Selling With Confidence The Privacy Policy Requirements of Course Creators -
Prepare yourself. It is about time to find out about the reasons why websites that are based on courses may require privacy policies.
Alright, so maybe isn't the most thrilling subject, but it's still important.
Privacy is now a larger and greater issue. Customers are demanding that webmasters to protect their privacy, and non-compliance costs can be very costly just for not disclosing your own privacy practices.
If your website for your college collects data that is regulated, you have an obligation to disclose specific information so that your visitors understand the purpose of your data.
The article (and the webinar) will give instructors with the fundamentals on what website policies are and when they're required for certain course-creator websites, and what you can do to ensure that you have the right policies in place (and make sure they stay updated in the future).
Before we move any further we need to note that this article and webinar is not legal advice and is meant for informative purposes only. It is recommended to speak with an attorney in your area to help you meet your compliance needs.
What data is considered to be regulated?
Names, emails addresses, IP addresses, and names are being regulated under numerous privacy laws around the world. If you are collecting this sensitive data, then you might be required to have an Privacy Policy, regardless of where you're in.
It's already a major conclusion: the governments who create privacy laws do not care which part of the country your company is. They're concerned with protecting their people's data. Therefore, if you're collecting information from several areas, you may be required to comply with different privacy laws and to make the disclosures required under each one (yes every privacy law differs).
Is collecting regulated data bad?
Not at all! You just have to make certain disclosures regarding it.
Gathering information such as email addresses, names, and IP addresses can help your visitors have a positive experience on your website. This also allows you to create improvements to your website in the future.
What has really changed is that you should be mindful of the practices that you employ to protect your privacy and ensure you have the applicable policies on your website with the correct information you are specifically obliged to provide under the law(s) which apply to you.
Does your website course collect regulated data?
Virtually all modern websites collect restricted information. It's darn near a requirement to make sure that spammers don't try to alter your contact form and it would be impossible to accept payments without. Thus, the collection of data is typical for web sites, and it is likely to be much more common than you think.
Common characteristics for platform courses that store the following data that is regulated:
- Course and membership registrations
- Accepting payments
- Video embedded from 3rd party sites
- Engage is what triggers
- Rewarding your Learners
- Email drips
- Discussion forums
- Integrity
- Quizzes
Common integrations in which course creators are sharing information with third party:
- Embedding videos from third party sources into courses (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)
- Integrations with payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal, etc.)
- Automatic renewal reminders (Mailgun, ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp, etc.)
- Email newsletter subscription forms (Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Constant Contact, etc.)
- Data transfer providers (Zapier, etc.)
Why should I be concerned?
Simply put, you should be able to establish policies for your website in order to generate more sales , and to avoid of fines or legal action. By applying website policies, you build confidence and ensure compliance to the laws.
Privacy will not go away (if ever it's getting more crucial) and the failure to have a fully compliant Privacy Policy can get webmasters in trouble when it comes to privacy laws (where penalties start at $2,500 per website visitor that you've violated their rights).
You should consider joining our webinar where we'll teach you the basics of website policies, how to obtain proper ones, and the easiest way to ensure they are up-to-date over time!