Reading a privacy policy

Name:

Date:

Class:

Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. Which describes a privacy policy?

A A password that protects your account from hackers

B A document that explains what data a service collects and why

2. Where are you most likely to find an app's privacy policy?

A Inside your phone's battery settings

B A link in the app's settings, menu or website footer

3. A policy says: 'We collect your name, email address and location.' What part of the policy is this?

A What data is collected

B Who the data is shared with

4. A policy says: 'We may share your data with advertising partners.' What is this telling you?

A Who your data is shared with

B How long your data is kept

5. Which is a good question to ask when reading a privacy policy?

A Why does this service need my data?

B How many pages is this document?

Match the Pairs

Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.

Left column		Right column
1Data we collect: name, email, location		AThis section of a privacy policy lists what personal data the service collects from you
2We share your data with advertising partners		BTo stop marketing emails, click Unsubscribe or turn off Marketing in Settings
3Finding the policy: most apps and websites link to it from the footer, the sign-up page or the settings menu		CFooter: About \| Help \| Privacy Policy \| Terms
4How to opt out: the policy explains how you can say no to some uses of your data		DThis statement tells you who else gets your data, which is a third party outside the service
5I clicked 'I agree' without reading, so I know what data the app collects		EClicking agree does not tell you what is collected. You need to read the privacy policy to find out what data is collected, why, and who it is shared with.
6The policy says 'we keep your data', so it must be deleted when I stop using the app		FThe policy should say how long data is kept. Keeping data does not mean it is deleted, so check the retention period or how to ask for deletion.

Definitions

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.

Footer link: ______________

We _______ your email and your location.

We share your data with third _______.

To _______, go to Settings > Privacy.

Data _________: we keep it for 2 years.

Spot the Error

Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.

Question 1

A Says: "We collect your email"

B What: nothing

C Says: "We keep it for 2 years"

D Kept for: 2 years

Question 2

A Step 1: skip the Privacy link

B Step 2: read what is collected

C Step 3: see who gets the data

Question 3

A Says: "We share data with ads"

B Shared with: advertisers

C Says: "Opt out in Settings"

D Opt out: not possible

Question 4

A Says: "We use your location"

B Why: to show nearby shops

C Collects: your birthday

Question 5

A Says: "We keep data 1 year"

B Kept for: forever

C Answers: how long is it kept?

Answer Key

Reading a privacy policy

Section A: Quick Questions

B — A document that explains what data a service collects and why

B — A link in the app's settings, menu or website footer

A — What data is collected

A — Who your data is shared with

A — Why does this service need my data?

Section B: Match the Pairs

Data we collect: name, email, location → This section of a privacy policy lists what personal data the service collects from you

We share your data with advertising partners → This statement tells you who else gets your data, which is a third party outside the service

Finding the policy: most apps and websites link to it from the footer, the sign-up page or the settings menu → Footer: About | Help | Privacy Policy | Terms

How to opt out: the policy explains how you can say no to some uses of your data → To stop marketing emails, click Unsubscribe or turn off Marketing in Settings

I clicked 'I agree' without reading, so I know what data the app collects → Clicking agree does not tell you what is collected. You need to read the privacy policy to find out what data is collected, why, and who it is shared with.

The policy says 'we keep your data', so it must be deleted when I stop using the app → The policy should say how long data is kept. Keeping data does not mean it is deleted, so check the retention period or how to ask for deletion.

Section C: Definitions

privacy policy — A document that says what data a service collects, why it collects it, who it shares it with, how long it keeps it and how you can opt out.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

Footer link: Privacy Policy

We collect your email and your location.

We share your data with third parties.

To opt out, go to Settings > Privacy.

Data retention: we keep it for 2 years.

Section E: Spot the Error

B — The policy says the service collects your email, so the summary should read 'What: email', not 'nothing'.

A — The first step in reading a policy is to find and open the Privacy link, usually in the footer or settings. You can't read the policy if you skip it.

D — The policy says you can opt out in Settings, so the summary should say 'Opt out: Settings > Privacy', not that it is not possible.

C — The policy says the service uses your location, so the data collected is location, not your birthday.

B — The policy says data is kept for 1 year, so the summary should say 'Kept for: 1 year', not forever.