Free GDPR privacy policy templates

Updated Jan 15, 2021

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If your company operates in the European Union (EU) in some way, you need to make sure its privacy policy complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Failing to comply can result in hefty fines. This guide defines the GDPR and what you need to know to compose a compliant privacy policy.

The GDPR is a data protection law that came into effect in 2018 and replaced the Data Protection Act of 1998. GDPR is designed to give EU citizens more control over how their personal information is collected and used by organisations. The law requires organizations to outline what information they collect, why, and what they do with it in a clearly defined privacy policy.

The fine for violating the law can be up to 4% of your company's global revenue or €20 million, whichever is higher.

GDPR privacy policy

Download this template at Lawpath

According to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, an Australian company must have a GDPR policy if it:

has an office or other presence in the EU,
sells products or services in the jurisdiction,
collects and tracks online users in the EU to analyse and predict their personal preferences and behaviours.

You should clearly display your company's GDPR policy on your website. It is recommended that you use a popup or checkbox to confirm that users consent to the way you will use their personal data.

The GDPR requirements go further than previous European policies and Australian privacy law. GDPR privacy policy expands the definition of "personal data" beyond personal details to include location data, online identification, genetic information, and so on.

GDPR requires users to be able to opt-in to provide consent for the collection of their data. Organisations are directly responsible for their compliance with the legislation and they are required to report data breaches within 72 hours.

A GDPR privacy policy includes specific details of how a company collects, use and stores user data, customers' rights and how the company will comply with the legislation.

What is included in a GDPR privacy policy?

A GDPR privacy policy must include identity and contact details of the organisation and its data protection officer. It should include clauses that explain how and why the company will:

Collect personal data from consumers
Use the personal data it collects
Disclose personal data to third parties safely
Store personal data and keep it secure

Host data and transfer it internationally
Make use of cookies on its website
Protect customers' rights under GDPR

The policy should also include how long the organisation will retain the data and how it will decide the time period; that users have the right to withdraw consent or lodge a complaint; whether users are required to provide personal data and the consequences if they do not provide the information.

What is not included in a GDPR privacy policy?

GDPR policy must be tailored specifically to the audience, so you should not use the same notice for different situations. You may need to adjust the content and translate the language of your privacy policy for different customer groups or versions of your website.

GDPR policy notices should avoid unnecessary legal jargon and technical terminology that will be difficult for readers to understand easily.

A clear GDPR privacy policy document is important for making sure that your business complies with the EU legislation. It can provide an effective defence in the event there is a legal challenge against the way customer data is used.

You do not need a lawyer to write a GDPR-compliant policy. However, consulting a data protection lawyer that has specific knowledge of the European legislation can help ensure your company's policy meets the requirements.

Get access to customisable GDPR privacy policy templates online

1 - 4 of 4

Name	Legal document services available	Free legal documents available?	Other legal services offered	Price	Document library size
Lawpath	Customisable document templates	You can view samples for free and you can create your first document for free.	Online document eSignatures, lawyer marketplace, on-demand legal advice, business setup services	$288 per year for unlimited documents	300+	Customise and download up to 300 legal documents for business or personal matters. Plus register a company, business name or ABN.	Go to site More Info	loading Fetching your data...
LawDepot	Customisable document templates	Free one week trial available which gives access to hundreds of documents.	Free legal articles and resources	$59.88 per year for unlimited documents or one-off documents available for $9.50 - $49	150+	Customise and download legal documents in as little as five minutes. Plus, LawDepot offers peace of mind with two service guarantees.	Go to site More Info	loading Fetching your data...
Legal123	Customisable document templates	No	Custom legal services available, free law change updates via email, legal packages for various professions	Individual templates start from $59 + GST		Legal123 offers a range of individual templates or document packages for consultants, app developers, personal trainers and more.	Go to site More Info	loading Fetching your data...
LegalVision	Customisable document templates & professionally drafted documents	No	Legal advice phone consultations, contract reviewing and amendments, trade mark applications, business structure assistance.	From $49 + GST per week for access to 40+ legal templates	40+	Take advantage of unlimited legal advice consultations, free legal templates and fast turnaround times for legal projects with LegalVision membership.	Go to site More Info	loading Fetching your data...

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GDPR requires that you write your company's privacy policy in clear language so that users are well informed of how their data will be used. The wording should be "in a concise, transparent, intelligible, and easily accessible form".

Policy notices should avoid using vague qualifiers such as "might," "some," or "often," that create ambiguity and provide loopholes. Sentences should be well structured in the active tense and use bullet points to highlight specific areas.

The European Commission provides guidelines on how to write a compliant policy, with examples of good and bad practice. Some law firms provide GDPR privacy policy templates you can use to help get started.

Lawpath. Lawpath is an online legal resource for small businesses and entrepreneurs. It offers a range of free samples of legal documents on its website, but users must sign up to download and customise them.
Wonder.Legal. Wonder.Legal hosts more than 140 document templates, all of which you can purchase for a one-time fee. It offers a GDPR-compliant privacy policy that operates under UK law rather than Australian law on its UK site.
Legal123. Legal123 is an online law firm that offers document templates, legal packages, and free legal guides for small businesses. It provides specific GDPR clauses that companies can append to their existing privacy policy documents for a fee of $59+ tax.
Found Legal. Found Legal provides legal services, templates, and other resources for small businesses, including a privacy policy template that covers GDPR compliance for a fee of $165.

Thank you for your feedback!

Nicole Willing

Nicole Willing is a contributing writer at Finder. As a journalist she has covered technology, finance, energy and mining for 20 years, including as editor of a daily commodities newsletter. She’s passionate about sharing knowledge to help others make informed decisions. Nicole has an honours degree in Journalism and Social Science from City University in London. She became a freelancer to fully embrace her love of travel and work remotely.

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Make sure your business complies with European privacy law if it has a presence in the EU.

What is included in a GDPR privacy policy?

What is not included in a GDPR privacy policy?