Privacy Statement

A privacy statement is a document that communicates an organization's privacy practices and commitments to individuals. The terms "privacy statement" and "privacy policy" are often used interchangeably, though some organizations use "privacy statement" for more concise, principle-based communications while reserving "privacy policy" for comprehensive legal documents. Privacy statements typically outline what personal information is collected, how it's used, with whom it's shared, how it's protected, and what rights individuals have. They may be tailored to specific contexts, such as a privacy statement for a particular service, product, or audience segment. Some organizations provide layered privacy notices with a short privacy statement providing key highlights and linking to a full privacy policy for details. Privacy statements should be clear, accessible, and written in plain language to ensure understanding by non-technical audiences. They serve both legal compliance purposes (meeting transparency requirements under privacy laws) and trust-building purposes (demonstrating organizational commitment to privacy). Like privacy policies, privacy statements must accurately reflect actual practices—discrepancies can lead to regulatory enforcement for deceptive practices. Organizations should review and update privacy statements regularly, provide version histories, notify users of material changes, and ensure statements are prominently accessible from relevant touchpoints.