25 June 2019
If you use Wix for your website or if you create apps for Wix, you most likely need to include a Privacy Policy.
The Wix App Market Terms of Use agreement includes a section on "Data Protection" that says:
"Wix recommends, and in some circumstances requires, that all Third Party Developers for the Apps in its APP Market post a privacy policy or other statement describing the applicable App's privacy practices regarding how personally identifiable information is collected, shared, and used by or through an App and its respective App provider, whether Wix or a Third Party Developer."
Wix includes a recommendation in their own Privacy Policy agreement that all "users publish and maintain clear and comprehensive privacy policies on their user websites, in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations..."
The Wix Developers Partners Agreement explicitly requires that any App developed through Wix and submitted to the Wix App store that
"collects or transmits any personally identifiable information of Users or any personal identifiable information from a Wix User's website visitors, the Partner must maintain and comply with a privacy policy."
Wix continues to outline requirements of the required Privacy Policy, including that the Privacy Policy must:
Here is the screenshot of this requirement:
Even if a Privacy Policy is not required by Wix, a Privacy Policy is required by law. If your Wix-created website or app collects and uses any personal information from users, you'll need a Privacy Policy according to law.
The laws and regulations Wix is referring to in its Privacy Policy and its Developers Partners Agreement include a number of international laws, directives and acts aimed at protecting privacy of end users of websites and mobile websites.
These laws can apply to websites and mobile apps that collect personal information from users, even if the website is hosted by Wix or not.
Personal information includes anything information that can be used to identify a user such as a birth date, email address, first or last name, home address, IP address, and other pieces of data.
Here are a few of the most common applicable laws and regulations that Wix's Privacy Policy references above.
In the United States, the California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA) requires that if any personal information is collected and used from a user located in the state of California, that business must include a Privacy Policy.
Because the chances are likely that a person in California may visit your site and submit personal information, if you collect user information at all, you will need to include a Privacy Policy to ensure you're compliant with CalOPPA.
CalOPPA isn't determined by what state or country your business is ran from. It's determined solely by where your users may be located.
In the EU and the UK, there following laws requires you to have a Privacy Policy if you collect personal data from users:
The very first principle requires a fair and lawful processing of personal information. This has been interpreted as a call for transparency in how personal information is processed.
Transparency can be achieved by including a thoroughly informative Privacy Policy whenever personal information is collected.
Australia has thirteen Privacy Principles that regulate how personal information is handled.
The first principle covers "the open and transparent management of personal information including having a privacy policy."
In Canada, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) is a federal law that dictates how businesses in the private sector must handle personal information of users.
One of the requirements of PIPEDA is that businesses must let users know what personal information is going to be collected, why it's going to be collected.
A Privacy Policy is the easiest way to do this.
Use the Privacy Policy Generator to create a Privacy Policy for your Wix website.
Since you know you'll need a Privacy Policy for your Wix website, here's how you can add your Privacy Policy page to your website rather easily through the Wix Editor:
It's a common best practice to place the link to your Privacy Policy and other legal agreements in the footer of your website. Wix makes it easy to make this adjustment by following these steps.
Here's how you can use the Privacy Policy Generator from TermsFeed to create a Privacy Policy and link to it from your Wix website.
Clasp'pin Goods
Clasp'pin Goods, a website created with Wix, links its Privacy Policy to its footer along with its other legal agreements and policies:
This Privacy Policy includes the required and relevant information:
There's an entire section dedicated to informing users of how Wix provides the e-commerce platform that Clasp'pin Goods operates through.
In this section, the Wix Terms of Use and Privacy Policy are both linked:
Wix also comes up regularly in the sections dealing with Third-Party Services, and Security.
Users are informed that Wix may share information with third parties for things like security, billing and data optimization. Security measures implemented by Wix are also discussed, including SSL/TLS encrypted connections and a PCI DSS certification.
Even though the user is viewing the Privacy Policy for Clasp'pin Goods, it's the security features of Wix that matter since Wix is the platform where Clasp'pin Goods' e-commerce takes place and where user financial information will be collected and stored.
Farm to Fork
Farm to Fork, another website hosted by Wix, includes a link to its Privacy Policy in its footer at the very bottom, along with a few other policies and legal agreements:
Wix is mentioned in the Privacy Policy of Farm to Fork in its own section.
"Section 4" is titled Wix.com and lets users know that the Farm to Fork store is hosted on Wix.com, that Wix provides the e-commerce platform used, and that user data is stored in Wix data storage, Wix databases, and the general Wix.com application.
Payment information in Farm to Fork's Privacy Policy is included within the "Section 4" on Wix and users are informed of the Wix.com encryption and security features for how financial information is safeguarded.
Links are also provided here for the Wix.com Terms of Service and Privacy Policy so users can find out more information about Wix's practices and policies if they wish.
Lee-Ann Johnstone
Lee-Ann Johnstone's website, created with Wix, includes a link to its Privacy Policy in its vibrant footer:
The only mention of Wix in this Privacy Policy is in "Section 4", which is titled "Wix."
Users are informed that Lee-Ann Johnstone's site is hosted on Wix, Wix provides the e-commerce platform on the site, and that Wix is responsible for data storage and data storage security:
Wix recommends that you always include a Privacy Policy with your Wix website. However, if your website collects any personal information from users, Wix requires that you include a Privacy Policy.
International laws also require that a Privacy Policy be present if personal information is collected from users.
This article is not a substitute for professional legal advice. This article does not create an attorney-client relationship, nor is it a solicitation to offer legal advice.