Question 1

Do I need a privacy policy for my UK website?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, any organisation that collects or processes personal data of UK residents must have a privacy policy. This applies to almost every website — even collecting email addresses through a contact form counts as processing personal data. Failure to have a privacy policy can result in fines from the ICO.

Question 2

What is UK GDPR?

Accepted Answer

UK GDPR is the United Kingdom's version of the General Data Protection Regulation, which was retained in UK law after Brexit through the Data Protection Act 2018 and the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. It sets out the rules for how organisations must handle personal data of individuals in the UK, including principles for data processing, individual rights, and obligations for data controllers and processors.

Question 3

Do I need to register with the ICO?

Accepted Answer

Most UK organisations that process personal data must register with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and pay an annual data protection fee. There are some exemptions — for example, organisations that only process personal data for core business purposes such as staff administration, accounts, or advertising their own products may be exempt. You can use the ICO's self-assessment tool at ico.org.uk to check whether you need to register.

Question 4

What is the difference between UK GDPR and EU GDPR?

Accepted Answer

UK GDPR and EU GDPR are very similar in substance. The key differences are administrative: UK GDPR is supervised by the ICO rather than EU data protection authorities, references UK law rather than EU law, and has separate provisions for international data transfers. If your business operates in both the UK and EU, you may need to comply with both regulations.

Question 5

How often should I update my privacy policy?

Accepted Answer

You should review your privacy policy at least once a year, and update it whenever there are material changes to how you collect, use, or share personal data. Changes might include adding new third-party services, collecting new types of data, changing your data retention periods, or expanding into new markets. When you make significant changes, you should inform your users.

Question 6

Do I need a cookie policy?

Accepted Answer

Yes, if your website uses cookies — and almost all websites do. Under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) and UK GDPR, you must tell users about the cookies your website sets, explain what they do, and obtain consent for non-essential cookies. A separate cookie policy (or a detailed cookies section in your privacy policy) is the standard way to meet this requirement.

Question 7

What are GDPR data subject rights?

Accepted Answer

UK GDPR gives individuals seven key rights: the right of access (to get a copy of their data), right to rectification (to correct inaccurate data), right to erasure (the "right to be forgotten"), right to restrict processing, right to data portability (to receive data in a machine-readable format), right to object to processing, and rights related to automated decision-making and profiling. Your privacy policy must inform users about these rights.

Question 8

Can I get fined for not having a privacy policy?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The ICO has the power to issue fines of up to £17.5 million or 4% of annual global turnover (whichever is higher) for the most serious breaches of UK GDPR. While not having a privacy policy alone may not attract the maximum fine, it demonstrates a lack of transparency which is a fundamental principle of data protection law. The ICO regularly investigates and takes action against non-compliant organisations.

Question 9

What should a privacy policy include?

Accepted Answer

A comprehensive UK privacy policy should include: your identity and contact details, what personal data you collect and why, the legal basis for processing, who you share data with (including third-party services), how long you keep data, data subject rights, how to make a complaint to the ICO, whether data is transferred internationally, and details about cookies. Our generator covers all of these sections.

Question 10

Is this generator legally compliant?

Accepted Answer

This generator creates template policies that are aligned with UK GDPR requirements and include all the key sections recommended by the ICO. However, every business is different, and template policies cannot account for every unique circumstance. We strongly recommend having your generated policies reviewed by a qualified legal professional to ensure they are fully tailored to your specific business operations and legal obligations. The policies generated should be used as a solid starting point, not as a substitute for professional legal advice.

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