TILT – Therapeutic Innovations in Light of Technology
Ly l e L a b a r d e e
TECHNOLOGY ENHANCED D Privacy Please: Privacy and Security Policies for Coaching Websites OK, I know, any column with the word "policies" in the title looks like an antidote for insomnia, but wait, don’t drift off just yet! Here's why anyone with an online coaching presence should care. Whether you're advertising traditional (over-thephone and face-to-face) coaching services or actually providing coaching services online, your privacy and security policy says a lot about you, your organization and your commitment to the industry's code of ethics. Consider for a moment the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Code of Ethics (part two, section 1, #7 http://www.coachfederation.org/about-icf/ ethics/icf-code-of-ethics/). It states: "I will maintain, store, and dispose of any records created during my coaching business in a manner that promotes confidentiality, security, and privacy, and complies with any applicable laws and agreements." "Applicable laws and agreements" in this case include, among others, the Fair Information Practice Codes enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the US, the Data Protection Act in the UK, and the Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information in Canada.
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By now you might be thinking, "Well of course I adhere to my profession's code of ethics and abide by laws and agreements governing confidentiality, security and privacy; just tell me what I need to know." For starters, keep your privacy policy simple, but not too simple. Here’s what not to do. (If by chance you recognize one of the policies below as yours rest assured we trust you mean well and you're committed to learning and improving just like the rest of us.) Both of the websites collect sensitive personal information via web forms: Privacy Policy – Poor Example #1: It’s simple. Everything we talked about during life coaching sessions is treated as confidential information and you are guaranteed a full protection of your privacy. Privacy Policy – Poor Example #2: Confidentiality is a sacred trust. We never sell, rent or trade our client’s personal data. We never spam. Well-informed visitors of the sites associated with these privacy policies may be left with more