Step 2: Understand current privacy legislation and how to be compliant with recommended guidelines.
Instilling trust in your customers is essential for building and enhancing relationships. Visitors to your site should feel comfortable doing business with you.

• Review existing privacy laws that are appropriate to your business. For example, if you are marketing to children, you must follow the rules and regulations set forth in the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. You may also be interested in understanding medical information privacy and financial privacy requirements.

• Understand the accountability mechanisms available to you. In addition to BBBOnLine, other third-party organizations have developed "seal programs" to indicate that a Web site is in compliance with recommended guidelines and practices. Like BBBOnLine, these programs also offer opportunities for dispute resolution. If you'd like more information, visit the following sites: BBBOnLine, TRUSTe, and CPA WebTrust to understand how these programs may complement your efforts to show consumers you stand behind your policy statement. Other sources of information include the Direct Marketing Association Privacy Promise Compliance Guide and the Guidelines for Effective Enforcement of Self Regulation developed by the Online Privacy Alliance.

• In addressing privacy concerns, the federal government recently recommended five core principles of privacy protection. These include (1) Notice/Awareness; (2) Choice/Consent; (3) Access/Participation; (4) Integrity/Security; and (5) Enforcement/Redress. For more information, go to the Federal Trade Commission.

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