New technologies have made it easier to undertake online and with more schedules freedom. But it is rare to find a blog or website that meets all the legal aspects that are required. And that means being faced with severe economic sanctions that will destroy your dream of having a better quality of life living on your passion.
But the information in this regard is practically non-existent or very scattered and confusing, so here we will explain in an orderly manner what legal aspects your blog should have.
Keep in mind that if your blog is exclusively personal, there are also legal aspects that you must have.
Be Careful When Choosing Your Blog Name and Domain
Starting at the beginning, as it should be, the first thing you have to keep in mind is the name and domain you choose for your blog since you must take care that it does not conflict with an already registered brand (worldwide) because if it creates confusion, you can lose control and with it, all the work published.
The moment a brand demands your domain, they will block it until there is a resolution. So you know, once you’ve chosen the name of your blog, don’t forget to register it as a brand.
To know if a domain name is already in use, you can use different tools, for example, GoDaddy.com, Google Domains, or Register.com.
Why Should You Have Your Blog in a Hosting and Own Domain?
Well, the main reason is that you are not the owner of the blog, unlike what you might think, the owner is the service offered by making the blog, i. e., for example, WordPress or Blogger.
You may think that is not important, but quite the opposite, because if tomorrow that service closes or decides that your blog does not like it, they can close it, and you will lose all the posts that you have accumulated during the time you have had the blog.
On the other hand, you can find more reasons why you need a hosting and own domain:
- It won’t be straightforward to monetize it because they do not allow affiliate links, and the advertising they show on your blog is controlled by WordPress or Blogger, and the benefits are for them, not for you.
- You will have basic templates that everyone has, so your blog will not attract more readers.
- In the case of WordPress, you will not be able to use plugins (Blogger does not have it), so you will not be able to add functionalities.
- They don’t have customer support, so if you have any problem, you have to solve it yourself.
- It will not be optimal for your SEO strategy since Google only takes into account those serious and trustworthy websites that have a hosting and its domain.
Include Legal Texts in Your Blog
Surely you already know, you have to include the legal texts to have a legal blog, but still, most of them do not add them. And that means exposing yourself to significant economic sanctions. We tell you what they are and when you should put each one:
Legal Notice
You should include it in your blog whenever you get some economic performance, even if it is a small amount, either through Google Adsense, affiliate program, product sales, etc. It is where you will inform who is behind your blog and what are the rules of use of it.
The Cookie Policy
Cookies store information about what you do on the internet, and that is why you must notify of their use and request prior consent for their installation.
Privacy Policy
It is part of the fulfillment of the data protection of your blog, and it is where you must inform your users about the respect and protection you have of their data. For what you will report:
- Who is responsible for the data.
- The third recipients of the data
- The email marketing platform you use.
- The lead capture service.
- It also indicates the period for which the data is and its purpose.
Steps To Comply With Data Protection in a Blog
This aspect is already of vital importance, and even more if you are from the European Union where the GDPR law regulates this matter.
And if you have a blog, even if it is personal, the most logical thing is that you have to comply with the data protection law because surely you are handling data, even if you do not know it.
So, to do not have unpleasant surprises, we inform you that if you have a contact form, users can leave a comment on your blog, they can subscribe to your newsletter, and you must comply with the data protection.
What you must do to fulfill this point is:
Risk Analysis and Security Level to Apply
The first thing you will have to see is the risk of the data you collect and whether they are sensitive data or not (having a blog will not handle sensitive data).
For this, it will be necessary to make a risk analysis where you will specify the type of data that you process and the possibility that it will be filtered or lost, thus establishing the necessary security measures to prevent that from happening.
Write the Security Document
It is about assessing the type of information you manage, analyzing the flow of data, detecting critical points, and strengthening the internal security of your business. Please do not leave it, because in case of inspection it is the first thing that they will ask you.
Write Contracts for Data Controllers
If someone else takes care of your blog and you have hired a hosting, you have to make a contract with them to comply with the Protection of Personal Data to cover your back if they commit any violation with your data.
Conclusion
You cannot forget that the blog is a public medium, and you have to be careful of the actions you take on it. These are some of the legal aspects that you must take into account. It is not very complicated to have them, be creative, and create your content and create the privacy policy to avoid problems.
