Data Protection and your small business website

The following article outlines what data protection actions a small business website should consider when processing "cookies" and other client-related data. The article was kindly provided by Lawdit Solicitors who we have worked with for many years on small business projects.

You may use your website to collect information on visitors to your website. You may also use "cookies” text files which your site leaves on a user's hard disk so it can remember their preferences and other information the next time they visit.

The law states that visitors to a website should be provided with information about the purposes of the cookie, as well as giving the user the opportunity to refuse it.

In essence in relation to obtaining personal information about a person your website must inform people about what you are doing and what you intend to do with the personal information that you have obtained. Most businesses use the information to fulfill orders or to use it to market other products or services to them. Others share the information with other businesses.

You should give people the chance to opt out if they don't want mailings from you. You must ask people to opt in if you want to send them marketing emails. You will also need consent if you want to sell your mailing list or share your information with other businesses.

There is a minimum amount of information that a website must provide - you can complete the following checklist and Lawdit Solicitors can advise you further on here.

Lawdit also always recommend clients to have a set of terms and conditions on their website thereby setting out their terms and policies.