What effect will Law 25 have on my website?
Since Law 25’s new dispositions took effect in Quebec, on September 2023, website owners have to take into consideration new constraints concerning data acquisition and conservation from their clients and users. May it be in regards to accumulating usage statistics, or concerning a company’s responsibilities towards the data they store, website owners must adapt.
This article will explain, in a simplified way, the nature of these changes and how entrepreneurs can conform their website to Law 25.
Your users must consent to having their data recorded
If your website uses data capture systems for site usage, may it be to count monthly visits for statistics or finding out what pages are the most consulted with Google Analytics, or even to determine which ads would be most appropriate through Google Ads, tracking tags or code is added to the web pages. This makes possible the capture of anonymous usage data from your visitors’ visits.
Now, with the new Law 25, users need to consent using these systems before you can start capturing their navigation data. When visiting your site, a modal window or banner will ask users to accept or refuse these tracking cookies. If users consent, their visit data will be recorded normally. If they refuse, the tracking cookies will ne be loaded and no navigation data will be recorded.
Your users’ data belongs to them
Law 25 highlights another important change in regards to how personal information is managed when a user fills out a contact form or makes a purchase through your website. Users have a right to request a copy of their data and can also request you delete it.
It is also important to specify, on your Terms and Conditions page, the name and contact information of the person responsible for managing these requests, either by telephone, email or by mail.
The new law 25 goes beyond the data going through your website. All data from your customers belongs to them and they have a right to request consulting it or even deleting it.
It’s important that businesses respect these new dispositions and protect their users’ data. Learn more about Law 25 by visiting the Quebec government website (in french only) : https://www.quebec.ca/gouvernement/travailler-gouvernement/travailler-fonction-publique/services-employes-etat/conformite/protection-des-renseignements-personnels
How to prepare
Contact us to install a consent management system on your website. We offer various options, from simple ones that will fit most sites to more complex and sturdy systems with daily access logging, ideal for ecommerce sites containing private customer information.