Why do you Need a Privacy Policy?
Our expert team of Commercial lawyers can prepare a privacy policy for your business. If you already have a privacy policy, our team can review your current privacy policy to ensure that it is compliant and up to date.
If you are an individual, company or organisation doing business in New Zealand and collect any personal information about your customers, you need to ensure that you do so in accordance with New Zealand’s privacy laws.
Currently, privacy law in New Zealand is governed by the Privacy Act 1993. Under this legislation, if you are collecting any personal information from an identifiable individual, you need to let that person know that you are collecting their personal information and what you are doing with that information.
The best way to achieve this is through a privacy policy.
What should be included in your privacy policy?
Your privacy policy should clearly explain to a customer, in a way that is easy to understand, how their personal information will be used in connection with your business. Your customers should read, understand and accept the terms of your privacy policy before their personal information is collected. In particular, your privacy policy should include:
- That you are collecting their personal information;
- What personal information you are collecting;
- The purpose for which their personal information is being collected;
- How their personal information will be used;
- Who will be able to receive and access their personal information;
- Whether you are collecting their personal information under a particular law;
- Whether supply of their personal information to you is mandatory or voluntary;
- What will happen if they do not provide you with their personal information;
- How long their personal information will be retained by your business for;
- That there are security safeguards in place to protect their personal information against loss and misuse;
- That they have the right to access and correct their personal information held by you;
- How to contact you and any organisation that may hold the personal information for you; and
- Any other information that might be relevant to the customer with regards to the use and collection of their personal information.
Our Privacy Lawyers
Our expert team of commercial lawyers can prepare a privacy policy for your business. If you already have a privacy policy, our team can review your current privacy policy to ensure that it is compliant and up to date.
The above provides a brief overview of privacy policies in New Zealand. It is not intended to be a comprehensive outline of privacy law requirements in New Zealand or to be constituted as legal advice.
If you feel you could use some specialist advice, don’t hesitate to contact the Commercial Team.
