Subscribe RSSAdSense Optimization Boot Camp Tip #3
Update April 2009: The newly updated privacy policy (which includes specifics for interest based targeting) can be found here. Privacy policies must be updated by April 8, 2009.
With the new AdSense terms & conditions changes made last week, one of the requirements is that all publishers have a posted privacy policy in place that advises visitors specifically about cookies and web beacons. Here is an AdSense-friendly version of a privacy policy that JenSense readers are welcome to use on their own sites. Obviously, replace ___.com with your own website name and/or URL. And you may need to tailor bits of it to suit your site – if your site targets a specific country, you can change the ISP and city examples with ones in your own country.
Privacy Policy for ____.com
The privacy of our visitors to ____.com is important to us.
At _____.com, we recognize that privacy of your personal information is important. Here is information on what types of personal information we receive and collect when you use and visit _____.com, and how we safeguard your information. We never sell your personal information to third parties.
Log Files
As with most other websites, we collect and use the data contained in log files. The information in the log files include your IP (internet protocol) address, your ISP (internet service provider, such as AOL or Shaw Cable), the browser you used to visit our site (such as Internet Explorer or Firefox), the time you visited our site and which pages you visited throughout our site.Cookies and Web Beacons
We do use cookies to store information, such as your personal preferences when you visit our site. This could include only showing you a popup once in your visit, or the ability to login to some of our features, such as forums.We also use third party advertisements on ____.com to support our site. Some of these advertisers may use technology such as cookies and web beacons when they advertise on our site, which will also send these advertisers (such as Google through the Google AdSense program) information including your IP address, your ISP , the browser you used to visit our site, and in some cases, whether you have Flash installed. This is generally used for geotargeting purposes (showing New York real estate ads to someone in New York, for example) or showing certain ads based on specific sites visited (such as showing cooking ads to someone who frequents cooking sites).
You can chose to disable or selectively turn off our cookies or third-party cookies in your browser settings, or by managing preferences in programs such as Norton Internet Security. However, this can affect how you are able to interact with our site as well as other websites. This could include the inability to login to services or programs, such as logging into forums or accounts.
AdSense Privacy Policy Provided by <a href=”http://www.JenSense.com”>JenSense</a>
Don’t forget you now need to have a privacy policy on all your AdSense sites, this isn’t something that is optional, and when you agreed to the new terms, you agreed to do this too. I don’t know how strict they will be policing this new change to the terms, but it is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to protecting your AdSense account. You don’t want a black mark against your account because you haven’t done this, I will be making the changes to all mine this week.
Update March 2009 – If you are looking for a new privacy policy to cover the new interest based targeting, I will have a new one up in the next few days 
Don’t forget to subscribe to the JenSense feed for more great tips this month.
Many thanks for the template!
I originally had some really simple privacy policy on only some of my sites and pages, but your template provides the continuity and covers the ground I need. It is absolutely great. Thanks, Jenstar, for doing this and allowing us the use of it.
Thanks. I didn’t even take the time to read it all the way so this is very helpful to me.
You’re an absolute star. I was struggling to come up with a good one and this has saved the day!
[...] Ac
Thank you very much for the template! I’ve used it on one of my sites already and will be putting it on more soon.
Sounds like setting up a page with this text would probably be a pretty good idea. Thanks, Jen!
Hi Jen,
Do you know if google is going to picky about where the link to the privacy policy is?
I don’t know if they would be picky about where it is, so long as it isn’t hidden away. Personally, I recommend in the footer across all pages, as that is the standard placement of a privacy policy.
[...] Благодаря Jensense [...]
I could imagine this has something to do with latest announcement regarding IP and Privacy from the EU regulators.
What do you think?
[...] found a ready-made Privacy Policy that you can use with just a few simple modifications to make it fit your needs. Very [...]
[...] to setup a Privacy Page but rest assured as Jennifer over at Jensense provides AdSense-friendly privacy policy sample for AdSense publishers to [...]
[...] dah ada privacy policy sendiri Taktau nak buat page untuk privacy policy? Jangan risau pegi sini. Copy paste sample tuh. – rujukan – [...]
Thanks for that. Very useful to know. Being a lazy git I will copy & paste the above and include that link back to your site
Thanks i am using it in my Blog
[...] mentioned it and offered a privacy policy we could use. For people that don’t have SBI accounts, this site has a privacy policy they will let you use. And here is a pretty good explanation of the changes. [...]
If there making it mandatory then why don’t they provide one for us and explain!
[...] Make sure your Privacy Policy is updated, [...]
[...] you don’t want to write your own from scratch, Jensense has a template available that you may be interested [...]
Thanks for the privacy policy! The Privacy policy is really much appreciated!
[...] posted a wonderful aid and I’d suggest you take a look. Jen also [...]
Nobody has answered the question about sites on Blogger……do we need to put the privacy policy?
This is a very useful thing to know, and I wonder when other online advertisers will expect the same thing. Will the intrepid Netrepreneur have to come up with a specific privacy policy for each and every one of them? That’s a whole lot of privacy policies, and it might be difficult to keep up . . . so, here’s wishing all my fellow intrepid Netrepreneurs out there in the cyber hinterlands who do not get sufficient wind on this in time the best of luck in the lawsuits that will just keep on piling up, making it a chore rather than a joy to get those online pesos. But such are the challenges on a daily basis for the hearty intrepid Nettrepreneur.
[...] out of the loop as I am, we have a guardian angel: Jennifer Slegg at Jensense.com has developed a Privacy Policy template for [...]
[...] of your own. If you’re like me and just want to move on with life then simply head on over to Jensense and copy her [...]
What about Blogspot or Blogger blogs? How should we write a policy about it? Can anyone help or show any url in this regard?
Hi, thanks Jens for that policy. I’m really appriciate it.
Thanks for the privacy policy. It really helps struggling newbies!
[...] JenSense Privacy Policy [...]
[...] highlighted the Privacy Policy requirements in February, followed by a handy copy / paste Adsense Privacy Policy template followed by the do and don’ts of Adsense. Essential reading for all you Adsense publishers [...]
[...] all the details to reflect your own site. OR we found this simple and effective Privacy Policy from JenSense which you may also cut and paste. Remember to fill in the necessary information relating to your [...]
Thanks, Jennifer! Posted!
[...] Jensense Sample [...]
Thank YOU!
As I am moving my blog from wordpress.com to own hosting, and adsense are one of the elements being added, I will be adding the above privacy policy.
Thank You for the sample.
Hi Jen,
Thanks for the privacy policy.
FYI there’s a typo in the beginning of the last paragraph, “You can chose…” should be “You can choose…”, if I’m not mistaken.
I will be adding this to my websites soon. I was not aware of this. thank you Jens .
I wonder if people will actually read this privacy policy. Ah well ……
miss jens, thanks for the policy. i used it in my blog.
[...] terminate my Adsense account anytime. Fortunately, Jennifer Slegg has also thoughtfully written a sample privacy policy which she has made public. I read it and realized it was much too long for my blog. With some cut [...]
Thanks alot for this!
Thanks for the help!
Thanks for sharing this template!
Thanks a ton! I’ve got this up on my blog now, with the link giving you credit intact
typoed on the first comment !
Thanks, I have used this on 2 of my sites…great work to provide this to all of us!
@tomacintosh http://tinyurl.com/3eylc4
This template text is great. Thanks. Now all I wonder is: will it need specific modifications following Google AdSense’s introduction of ‘interest-based advertising’?
Hi Jen:
I have basically the same question as Steve. Do we need to add anything to your script to include the “DoubleClick DART” cookie:
Google Adsense says the following on their site:
“Your posted privacy policy should include the following information about Google and the DoubleClick DART cookie:
Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on your site.
Google’s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to your users based on their visit to your sites and other sites on the Internet.
Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy. ”
Thanks, Jen, for your wonderful script which is so helpful to so many!
Hi Jen,
The minute I opened my email and saw the new requirements from Google Adsense regarding the new privacy policy I immediately checked out this page for any additional tips from you. I’ve used your privacy policy script in all of my blogs and I hope you help us with what to add to it in light of the new Adsense requirements.
Thanks in advance, Jen.