A website privacy policy is a legal statement a business places on its website to inform users of what personally identifiable information (PII) the business collects, and how it complies with privacy laws. Privacy laws govern the collection, use, storage, protection, sharing, and deletion of PII—and the disclosure to consumers of what PII a business has collected about them. Examples of PII include names, addresses, telephone numbers, credit card information, and online user names and passwords. Many states have privacy laws, and these laws vary from state to state.

In Ohio, as in many other states, businesses that operate websites and collect personally identifiable information (PII) from their users are expected to have a privacy policy in place. This policy should clearly disclose the types of PII collected, such as names, addresses, telephone numbers, credit card information, and online credentials. It should also explain how the information is used, stored, protected, shared, and potentially deleted. Ohio does not have a specific state statute that governs website privacy policies, but businesses must comply with applicable federal privacy laws such as the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) for collecting information from children under 13, and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) for financial institutions. Additionally, Ohio businesses that collect PII from residents of other states may need to comply with those states' privacy laws, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) if they serve California residents. It is important for businesses to be transparent with users about their data practices and to ensure they are in compliance with all relevant privacy laws.