A website privacy policy is a legal statement a business places on its website to inform users of what personally identifiable information (PII) the business collects, and how it complies with privacy laws. Privacy laws govern the collection, use, storage, protection, sharing, and deletion of PII—and the disclosure to consumers of what PII a business has collected about them. Examples of PII include names, addresses, telephone numbers, credit card information, and online user names and passwords. Many states have privacy laws, and these laws vary from state to state.
In Texas, website privacy policies are governed by a combination of state and federal laws. The Texas Business and Commerce Code requires certain businesses to implement and maintain reasonable procedures, including taking any appropriate corrective action, to protect and safeguard from unlawful use or disclosure any sensitive personal information collected or maintained by the business in the regular course of business. Additionally, Texas law (Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act) mandates that any business that collects sensitive personal information must inform the individual in the event of a breach of system security. At the federal level, various laws such as the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) may apply, depending on the nature of the website and the type of PII it handles. These laws require businesses to provide clear privacy policies and to protect consumers' personal information. It's important for businesses operating in Texas to be aware of both state and federal regulations to ensure compliance with privacy laws.
