Selling With Trust Information on Privacy Policy Requirements for Course Creators -
Make yourself ready. You are about to learn about why course-based websites may be required to have privacy policies.
Ok, it's not the most exciting subject, but it's still an important one.
Privacy is now a larger and greater issue. The public is demanding website owners to respect their privacy. If they don't, costs can be very costly by not disclosing your privacy policies.
If your course website has been collecting data under regulation, you have an obligation to disclose specific information so that your visitors understand the purpose of your data.
This post (and the webcast) is intended to provide course creators the basics for what website policies are, when they are required on certain websites for course creators, and the best way to get proper policies implemented (and keep them updated in the future).
Before proceeding further, it's important for us to note that this article and webinar does not constitute legally-based advice, and it is intended for informational purposes only. Consult an attorney in your area to help you meet your compliance needs.
What data is considered to be regulated?
Things like names, email addresses and IP addresses are subject to regulation under various privacy laws throughout the world. If you collect this regulated data, you may require a Privacy Policy, regardless of where your situated.
It's already a major conclusion: the governments who create privacy laws don't care about the location of your company. They're concerned with protecting individuals' data. If you're collecting information from multiple sources, you may be required to adhere to various privacy laws, and provide the necessary disclosures in every one (yes, each privacy law is different).
Is collecting regulated data bad?
Not at all! It's just a matter of making an announcement about it.
Collecting data like email addresses, names, as well as IP addresses, helps ensure that users have an enjoyable experience while using your website. It also helps you improve your site in the future.
The only thing that's been changed is the fact the fact that you must be mindful of the practices that you employ to protect your privacy and be sure to have respective policies on your website that contain the proper disclosures you specifically are required to make according to the law(s) which apply to you.
Does your website course collect regulated data?
Virtually all modern websites collect regulated data. It's darn near a requirement for security purposes to prevent spammers from trying to attack your contact forms as it's impossible to accept payments without. Therefore, collecting information is a normal practice on websites and is likely to be much more common than you think.
Common characteristics for platform courses that store controlled data
- Registration for courses and memberships
- Accepting payment
- Video embedded from 3rd party sites
- Engage is what triggers
- Rewarding your Learners
- Email drips
- Discussion forums
- Integrity
- Quizzes
Common integrations where course creators share data with third-party partners:
- Embedding 3rd party videos for lessons (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)
- Payment gateway integrations (Stripe, PayPal, etc.)
- Automatic renewal notifications (Mailgun, ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp and others.)
- Email newsletter subscription forms (Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Constant Contact, etc.)
- Data transfer providers (Zapier, etc.)
Why should I care?
It is essential to be able to establish policies for your website in order to generate more sales , and to avoid of fines or legal action. By having policies on your website, you build trust with customers and assist in complying with the law.
Privacy isn't going anywhere (if ever it's getting more vital) and the failure to have the right Privacy Policy is what gets website owners into trouble when it comes to privacy laws (where fines begin at $2,500 for each visitor to a website that you've violated their rights).
You should consider joining the webinar, where we'll show you the fundamentals of web policies, how to obtain appropriate ones and how to easily maintain them as time passes!