If your website has a contact form, then it needs a Privacy Policy. Contact forms ask for a “name” and “email”, which are examples of “Personally Identifiable Information” (PII). Multiple countries and states have enacted privacy laws that impose heavy fines for not having an up to date compliant Privacy Policy. Also, over a dozen states are proposing laws that can apply to businesses regardless of their location. Several of these proposed laws will enable its citizens to sue businesses of any size located anywhere. It’s simple: if you ask for PII via a contact form, and you want to avoid fines and lawsuits, provide a compliant Privacy Policy.
If a website offers links to third party websites, it should have a Terms & Conditions. Terms & Conditions limit a company’s liability. If a user clicks a link to a 3rd party site that is hacked, and then that user gets hacked, a Terms & Conditions helps prevent your business from being sued.
Good to Know: A Terms and Conditions (aka Terms of Use) can provide a DMCA Notice, which can help your business from being sued for improper use of copyrighted material (like licensed images)-which sometimes happens accidentally without knowledge or intent.
If a website offers affiliate links, it should have a Disclaimer.
Important: Any websites providing information that could be considered health advice or legal advice (law firms!), are also good reasons to have a Disclaimer.
Many affiliate programs will require you to have a disclaimer, and consumers want to know when you’re getting paid for links you put on your website.