Clearview National December 2014 - Issue 157 | Page 81

BUSINESSNEWS

Is your website legal?
»»In this evermore
online and competitive world,
every modern business is
beginning to understand the
need for its website to deliver
an engaging experience for
visitors, with reasons to return,
but a significant number appear
to be ignoring the need for a
website to meet minimum legal
requirements.
Andrew Brennan, a technology
lawyer at commercial law firm
SGH Martineau, explains, “It
appears many businesses are
unaware of, or ignoring, the laws
governing the websites of UK
registered businesses. They must
display the business name, place
of registration, registered number,
registered office address, details
of any regulator if the business
undertakes regulated activities
and the VAT number. This
information doesn’t need to be on
the homepage, but should be easy
to locate on the site.
“For sole traders and
partnerships, the address of the
principal place of business must
be shown.
“The collection, storage and use
of personal data, including the
sharing, or selling of information
is a growing area of concern, so
it is essential businesses have the
relevant policies and procedures
in place.

“In 2011, the law governing
cookies changed and visitors
must now consent to their
use. Websites should clearly
explain what cookies are used,
what information they gather,
what’s done with it and that by
continuing to use the site, the
visitor co