3 LEGAL THINGS YOUR WEBSITE NEEDS
Having a privacy notice, a legal disclaimer, and terms and conditions on your website provides your online business with legal protection.
It also helps to establish clear communication with your users.
These documents are there to manage user expectations, protect your business, and ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
These legal requirements are all about compliance and protection for website owners, managers, and users.
THING ONE: A PRIVACY NOTICE
What is a Privacy Notice?
Put simply, it’s a statement your website provides explaining how user’s data is collected, used, disclosed, and managed.
It’s an important document everywhere.
You need it to show you’re transparent about your data privacy practices.
Does a Privacy Notice Need to Be on a Website
Yes, having a privacy notice on a website is not just recommended but often legally required, especially if the site collects personal data from users.
Check out this table of legal requirements in the US, UK, and EU for more details.
Personal data includes things like:
names,
email addresses,
payment details,
and any other personally identifiable information.
Compliance with privacy laws such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in Europe, CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) in the United States, and other regional regulations (check the table here) mean you need a clear and accessible privacy notice.
How Do You Write a Privacy Notice for a Squarespace Website?
Creating a privacy notice for a Squarespace website involves several steps.. although before you do any of them, I suggest you get hold of one to read.
Then you’ll know the kind of information you need to provide.
1: Understanding the Legal Requirements
Research the legal requirements for privacy notices relevant to your audience and the jurisdictions in which you operate.
2: Collect Information
Determine what personal data you collect, how it's collected, and for what purposes.
Don’t forget, collecting emails for your newsletter subscriber list counts as personal data.
3. Draft the Notice
Introduction: State the purpose of your privacy notice.
Data Collection: Explain what data your site collects and how it is collected.
Data Use: Describe how the data is used.
Data Sharing: Outline how the data is shared, and who with.
User Rights: Inform users of their rights regarding their personal data.
Contact Information: Provide a way for users to contact you with questions or concerns about their data.
NB: There’s some great guidelines from Squarespacefor writing this policy and other legal stuff on you website, you can find it here.
4. Implement on Squarespace
Go to your Squarespace website editing section.
Go to the Pages category
Upload your Privacy Policy into a file on the unlinked section of Pages
Navigate to the Footer section in editing mode
Add a text link to your Privacy Policy in the Footer section
This will ensure it’s easily accessible from all pages.
Is a Legal Disclaimer the Same as a Privacy Notice on My Website?
No, a legal disclaimer is not the same as a privacy notice.
A legal disclaimer limits the liability of the website owner regarding the use of the website’s content and services.
In contrast, a privacy notice specifically deals with how user data is collected, used, and protected.
Thing 2: A Legal Disclaimer
What is a Legal Disclaimer?
A legal disclaimer is a statement that helps protect your website by limiting liability for the information and services provided.
It tells users about the nature of the content, the limitations of any warranties, and the boundaries of the website’s responsibility.
Common disclaimers include medical, financial, and general content disclaimers, depending on the site's focus.
Why Your Website Needs a Legal Disclaimer
Limit Liability:
To protect your business against claims related to incorrect or misinterpreted online information.
Clarify Responsibility
Makes it clear what users can and cannot hold the website owner responsible for.
Enhance Credibility
Shows that you, as a responsible and professional website owner, are transparent and proactive about legal matters.
Thing 3: Terms & Conditions for Your Squarespace Website
Do I Need Terms & Conditions for My Website?
While not always legally required, having terms and conditions (T&C) for your website is prudent.
It sets out the rules and guidelines users must agree to when using your website, providing legal protection for both you and your users.
The Importance of Terms & Conditions
Limit Liability
Limiting your liability helps to protect. your business.
By limiting liability for issues that may arise from using the website, you can go some way towards sorting any issues that may arise in the future.
Set Expectations
Your website T & C let users know what they can expect from your website.
This includes things like:
acceptable use policies,
content ownership,
dispute resolution procedures.
Legal Protection
Presuming that your website promoting your service as a career coach is operating legally, it’s a way of giving your website (and the online presence of your business).
It provides a contractual framework that can be referenced in legal disputes.
Just in case.
In the UK, are Website Terms and Conditions Legally Required?
While UK law does not mandate having T&C, it is a best practice to include them for the reasons mentioned above.
A well-drafted T&C can offer significant protection by limiting your business’s liability should a user or customer ever take you to court.
See the table for US, and EU requirements.
Drafting Terms & Conditions for a Squarespace Website
1. Research and Plan
Understand what needs to be included based on your business type and legal requirements.
2. Create Content
Introduction: Outline the purpose of the T&C.
User Obligations: Define what users can and cannot do on your site.
Intellectual Property: State the ownership of the content and any user-generated content policies.
Liability Limits: Clearly state the limits of your liability.
Governing Law: Specify the legal jurisdiction governing the T&C - see table of US, EU, and UK legal requirements here.
3. Implement on Squarespace
Go to your Squarespace Page settings.
Upload your document into the file section of the unlinked part of your site.
Link to the file and make sure it’s easily accessible, typically via a footer link.
A few more legal/compliance things to consider…
Accessibility
Websites in the US must comply with disability laws that apply to public accommodations, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Non-compliance can lead to lawsuits and damage a brand's reputation.
Cookie consent
Websites must use cookies in a way that respects user consent, and most privacy laws require websites to ask for permission, track it, and use it responsibly.
Ecommerce security
Websites that accept online payments must use HTTPS and SSL certificates to protect customer financial information.
Data security
A legal requirement under many data protection laws, data security can also help build trust with website visitors.
So, there we have it.
I’ve tried to make sure all this information is up to date for the regions I’ve mentioned.
Having said that, I’m not a legal consultant, and all the information in this article is based on publicly available stuff.
But if you’re in any doubt, please consult a legal advisor... because I’m not one!
Make sure you know, implement, and update on a yearly basis - all the legal things you need to do to protect your Squarespace website.
All websites designed by Jill Harris Design Studio will suggest that you include these important legal documents in your Footer section.
Once again: You might want to get some legal advice to be on the safe side.
After you’ve done that, written them out, and linked the documents to text links in your footer, make sure you check them each year, and update when necessary.
For some more information, and some help writing your privacy policy, have a look at this Squarespace article:
https://support.squarespace.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002123427-Sample-messages-for-your-privacy-policy