How To Write A Good Website Terms Of Service & Privacy Policy

• How to get good website terms of service and Privacy Policy?
• Writing a Good Terms of Service Agreement
• How to draft a suitable Privacy Policy

How to get good website terms of service and Privacy Policy?

Website owners have several methods by which they can get good website terms of service and privacy policies. The most straight-forward thing to do would be to approach a legal consultant. Advocates are well versed when it comes to IT laws and Copyright laws. Therefore, they will be able to help you draft an excellent Terms of Service or Privacy Policy. Another great advantage they provide is that they will be able to tell you which all disclaimers to include. Since they are experienced in the field of law, they will give sound advice when it comes to how to avoid copyright infringement and liability.

Another option would be to make use of a free or paid template available online. However, the issue with doing so is that you will rarely find one personalized for your needs. Most of these templates tend to be very generic, and hence you might not be able to find one you like. Such generic online privacy policies may leave out essential terms, causing you to distress later. The last option would be to refer to law books and then draft one yourself. While this allows you to create customized Terms of Service and Privacy policies, it is the most demanding option. It will require a lot of research, writing, and editing, which you might not be able to cope with. In case you do choose this option, this article will help you understand how to draft an efficient Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Writing a Good Terms of Service Agreement

1.First and foremost, make sure you understand why you need good terms of service agreement. In case you are drafting terms of service update, think about what new clauses you need to include.

2.A good Terms of Service will prevent users from misusing your services and will help you limit liability. Furthermore, it will also help you prevent any copyright infringement or plagiarism. Hence, well-written Terms of Service agreement needs to address these concerns.

3.Set some basic ground rules for all the people using your website. This could be something as basic as preventing people from uploading explicit material to ensuring no one engages in bullying on your website.

4.Think about whether you need to have age limits for the different types of content on your website.

5.Once you are done drafting the Terms of Service update or agreement, decide where you will post it. Most country laws state that the Terms of Service must be placed in a prominent location. Therefore try to make it as available and accessible as possible. Link the Terms of Service to your FAQ pages, forums, website footer, and even community section.

6.Make sure your I agree checkbox is easily visible and accessible so that users don’t miss it. Else, display a message that shows that by going forward you are automatically agreeing to the Terms of Service posted on the website. For instance, here’s how Pinterest does it.

7. Add general liability limitations in the form of disclaimers so that you don’t face defamation charges later. Even if you do not think your content can cause harm, try to add such a disclaimer to be on the safer side.

8.Also, make sure you address all Copyright infringement claims and prevent plagiarism.

9.Furthermore, make sure you let your users know about all your endorsements and advertising partners. Doing so allows you to waive liabilities related to those ads. Also, don’t forget to include a termination clause that explains what all activities can lead to termination.

How to draft a suitable Privacy Policy

• Make sure you list all the types of personal data you collect, share, store, and use. This includes everything from names to date of births. Try to be as detailed as possible so that your users have a reasonably good idea of what they are getting themselves into. For instance, here’s how Instagram explains all the types of data they collect.

• Once you have outlined what data you collect, make sure you disclose how you collect and manage that data. List out all your data collection methods in your privacy policy explicitly. Mention everything from contact forms to IP address tracking. Here’s how McAfee does it.

• Next, carefully mention how you plan on using the data collected. List out all the ways this data will help you help the user out effectively. For instance, here’s how the New Scientist does it.

• Include warnings for children to ensure you do not break any parental advisory laws. Here’s a look at how Hormel Foods does it.