Privacy policy: what your website needs to include

If your website collects personal information (contact form, newsletter, audience measurement tools), a clear privacy policy is expected.

The essential elements

Who collects: the business name and the contact information of the person in charge of protecting personal information.
What: the information collected (name, email, phone number, browsing data).
Why: the specific purposes (responding to a request, sending a quote).
How: form, cookies, third-party tools.
With whom: the providers who have access to it (hosting, email delivery).
Where: whether the data is hosted outside Quebec.
For how long: the retention period.
Your rights: access, correction, withdrawal of consent, and how to exercise them.

If you use measurement or advertising tools that set cookies, explain it, and turn off non-essential cookies by default where the law requires it.

Law 25 calls for clear, plain terms. Avoid legal jargon. A short, readable policy is better than a long text nobody understands.

A link in the footer of every page, and next to every form.

This article is for information only and does not constitute legal advice.