ICO Launches Free Privacy Notice Generator

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has launched a free Privacy Notice Generator to help charities, voluntary organisations, SMEs, and start-ups. This new tool is intended to simplify data protection compliance, particularly for smaller organisations with limited time and resources to allocate to legal and regulatory requirements.

What Does the Privacy Notice Generator Offer?

The Privacy Notice Generator provides two distinct types of privacy notices:

Customer/Supporter and Supplier Information: This notice is ideal for organisations to display on their website or include in external communications, ensuring transparency with those who engage with the organisation.

Staff and Volunteer Information: Designed for internal use, this privacy notice can be included in welcome packs, policy libraries, or other channels accessible to staff and volunteers, helping to maintain clear and consistent communication about data protection practices within the organisation.

This tool replaces the ICO’s previous privacy policy template with a more streamlined and intuitive generator that guides organisations through the process of creating a custom privacy policy in just a few steps.

The ICO aims to make compliance as simple as possible so that organisations can focus on their core mission without getting bogged down in complex regulatory requirements.

Why Is This Important?

For smaller organisations, especially in the charity and voluntary sectors, data protection can be a daunting task. Many lack the resources to hire dedicated legal or compliance teams, making tools like this Privacy Notice Generator invaluable.

Faye Spencer, Head of Business Services at the ICO, emphasises this point:

“We’re always looking for ways to make data protection compliance simple and stress-free for smaller organisations, who tend to have less time and fewer resources. Our new privacy notice generator does just that. It’s a quick and easy solution that provides organisations with the support they need, so they can concentrate on what they’re good at, serving the needs of their customers and growing their organisation.”

Staying Up to Date

The ICO is also encouraging organisations that already have a privacy notice to use the new generator to ensure their notices are up to date. With data protection laws and regulations constantly evolving, keeping these documents current is essential to maintaining compliance and protecting the rights of individuals.

Conclusion

The ICO’s Privacy Notice Generator is a welcome development for the charity and voluntary sectors, as well as for SMEs and start-ups. By making it easier to create and update privacy notices, the ICO is helping these organisations meet their legal obligations with less hassle, allowing them to focus on what they do best—serving their communities and growing their businesses.

Find out more here.